Michael Nyman - Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds

Описание: Michael Nyman - Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds (Arr. For Piano Solo)

Chasing Sheep is Best Left to Shepherds is a piece of minimalist music from the soundtrack for The Draughtsman's Contract*, written by Michael Nyman. In the thirty years since its release it has been much quoted and sampled and performed by various ensembles. It is based on a ground bass from the Prelude to Act III, Scene 2 of Henry Purcell’s opera, King Arthur.

*The Draughtsman's Contract is a 1982 British film written and directed by Peter Greenaway – his first conventional feature film (following the feature-length mockumentary The Falls). Originally produced for Channel 4 the film is a form of murder mystery, set in rural Wiltshire, England in 1694 (during the reign of William III and Mary II). The period setting is reflected in Michael Nyman's score, which borrows widely from Henry Purcell and in the extensive and elaborate costume designs (which, for effect, slightly exaggerate those of the period). The action was shot on location in the house and formal gardens of Groombridge Place. The film received the prestigious Grand Prix of the Belgian Film Critics Association.

The theme was used as early as 1984 for the opening sequence and the Rolls Royce plots in the Jean-Daniel Cadinot movie Sex Drive (Stop Surprise in the original). It is also used in the opening titles of the 2006 film, A Cock and Bull Story.

The Divine Comedy rearranged the piece as the B-side to their 1998 single Generation Sex, performed alongside The Michael Nyman Band.

"Chasing Sheep" was used in an episode of the motoring show Top Gear, during a race from the studio in Dunsfold Park near Guildford to Casino Square, Monte Carlo between an Aston Martin DB9 and the Eurostar/TGV. (Series 4, Episode 1)

An excerpt from the piece was used in a 2002 British TV advertisement for Walkers Crisps, featuring Victoria Beckham and Gary Lineker.

The melody line of the piece is quoted by the Pet Shop Boys on the track Love Is a Bourgeois Construct from their 2013 album Electric.

It was the wake-up call music on Flight Day 8 of NASA mission STS-111.

The song is prominently played for the ending credits of the 2015 French film Marguerite.

In the UK, it is often used to open historical features on the BBC current affairs television programme Daily Politics.

// Performed on Blüthner upright piano made in 1960

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