"The Crimean Coast" for double bass quartet

This island in the Black Sea, connected to the mainland by only a five mile wide isthmus, has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. The title and subject of this composition was inspired by my recent association with a refugee family from Crimea whose kindness and gentle way is a testimony to the resilience and determination of a people surviving in a land torn by civil strife and the brutality of war. I found this dichotomy to be reflected in the geography of the island's southeastern coast, where one discovers among rugged mountains reaching out toward the Black Sea quaint villages nestled between them and the water's edge. [Michael Montgomery]

The Crimean Coast is playable by bass quartet or larger forces and introduces a number of performance techniques for younger bassists. The music is lively and descriptive, engaging and inventive with effective challenges for each part. Michael Montgomery is an experienced teacher and always creates music which offers musical and technical challenges in equal measure.

Double bassist Michael Montgomery, a student of Robert Rohe and Lucas Drew, has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, played in the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra for many years, and now lives in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, where he teaches at the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and the Suzuki Music School of Arkansas. His articles have been published in American Suzuki Journal, Bass World, and Pastoral Music.