Dance of the Orient

Over the years I have seen many of Mark Houghton's pieces and have always been impressed with them. This latest work is dedicated to Xuefei Yang and begins with an adagio introduction built up around the pentatonic scale effused in a cross-string style, followed by some natural harmonics and a number of evocative glissandi. An andante then enters with a memorable theme over a pedal of the bottom open three strings (6th to D). This gradually picks up momentum until one is hurtling along in triplet semiquaver patterns; all very playable and most effectively written. A sudden animato winds up the tension via an octave linking section to the main allegretto con modo with a wonderful chordal idea that bounces around in a most unexpected fashion. This is the hardest section to play but is well worth getting your fingers around as it very effective. This extended section finally gives way to the foregoing andante, and thence to the opening adagio where the initial mood re-enters for a final close on a six-string D6 chord. As I said, I have seen many of this composer's works over the years but few have impressed me as much as this piece. It could have been so stilted and hackneyed, for it is so easy to write an oriental styled piece full of merely a string of fourths and a few pentatonic runs but this piece is so much more and has shown the composer to be at his most inspired. I loved this piece as I'm sure Xuefei Yang does, and that you all do too. Great! 

Chris Dumigan (Classical Guitar Magazine)