Flight of the Modern Marriners

Led by American violinist Joshua Bell, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields wraps up the CAMA International Series at The Granada Theatre on Tuesday, April 2, with something extra-special in store.

Along with staple stuff of Brahms’s Violin Concerto in D (with cadenzas by Bell) and Schumann’s Second Symphony, this program includes a world premiere piece by the much-acclaimed composer-arranger Vince Mendoza. The new work, Flight of Moving Days, asserts a strong link to the mighty Marriner dynasty. Sir Neville Marriner, who was born 100 years ago this year and died in 2016, founded the orchestra in 1958 and boldly led it until 2011. His grandson Douglas Marriner is now a noted jazz percussionist and a spotlighted soloist, alongside Bell, in Mendoza’s ink-still-wet piece.

We recently checked in with Mendoza, based in Los Angeles when not working in Europe or elsewhere, to get intel from the source about his latest opus, life on the border of jazz and classical, and other matters at hand. He looks forward to heading up to Santa Barbara next week, noting, “I hear that the orchestra is rehearsing Flight as I write this. I will hear it for the first time the morning of the Santa Barbara concert.”

Can you tell me how this project and commission came about?

This project came to me quite delightfully out of the blue, although I suspect Douglas’s involvement in the jazz community might have something to do with it. I do think that I have a following in the U.K., and the chief executive of the Academy Orchestra was also a fan. Adding to that their overall interest in expanding the scope of the repertoire for the orchestra, this commission — and soloists — seem to be a great fit.

The piece pays homage to the late, great Sir Neville Marriner, through the performance vehicle of his grandson, percussionist Douglas Marriner. Is that correct?The occasion of this concert and tour is to celebrate the legacy of Sir Neville, and the premiere of Flight has something to do with it, to show the forward-looking aspirations on the part of the orchestra, to open some doors to an expanded view of orchestral repertoire. On a personal note is the legacy of the Marriner family, Andrew the principal clarinetist, and of course Douglas, who I imagine has been a part of the Academy family since his childhood.

What does the title signify, and how would you characterize the musical language — harmonically and rhythmically, for instance — of the piece?

The starting point of the musical language has a lot to do with the context of the rest of the Academy repertoire for the Santa Barbara concert, which is decidedly post-romantic in nature. The good news is that a lot of the approach to lyricism in my music is inspired by Brahms and Schumann anyway, with a sprinkling of Stravinsky and Wayne Shorter.

Moreover, I saw the juxtaposition of the orchestra with violin and drum set as a recipe for invention, and especially for providing a new point of view that enhances our understanding of a story. I began to think of the drum soloist as the unexpected party guest, who in the end changes the direction of the party to a new and exciting mood, energy, and emotion.

I do take a more improvisational approach to phrasing, and a quasi-theme-and-variation treatment over the course of the piece. I also enjoy the blurring of the lines between what is written for Douglas and what he would otherwise choose to play with Joshua to accentuate a particular melody, rhythm, or energy. I’d rather think of it as an improvised late-night jam session amongst musical rivals. 

The title was inspired by a poem by British poet Philip Larkin, musing on the fleeting and unstoppable nature of time.

Classical music is obviously a part of what you work with, musically, but I haven’t heard much of your work in that mode, as such. Is this an area you would like to move into more often?

Although most of my music has a connection to jazz rhythms and improvisation, my background as a composer always included the “classical” canon. Moving around in both worlds has always been of interest to me, and of course I am happy to explore it more given the chance.

Which composers have touched you and affected your musical voice, from the classical/Modernist realm?

Igor Stravinsky’s music will always be part of my DNA because of the improvisational approach to phrasing and rhythm, as well as Alban Berg, for the lyricism and mystery. 

Parenthetically — and speaking of a different “orchestra,” the Metropole Orkest (MO) — I loved your album from last year, Olympians. Was that a particularly satisfying project to work on, and are you inspired to work within the system of European big bands, such as the Metropole?

Thank you. Olympians began as a COVID studio project since there were no in-person concerts at the time. But more importantly, it is the first time a CD project of my music with the MO was made in the 29 years of our association.

Some of the music is quite road-tested, and some is more recent. But they reflect my love for the orchestra and its players with their distinctive sound and execution which is nothing short of, well, Olympian.

We played this music quite often over the years in concert. The most recent piece was a commission called “Bright Lights and Jubilations,” which was recorded live at a concert in Amsterdam immediately following the pandemic. You can hear how excited we all were to be back together again in front of an audience.

What projects are you currently pursuing, if that’s not too large a question?

I am finishing up a project with the National Symphony for a Leonard Cohen tribute at the Kennedy Center, then heading out for a “Jazz on Film” project with the Gothenburg Symphony and Joe Lovano.

I am heading to Köln in May to work with the WDR Big Band as part of my composer-in-residency. I’m still working on that music! They will no doubt be reading from wet ink. It’s more romantic.