In its original draft this piece was a fusion of jazzy melodic lines and high-energy rhythms. But when we invited the keyboard player and arranger Kjetil Bjerkestrand to co-arrange it, he heard in it quite a different mood. He simplified it by stripping it down layer by layer. And by simplifying it, managed to evoke a newfound lyrical quality - a bird soaring through the air, borne aloft by the tailwinds - on Silent Wings. Simon Emes, who has performed with us for a long time, brings the simple melodic lines to life, his reed instruments in a musical dialogue with the violin. Simon is currently principal oboe player with the Malaysian Symphony Orchestra.