DORSET COMPOSER - RICK BIRLEY
  • HOME [and contact form]
  • CONCERT
  • Rick Birley biography
  • Compositions [Orchestral works]
    • Peterloo
    • Bishops & Clerks >
      • The Flow
      • These Distracted Times
      • The Rechabite
      • Sunset Island
    • Chamber Symphony [No.1] in Five Movements
    • Symphony No.2 ["little bird"]
    • Hebrew Songs of Love, Faith & Survival
    • Piano Concerto
    • Symphonic Suite for Piano & Orchestra
    • Tanquam Sponsus [piano & orchestra]
    • Spanish Folksongs
    • Chansons de France
    • A Dorset Rhapsody
    • Call to Remembrance - a meditation on The Last Post
    • Nursery Rhymes Kaleidoscope
    • Latin Primer
    • Olympian Glories
    • Sar-planina - a Macedonian folksong
    • Marat/Sade Suite >
      • Marat/Sade notes
    • Maverick
    • Variations on a Plainsong
    • Eight Orchestral Studies
    • Christmas Exultation
    • Romney Facets
    • A Little English Folksong Suite/ The Ploughboy
    • English Folksong Suite No.2
    • Movement for String Orchestra "magnas inter opes inops"
    • Lord of the Dance
    • Sea Song
    • Greensleeves
  • Piano Music (solo & 2-piano)
    • Piano Sonata
    • Toccata: "On the Edge"
    • March Wind
    • Donegal - a choral fantasy transcribed for piano
    • Butterfly in the Breeze
    • Variations on a Plainsong - piano transcription
    • Ten Preludes for Piano
    • Carol Preludes [piano]
    • Salutation Carol Prelude [piano]
    • Preludes [piano] >
      • 3 Preludes for Piano
    • Papillons
    • Spanish Folksongs [2 piano version]
    • Marat/Sade Suite [2-piano transcription]
    • Drink Old England Dry: a Folksong Frolic for Busy Fingers
    • Nursery Rhymes Kaleidoscope [2-piano transcription]
    • Minimalism
  • Compositions [Vocal]
    • Edges
    • Seven Folksong Ballads
    • Hardy Songs
  • Choral Music
    • Advent Carol Succession >
      • Advent Carol Succession notes
    • Songs of Time
    • Fern Hill
    • Universal Truth
    • The Virgin's Song
    • Nine Welsh Folksong Arrangements
    • The Jackdaw of Rheims
    • The Birds’ Mass
    • Three Motets
    • My Love in her Attire
    • Gaudete, gaudete!
    • Three Hardy Settings for unaccompanied choir
    • The Cuckoo
    • In Vernali Tempore
    • The Willow Song
    • Dance to your Daddy
    • Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill
    • Carol: I Sing of a Maiden
  • Compositions [chamber/instrumental]
    • Quintet "magnas inter opes inops"
    • String Quartet No.1
    • String Quartet No.2
    • Austerity
    • Your Presence [piano/violin]
    • in memoriam G B
    • Past Tense
    • "Conversing with a Silent Marsh Harrier" for string quintet
    • Five Folksong Arrangements (for the Crucible)
    • Latin Primer [Septet]
    • Latin Primer [violin/piano]
    • Variations on a Plainsong - original version for solo clarinet
    • Blaydon Races
    • Folksong Dance Suite for Cello & Piano
    • Dance to Your Daddy [piano]
    • Grazioso (guitar solo)
    • Dorset Suite (guitar duo)
    • Sonatina for Violin & Piano [1979]
    • the Cuckoo - 'cello & chamber orchestra
    • The Phoenix
  • Compositions [jazz/light]
    • Funked-up Bach
    • Basement Jazz
    • Too Darn Hot
  • A Dorset Affair
  • Compositions [Pastiche]
    • La Ronde
    • Zartom: Symphony
    • Hornby: Exultate Jubilate
  • The case for a National Rehearsal Orchestra for New Music
  • ARTWORK
    • Gallery - Room 1 Life Underwater
    • Gallery - Room 2 Life around us
    • Gallery - Room 3 [flowers]
    • Gallery - Room 4 [SEASCAPES & LANDSCAPE]S + Mika]
    • Rogues gallery....
    • Pembrokeshire scenes i
    • Pembrokeshire scenes ii
    • Durham 'prints'
    • Picture Dorchester....
    • Italy October 2010
    • Paris
    • Prague
  • Miscellaneous art works
  • Poems
    • We English - a historical rhyme
    • Touching His Face
    • Commanded Time
    • Master of my Fate?
    • Alas, poor Ludo!
    • New Co-op Party Anthem
  • Rick Birley Blog
    • Hobie Adventure Island >
      • Maiden Voyage 12.iii.11
  • Miscellaneous
    • Maverick
  • Compositions [Miscellaneous]
    • Music Hall for Westfield
    • 60th birthday concert: May 24th 2014 Orchestral Concert

Index







The grumpy old man






The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures
Has captured time
In well-rehearsed and
Regular trembling
Each movement marking its painful passage
To the blackness
Of a think-free night
Of a dreamless void


The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures
Laughs silently now
In disowned mirth
Each soft guffaw
Pulsed with shaking
Laced with timorous tears
And fears of lone


