Symphony No. 10 (Davies)

327, is a composition for orchestra, chorus, and baritone soloist, composed by Peter Maxwell Davies in 2013.

[1] Davies wrote much of the piece in University College Hospital, London whilst undergoing treatment for leukemia.

[2] The symphony is scored for baritone solo and SATB chorus, and an orchestra consisting of piccolo, 3 flutes, alto flute, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets in A, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, 3 bassoons (third doubling 2nd contrabassoon), contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, 4 trumpets in C, 2 trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani (with medium temple bowl), percussion (6 players: glockenspiel, marimba, crotales, 3 suspended cymbals [small, medium, large] with bow, 3 nipple gongs [small, medium, large], tubular bells, 2 metal bars [medium, large], snare drum, tenor drum, very large bass drum, 2 tom-toms [small, medium], flexatone), and strings.

The symphony concerns the life and death of a leading figure of Roman Baroque architecture in the 17th century, Francesco Borromini (who also inspired Davies's Naxos Quartet No.

[1][3] It is an approachable, substantial work, written for a large orchestra especially characterised by the use of low woodwind and brass, and by a large percussion section (six players) featuring metallic instruments: bells, gongs, flexatone, crotales, temple bowl, amongst others.