Some years ago I was contemplating writing a short group of pieces for a chamber group. I do not often write music without some sort of prior verbal inspiration, but I this case I started toying with a piece based on musical ideas developed from images for the beach in my home town, Cleethorpes. The beaches of the southern side of the Humber Estuary are extremely tidal and when the tide goes out the sea is barely visible. When the tide returns, it does so suddenly and with a swiftness that is both deceptive and dangerous. This piece started out from these ideas and developed into three 'postcards', though the piece plays continuously and material from each 'postcard' is intercut with material from the next one. The three 'postcards' are as follows:-
It is dawn, the tide is out and seagulls are heard in the distance. Imperceptibly at first, the tide comes in and becomes a foaming mass. Occasionally the viewer's attention is diverted from the sea and pauses occur as they observe the sea birds diving.
Music is heard from the small fairground on the sea-shore. The music for this is a quotation from the 'Seaside Song' which I wrote for my musical 'Choices'. The view gradually walks closer to the fairground.
It is night, the sea is starting to recede, the music from the fairground gets quieter and moonlight glints on the water.
For those who are curious about the title, the Fitties are an area of Humberston (a seaside village next to Cleethorpes) which contains a remarkable collection of ramshackle summer homes built by working class people before the Second World War. Now surrounded by a caravan park rather than wilderness, they remain holiday homes. Some are being restored the original form and planning permission prevents them from being used as full time homes.
Robert Hugill