LUCK: Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra - 2024 - 25’
2.2.2.2 - 2.2.2.0 - timp - solo tpt - strings
LUCK was co-commissioned by Britten Pears Arts and the Ulster Orchestra for soloist Matilda Lloyd.
A private recording is available on request.
Luck is a concept with diverse cosmic manifestations: from stumbling upon a modest banknote in a dimly lit alley to being born into a wealthy family; from catching the last train to knowing the right person to advance your career. For composer Robin Haigh, the greatest stroke of fortune was the recent birth of his daughter Marnie. Commemorating this celestial life event is LUCK—a five-movement trumpet concerto that takes the form of a free-floating fantasy where orchestral instruments emulate electronic ones. Following Haigh’s two previous concerti—THE DREAMERS (2022) for four trombones and sixteen players and Concerto for Orchestra (2023)—LUCK marks his first concerto in the traditional setup, featuring a single soloist accompanied by an orchestra.
With high-pitched strings reminiscent of disco music and microtonally gliding brass and woodwinds evoking detuned synths from a retro video game, LUCK’s first movement begins with a spark of nostalgia for bygone times. Halfway through, the polished gloss fades away and a buoyant jig takes hold. Yet, the nostalgia still lingers—this time for the orchestral light music of mid-century BBC radio shows. The second movement opens with wailing woodwinds and trombones, deflating microtonally with each breath, like bouquets of sad balloons. Together with them, string chords rock back and forth, repeating obsessively. Similar to Ravel’s Boléro written almost a century earlier, the overall intensity grows, though in ways that feel unpredictable. Nothing can rob the music of its bittersweet and melancholic atmosphere.
The trumpet takes centre stage in the short third movement: a jubilant, swirling melody whizzes up and down, while the orchestra tries to appease the soloist. The trumpet makes ample use of alternate fingerings—a technique employed consistently throughout the piece to trill on the same note. The movement also features a brief return to the same style of light music heard earlier, evoking a childlike and carefree spirit.
In 1976, Stevie Wonder wrote Isn’t She Lovely to celebrate the birth of his daughter Aisha Morris. While never heard directly on the music's surface, the harmonic character of the song is infused into the chords of the fourth movement: it is still and serene, radiating outwards with quiet joy. The music flows directly into the last movement, which opens with sparse, majestic string chords: the texture gradually thickens as all kinds of extra melodies creep in around them. The composer himself describes the finale as ‘being like a Netflix-drama version of classical music—grand, but squeezed into a pop music sensibility.’ Previous ingredients—wandering arpeggios, high strings, rhythmic grooves, fuzzy gliding chords—all come together to plunge us into an energetic conclusion. While LUCK might not bring you any fortune, it is an important reminder to celebrate life's cherished moments through nostalgia, jubilation and serenity.
- Marat Ingeldeev