Gray
Flute Quintet
Gray
(2018)
Instrumentation:
Five Flutes
Duration:
ca" 5:00
Awards:
2020 NextNotes High School
Creator Award
*KiMani Bridges's first composition
Gray (2018) was inspired by a World War II documentary. Gray is a four
movement piece representing the phases of war. Written in the key of F Sharp minor, this quintet uses extended flute techniques such as flutter tonguing, pitch bends, and singing while playing. The first movement opens with a wave of dynamics and introduces the main ideas of the other movements hence the name The Call for War. The next movement, The Preparation, has a feeling of
curiosity in a way and is the build up to the actual battle. Total War is the main climax of the piece and has a feeling of intensity throughout. In this
movement, the opening has the imagery of soldiers setting their battle stations
and glissandos are used to represent the whistle of bombs flying through the air.
The last movement, Mourning/Recall, opens with pitch bends to represent crying/mourning then transitions to the remembrance of the other three movements.