Monthly Archives: December 2020

A New Film

by Penny Squire

I write music. It is my way of expressing myself. 
Two years ago I became so frustrated at the lack of strong  action in dealing with climate change that I naturally expressed it in music. I wrote 5 short movements for string quartet, each depicting a different emotional reaction.
On hearing it my youngest daughter suggested I put film over it. As a 76 year old grandmother knowing nothing about film, making this seemed a ridiculous suggestion!
But I decided to give it a go. I found a group of players, the Cotswold Ensemble string quartet, and my nephew is a sound engineer and I was off. Because I was doing it as a not-for-profit enterprise I was given access to the large, excellent Greenpeace archives, and Troubled Planet was born.
I followed the story through with another film with music for brass quintet with Blackweir Brass playing and a third for string quartet again . These were about people’s actions against climate change across the world. 
For the 4th film I wanted to show examples of what was being done in Britain  and this was not highly represented in Greenpeace film, so this time I organised the film myself. Where better than the Stroud area where I knew of several possibilities. 
I called the piece A New Way, which I think most people accept is now needed. I wanted to show that a green path  is nothing to fear and our lives will be improved, and we all have a part to play in getting there. The music aims to convey this by being uplifting and positive. It is played by Distanza Quartet (formed when recording remotely for the BBC Philharmonic during lockdown).

(Please note: posts on these blog pages are the personal views of the authors only and are not intended to represent any agreed or general view on the part of GlosCAN.org.)