The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures
Feels his aching limbs
And feeble gait
And slumps and slumps
Under the crushing
Expectation


The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures
Cries silently
Love love he cries
Cling to love
Still he cries


The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures
Sighs without
Breath he sighs
With clayed breath


The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures
Of life
Of death
Lies


The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures
Trembles
Still


The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures
Weeps


No more


The grumpy old man
With the claustrophobic pictures


Was a father once


No more




Rick Birley
2008






  • HOME [and contact form]
  • CONCERT
  • Rick Birley biography
  • Compositions [Orchestral works]
    • Peterloo
    • Bishops & Clerks >
      • The Flow
      • These Distracted Times
      • The Rechabite
      • Sunset Island
    • Chamber Symphony [No.1] in Five Movements
    • Symphony No.2 ["little bird"]
    • Hebrew Songs of Love, Faith & Survival
    • Piano Concerto
    • Symphonic Suite for Piano & Orchestra
    • Tanquam Sponsus [piano & orchestra]
    • Spanish Folksongs
    • Chansons de France
    • A Dorset Rhapsody
    • Call to Remembrance - a meditation on The Last Post
    • Nursery Rhymes Kaleidoscope
    • Latin Primer
    • Olympian Glories
    • Sar-planina - a Macedonian folksong
    • Marat/Sade Suite >
      • Marat/Sade notes
    • Maverick
    • Variations on a Plainsong
    • Eight Orchestral Studies
    • Christmas Exultation
    • Romney Facets
    • A Little English Folksong Suite/ The Ploughboy
    • English Folksong Suite No.2
    • Movement for String Orchestra "magnas inter opes inops"
    • Lord of the Dance
    • Sea Song
    • Greensleeves
  • Piano Music (solo & 2-piano)
    • Piano Sonata
    • Toccata: "On the Edge"
    • March Wind
    • Donegal - a choral fantasy transcribed for piano
    • Butterfly in the Breeze
    • Variations on a Plainsong - piano transcription
    • Ten Preludes for Piano
    • Carol Preludes [piano]
    • Salutation Carol Prelude [piano]
    • Preludes [piano] >
      • 3 Preludes for Piano
    • Papillons
    • Spanish Folksongs [2 piano version]
    • Marat/Sade Suite [2-piano transcription]
    • Drink Old England Dry: a Folksong Frolic for Busy Fingers
    • Nursery Rhymes Kaleidoscope [2-piano transcription]
    • Minimalism
  • Compositions [Vocal]
    • Edges
    • Seven Folksong Ballads
    • Hardy Songs
  • Choral Music
    • Advent Carol Succession >
      • Advent Carol Succession notes
    • Songs of Time
    • Fern Hill
    • Universal Truth
    • The Virgin's Song
    • Nine Welsh Folksong Arrangements
    • The Jackdaw of Rheims
    • The Birds’ Mass
    • Three Motets
    • My Love in her Attire
    • Gaudete, gaudete!
    • Three Hardy Settings for unaccompanied choir
    • The Cuckoo
    • In Vernali Tempore
    • The Willow Song
    • Dance to your Daddy
    • Drill, Ye Terriers, Drill
    • Carol: I Sing of a Maiden
  • Compositions [chamber/instrumental]
    • Quintet "magnas inter opes inops"
    • String Quartet No.1
    • String Quartet No.2
    • Austerity
    • Your Presence [piano/violin]
    • in memoriam G B
    • Past Tense
    • "Conversing with a Silent Marsh Harrier" for string quintet
    • Five Folksong Arrangements (for the Crucible)
    • Latin Primer [Septet]
    • Latin Primer [violin/piano]
    • Variations on a Plainsong - original version for solo clarinet
    • Blaydon Races
    • Folksong Dance Suite for Cello & Piano
    • Dance to Your Daddy [piano]
    • Grazioso (guitar solo)
    • Dorset Suite (guitar duo)
    • Sonatina for Violin & Piano [1979]
    • the Cuckoo - 'cello & chamber orchestra
    • The Phoenix
  • Compositions [jazz/light]
    • Funked-up Bach
    • Basement Jazz
    • Too Darn Hot
  • A Dorset Affair
  • Compositions [Pastiche]
    • La Ronde
    • Zartom: Symphony
    • Hornby: Exultate Jubilate
  • The case for a National Rehearsal Orchestra for New Music
  • ARTWORK
    • Gallery - Room 1 Life Underwater
    • Gallery - Room 2 Life around us
    • Gallery - Room 3 [flowers]
    • Gallery - Room 4 [SEASCAPES & LANDSCAPE]S + Mika]
    • Rogues gallery....
    • Pembrokeshire scenes i
    • Pembrokeshire scenes ii
    • Durham 'prints'
    • Picture Dorchester....
    • Italy October 2010
    • Paris
    • Prague
  • Miscellaneous art works
  • Poems
    • We English - a historical rhyme
    • Touching His Face
    • Commanded Time
    • Master of my Fate?
    • Alas, poor Ludo!
    • New Co-op Party Anthem
  • Rick Birley Blog
    • Hobie Adventure Island >
      • Maiden Voyage 12.iii.11
  • Miscellaneous
    • Maverick
  • Compositions [Miscellaneous]
    • Music Hall for Westfield
    • 60th birthday concert: May 24th 2014 Orchestral Concert