DAD RADIO #21 | Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight

War & Peace

Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight is one of two musical portraits of Dover commissioned by DAD for the War & Peace project (2012-13) and in this episode makes it’s debut on Dover Community Radio (DCR FM).

Composed by Nigel Clarke in collaboration with violinist Peter Sheppard Skaerved and writer & poet Malene Sheppard Skaerved, the composition was premiered in 2013 in Dover’s town hall, the Maison Dieu, by the Longbow String Ensemble under the direction of Peter.

“Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight is, a ‘diptych’ of Malene’s poem and Nigel’s music, bound together by recorded sound from Dover beach. [….] It is the first of Nigel’s string works to use pre-recorded sound, woven into the orchestra by sound effects from the players themselves, using rain-sticks and finger- clicks. The piece is full of references to the sea: echoes of Benjamin Britten’s ‘Four Sea Interludes’ and Debussy’s La Mer can be heard.” – Peter Sheppard Skaerved (from his text ‘Working with Nigel Clarke’ in the Music for Thirteen Solo Strings album booklet.)

Together with the second DAD-commissioned piece Pulp and Rags inspired by the former Buckland Paper Mill, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight… features on the album Music for Thirteen Solo Strings released through Toccata Classics. For more information and links to the CD, visit the ‘Toccata Classics’ legacy page

Presented by Louisa Love + Louise Webb for the DAD Digital Festival 2021 at www.dadonline.uk, funded by Arts Council England. First broadcast by DCR FM on 12th November 2021.