Hey,

Thanks for the comment and the thread here. Hope it doesn't come across when I say 'get the joke' that I'm implying Turnage is making fun of anything - I don't think he is, and everything in his career suggests a genuine affection for popular music of all sorts. But the fact that he had attempted to hide the Beyoncé reference by not telling anyone about it beforehand, and letting listeners work it out for themselves ('surprise!') is the 'joke' I'm getting at. If he's making fun of anything, it's the classical music establishment that's commissioning him in the first place (hence 'seditious').

Having spoken to him, and having listened to the piece several times, I don't think he was setting out to do anything especially grand beyond write a fun piece, but I take the point that referencing popular music isn't necessarily lighthearted.

Would be interested in hearing any music by your friend, skyecaptain - does he have a site?