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Saint Aelred of Rievaulx

Te lucis ante terminum ('To You Before the End of Day') is a famous Gregorian Compline Chant which would have been regularly sung in the evening, during the Abbey's heyday. The Bassoon/Bass Oboe commences the piece with this melody.

Saint Aelred with two Cistercian monks.

​Rievaulx - A Study in Memory, in Arch Form received its world premiere at the North York Moors Chamber Music Festival on 18 August 2021, performed by Eleanor Sullivan, Drake Gritton, Fergus McCready & Michael Sluman, who perform in the video above. They gave three additional UK performances in November 2021 at the Leeds & Leicester International Lunchtime Concert Series; and at the Brunel Museum, London.  The London premiere was given by the Klosely Qvartet & Ben Quilter at the Old Royal Naval College Chapel, Greenwich, on 9 November 2021.  The piece was also rehearsed at a UK double-reed chamber music course. In 2022, performances include a gala concert at Radley College Chapel in March 2022, featuring a mixed group of oboes & clarinets; the BC365 Concert at St Alfege Church, Greenwich, in June; and the USA premiere at the International Double Reed Society Conference on 27 July 2022.  
The Klosely Kvartet - with Ben Quilter on Tubular Bells - rehearses at St. Alfege Church, Greenwich, on 30 June 2022.  Natacha Hansen, Soprano Sax; Louis Suc, Alto Sax; Steph Barker, Tenor; Lily Skinner, Baritone.

USA Premiere - 27 July 2022 - University of Colorado, Boulder
with Hassan Anderson, Oboe; Rachel Becker, Oboe d'amore; Danny Cruz, Cor anglais; Sara Fruehe, Bassoon; Althea, Tubular Bells

Rievaulx 
A Study in Memory ~ In Arch Form
For Reed Quartet with Bells
Duration:  6'00"
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Bells ~ Sections A1 (bars 1-30) & A2 (bars 113-End) ~ Aluphone or Tubular Bells; or untuned Handbell
This part can be doubled by the Part One player, who is tacet when the bells are playing
Part One ~ Sections B, C & D (bars 36-106) ~ Oboe I/Clarinet I/Soprano Saxophone
Part Two ~  Oboe d'amore or Oboe II/Clarinet II in Bb or A/Alto Saxophone
Part Three ~ Cor anglais/Clarinet III or Basset Horn/Tenor Saxophone
Part Four ~ Bassoon/Bass Oboe/Bass Clarinet /Baritone Sax

Double-reeds: Score & 6 Parts (two instrumentation alternatives)
Clarinets: Score & 6 Parts (two instrumentation alternatives)
Saxophones: Score & 4 Parts 

Mixing & Matching Instrument Families
Rievaulx will sound best played by one single-instrument family (i.e. all-double reeds, or all-clarinets, or all-saxes) with tubular or Aluphone bells.
Double reeds & clarinets can certainly be mixed & matched if required, though, as both play in E minor.
Both sets of scores & (six) parts need to be purchased, in order to mix and match double reeds & clarinets.  
The saxophones play in D minor - and so cannot be mixed in with the others. They also need to play as a unified group, owing to their greater volume.

BELLS

There are three options, as regards the use of bells:

In Live Performances

1) The Full Bell Part is performed as written on the score using either Tubular Bells, or two Aluphone bells suspended on a percussion stand. 
The performer is either the woodwind player of Part One, or an additional percussionist who plays only the bells, and is tacet from bars 31-105.
At the world premiere, the part was doubled. Eleanor played Oboe I & Bells.
At the London premiere, the part was divided. Ben played Tubular Bells, and Natacha played Soprano Saxophone.  

2) The written bell part on the score is not used.
Instead, the Part One player plays a brief (untuned) Handbell Introduction, using either a handbell with clapper, or a handbell with mallet. 
Because a random handbell is unlikely to play at tonic pitch (E4 for double reeds & Clarinets, D4 for Saxophones), it should not be used whilst the instruments are playing at the beginning, as it will affect the audience's understanding of the tone centre.
The Part One player should simply play three semibreve (whole note) strokes starting at bar 3 before the bass instrument enters in bar 6 (seven beats after the third strike), and then strike the bell again three times at the very end: either during the final bars, or immediately after the wind instruments have finished playing:  whichever sounds better (which will depend upon the pitch of the handbell).
In short, please just ring or strike the handbell three times at the very start, and three at the end. ​I will be happy with that!

IMPORTANT NOTE
The piece should not be performed without any bells whatsoever, except in an unforeseen emergency (in which case the show must go on, of course).  An untuned handbell introduction and postlude is the minimum requirement, and is completely sufficient, in situations where using tubular or Aluphone Bells is impractical or too expensive. 

Rievaulx will sound best with the written bell part - and should be performed as written, wherever possible. However, I don't want the lack of bigger bells to be a hindrance to performance. Therefore, musicians are warmly invited to use a handbell substitute, if that is the best method of taking a performance forward.

In Virtual, Video Performances

3) You are invited to use the video recordings of the Full Bell Part sections free of charge, for all non-commercial & promotional video performances of Rievaulx.  Please see the recording of the A1 Section below: and Contact Althea to obtain the video of the A2 Section.

What Bells Should I Buy - and Where Can I Get Them?

If you plan to perform in an educational or professional environment with Tubular Bells (such as at a school, music centre, conservatoire or concert hall with orchestral percussion instruments for hire), don't buy anything!  Use these!  You also have the option of asking a percussionist to play the tubular bells, instead of the Part One player.
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If you do not have regular access to tubular bells, like the piece, expect to perform it on several occasions in different locations on tour and have your own transport, I recommend purchasing the Full Aluphone Bell Kit. 
​Please note that the cymbal boom stand is moderately heavy, so a car would be the best option for transporting it:  or a suitcase with wheels.

Cost of FULL ALUPHONE BELL KIT  
​(in the UK - order from Southern Percussion Ltd. in Rayleigh, Essex)
2 x Aluphone bells:  £158.00 incl. VAT; Meinl MC-2 Two Mounts Multi Clamp:  £42.00; Meinl MC - CH Chimes Holder: £18.00; Gibraltar Boom Stand: £65.00
​Balter SC2 Medium Soft Suspended Cymbal Mallets:  £28.50
TOTAL  £311.50

If you need a lightweight, inexpensive and straightforward option, I can provide you with an (untuned) handbell with or without mallet, or order this equipment for you, to be sent to your home.  Please discuss this option with me, when ordering the score, and I will bill you additionally for this.

Cost of  SINGLE (UNTUNED) HANDBELL (with or without mallet) 
Likely price - £15.00-£25.00
​Please contact me to receive a quote, if you are in the UK. 
If you are in the USA or elsewhere, please contact me to discuss the issue.

My video bell files are available FREE-TO-USE for non-commercial video presentations. 
A fee will be payable for recorded, commercial use.  Please contact me to discuss this further.
You can watch the A1 file (bars 1-30) below.  Please contact me to obtain the A2 file (bars 113-End).

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Here, Althea is playing the FULL BELL PART for the A1 Section on Aluphone bells E4 & B4 (tonic & dominant), affixed to a percussion stand.   Althea purchased her kit from Southern Percussion in Essex, UK.  ​She is using soft cymbal mallets. 
​The entire kit costs approx. £300.00. This file is available (free) for non-commercial use.  Please contact Althea to discuss.

INTRODUCTORY HANDBELL PART 
Instead of playing the written bell part, a randomly-tuned handbell can be used as a three-stroke introduction to the piece, and again at the very end.  Please see above for further instructions.
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How to Assemble an Aluphone Bell Kit.