A Life well lived was commissioned by the Morrish family in 2023 on the death of Ian Morrish. It is dedicated to them with the inscription in loving memory of Ian.
I knew Ian from early days at Southall Citadel Salvation Army Corps and then our paths crossed again briefly when I joined the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. Ian had been a euphonium player in the band for many years and was about to leave to take up a teaching post in Surrey. He was always very involved in choral music, conducting choirs throughout his life. I therefore wanted to keep this piece song-like and actually started with the song which appears from letter D to the end, which can always be performed on its own. From there I used the rising octaves that introduce the song to form the beginning of the work, with the feeling in the back of my head of a river starting to flow. There is nothing referential in the more dramatic sections towards the beginning, but every life has its dramas and I wanted something to give some balance to the tranquil nature of much of the piece. In the middle of the work I use a little motif taken from a song I remember Ian singing in his floating tenor voice. I develop the motif a little as an accompaniment to a new line which has, for me, a sense of purpose and directness and has an oblique reference to the RAF March Past. This builds to the aforementioned song and from there the music flows with its highs and lows to its peaceful conclusion.
- Rob Wiffin
Duration: 3.30
