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This piano piece was written whilst I was a student studying for my PhD in composition. The piece is in two main sections that are divided by a short Chorale section. All pitches for the music come from a gradually transforming 7 note row and its inversions. This row represents the shape of the seven stars that form "The Plough" or "Big Dipper" constellation. Varied repetitions of each transformation of the row are created by treating it cyclically and starting at different positions in the row. The first section is a Theme and Variations. There is a 4 bar introduction which is an initial statement of the row. This is followed by the Theme and 10 short variations. Initially the music is very sparse but the textures build up as the amount of pitch material in each variation is increased. It is rather like stars appearing more and more as the night progresses, hence the title. The 10th variation contains the most rapid music and this is followed immediately by a Chorale like setting of the row in its initial form. This is followed by a single, longer section of music which, although similar in some ways to the first section, is generally much more relaxed in feeling. It is still based upon the row in its various forms but in this section, there is the gradual emergence of a low G pedal point which anchors the music to this tonal centre and is the note that ends the piece.
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Garforth, Leeds
United Kingdom