Music For Maritime

Music for Maritime is a composition by Dylan Jason Dutot Mayne inspired by the coasts of the island of Jersey. The composition is a four piece suite, each piece representing either the North, East, South and West coast. Each piece has three movements where each movement is inspired by a feature of that coastline.

The North - Movement 1: The Cliffs

Starting the suite, this movement establishes an overall theme for the suite and the embellishment of this folk like theme is representative of the natural beauty of the landscape. A diminishing circle of fifths into the darker middle section represents a descent into the devil’s hole.

The North - Movements 2: The Forts

A militaristic theme with two variations for three of the forts that stand proud on the north coast.

The North - Movement 3: The Black Dog

A piece with an ABCA structure that is a musical take on the folk story of the black dog. Section A represents the smuggler’s ships drifting calmly at sea. Section B represents the smugglers sneaking up the headland and section C represents the foretold storm upon seeing the mystical creature.

The East - Movement 1: The Breakwater

A theme for the breakwater stretching out to sea, starting clear and becoming gradually obscured by the sea.

The East - Movement 2: The Castle

The centre climax for the suite, the castle’s theme is militaristic, mediaeval and grand.

The East - Movement 3: The Towers

A theme with four variations for the five towers across the south east coast.

The South - Movement 1: The Harbour

A theme for the island’s port, key to its survival and teeming with activity, the theme represents this with consistent fast notes and trills whilst a variation on flows through the music like the tides and ships in and out of the harbour.

The South - Movement 2: The Tomb

A dark, sombre theme represents the history of Janvrin’s Tomb which becomes swept away as the tide cuts of the landmark from the island.

The South - Movement 3: The Commons

This movement has a similar theme to the first movement and focuses on the natural beauty of the south west coast with a returning folk like melody arranged to sound as grand as the landscape it represents.

The West - Movement 1: The Lighthouse

Crescendos of tremolo, and trill parts represent the shimmering light of the lighthouse whilst harmonics represent the sounding horn of the landmark which work together to guide the melody to resolve which waltzes and sways like a ship at sea. Dissonant and loud sections represent the spectacular storms that batter the landmark.

The West - Movement 2: The Bay

Trills reflect the shimmering light reflecting off the sea whilst the descending melody represents the setting sun. The accompaniment sways like the long grass in the wind. The theme for the fortifications appears in the middle just like the tower that defines the middle of the bay.

The West - Movement 3 - The Finale

Having come full circle to the North West coast, the final movement of the music resolves with a re-statement of the original theme throughout the piece whilst referencing other developed themes throughout the suite. This final movement also features some of the most complex passages in the lead up to the climax which resolves with a clear final statement of the original theme.

Both a selection of the movements and a much more ambient and relaxed piece of music derived of the recording material can be heard on both YouTube and SoundCloud

YouTube Links:

Maritime Suite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_CQFpnuEp4

Music for Maritime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqqaJkCW55M

SoundCloud links:

Maritime Suite: https://soundcloud.com/user-383030805-462708846/maritime-suite

Music for Maritime: https://soundcloud.com/user-383030805-462708846/music-for-maritime