Barlinnie Nine

Barlinnie Nine is a single-movement orchestral composition by the Finnish composer Osmo Tapio Räihälä. The work was premiered by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the conductor Sakari Oramo on 20 April 2005 at Finlandia Hall.

Barlinnie Nine has a duration of roughly 11 and half minutes and is composed in one continuous movement. The work has a subtitle A Tribute to Duncan Ferguson. Räihälä has described the work as a symphonic poem, and as a "musical portrait" of the Scottish footballer Duncan Ferguson.

I got the idea for it when he was facing jail and had just become something of a cult figure for Everton. It takes into account the contradictions in him: he has an aggressive side but there is a lyrical undertone to him, as the fact that he keeps pigeons shows. When I started composing seriously about 20 years ago, I realised that people take inspiration from all kinds of sources and I just let Everton play a part in my compositions. More than anything, though, Duncan has been one of the great underachievers of his generation.

The work is scored for three flutes (doubling piccolo and tin whistles), three oboes (doubling cor anglais), three clarinets (doubling bass clarinet, three bassoons (doubling contrabassoon), four French horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, two percussionists, harp, and strings.

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