2000 Nails on BBC Radio 3

2000 NAILS, Ian McQueen's latest work was recently featured on Radio 3's 'Hear & Now'.

2000 NAILS was commissioned by Michael Bonaventure (organ) and the University of Edinburgh to celebrate the magnificent organ in the McEwan Hall within the University, which recently celebrated its centenary. The BBC recorded the première which took place at a recital in the Hall last October.

The piece uses two contrasting sources for its material.The first is the ancient Easter Plainchant Victimae Paschali Laudes. The second is Edith Sitwell's great wartime poem, Still Falls the Rain.

The words of this latter are rythmicised by the organ towards the middle of the piece, becoming increasingly important towards the end. After scherzo and marchlike episodes, the concluding Passacaglia uses McQueen's "setting"of the words Sitwell took from Marlowe ("O - Ile leape up to my God!") to take the organ in flying runs up to a great climax.