Friday, 29 January 2010
Fiddles fiddles everywhere and not a note in sight..
This week I have been mostly trying to write for four fiddles in different tunings at the same time...with only 2 fiddles..and a notation program that can't cope with things not sounding the way they look.. and a sore head. It's been a bit mathematical and I've thrown away several ideas because I felt their energy or interest got lost in a sea of adding and subtracting pitches. I'm also trying to get a bit better at storing away ideas for later use rather than throwing them all at the same canvas.
So, the fiddle day (rehearsal) is tomorrow and I have a skeleton with some flesh on it which I am going to workshop with the players in the morning then try some real-time in-rehearsal composing, do a re-jig of the score and print out over lunch for the second half of the rehearsal. I think it's going to work better that way and we'll get something that is better articulated by these fiddle players with their rich sense of style.
And if all else fails I can have a go of all four fiddles in the right tunings and do a complete rework.. It's interesting how the New Voices process has brought to light how much I work by ear as well as using notation, and how much I prefer to work through my instrument or with musicians.
Lori
Monday, 18 January 2010
update on progress..
Ok, so far we have final roughs (will be polished up with band feedback incorporated) of As Water Wears The Rock, Lucken Hare - Prophecy, Eildon, Lucken Hare - A Sword and A Horn.
And Lucken Hare - The Tongue That Never Lies should be complete by tonight followed by Debateable Lands (Scordatura section) by the ends of the week.
The St Mary's Loch atmos is mixed and ready to go. The story of Canobie Dick is currently being translated into Hawick Scots by Ian Landles and will hopefully be recorded by next week (exciting!).
Proper rehearsals start this week..
Still to organise/finalise:
Tech specs and lighting
Possible projections
Printing of graphic scores in A3
boy oh boy.
Lori
A Sword and A Horn
Lucken Hare - A Sword and A Horn is pretty much complete now (phew) a couple of tunes managed to sneak in there too along with some improvisations and layered textures.
Nervous now about how everything will sound with the band on Wednesday! I'm anticipating gaps, random notes, missed dynamics and cue notes etc. so will be a busy day on Thursday fixing those before the Friday rehearsal.
Trying to finish Lucken Hare - The Tongue That Never Lies today but down with flu symptoms today so it's a bit of a struggle. Hope that doesn't come through in the music!
Frequent considerations so far include:
1. Notating for an ensemble of mixed-ability readers/ear players. I think I'll be relying quite a bit on their musicality, good judgement and ensemble playing experience here. But on, reflection, the musicians' ability to perform as a small ensemble, to listen and react and to make musical choices which I like the sound of were key in making decisions for the line up.
2. How to integrate freedom into a structured piece given the skills and sounds of the selected musicians.
3. How to balance out the music as a complete concert.
4. Balancing intentions for the music/themes with where the process of writing leads me. I am prone to (quite enjoy) allowing happy accidents to lead me in slightly altered directions. I have been assessing as I go along whether these take me too far away from my initial ideas/intentions.
Right back to The Tongue That Never Lies..
Lori
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Grooves & Trees
Just tying up the Lucken Hare - Prophecy section of the piece and pleased to say there is even a tune in it, some good grooves and serious foot-tapability. Considering posting a midi version of it but can't seem to get the balance of beepy midi sounds quite right! I shall ponder over night.
In the studio with Bob Whitney tomorrow to remix the atmos. for As Water Wears The Rock so we will have wind in the trees in our ears :)
Lori
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
As Water Wears The Rock
A version of this piece was performed by McFall's Chamber at the Distil Showcase in October 2009. Here is a recording from that concert featuring McFall's String Quintet plus Angus Lyon on Accordion. It is inspired by St Marys Loch, the passing of time and loss, and features words from James Hogg.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
The Tub!
Courtesy of Kevin Dempster.. Some images of The Devil's Beeftub* taken in 5 Jan 2010. Inspiration for opening section Debateable Lands for 4 fiddles in different tunings.
* from Wiki - 'The 500-foot (150 m) deep hollow is formed by four hills, Great Hill (1527 ft, 465 m), Peat Knowe, Annanhead Hill, and Ericstane Hill...Its unusual name derives from its use by the Border Reivers to hide stolen cattle...In his novel Redgauntlet, novelist Walter Scott said, "It looks as if four hills were laying their heads together, to shut out daylight from the dark hollow space between them. A d—d deep, black, blackguard-looking abyss of a hole it is". Scott also describes the flight of a highlander fleeing the aftermath of the failure of the 1745 Jacobite uprising; the soldier rolls down the hill amid a hail of enemy gunfire, and escapes. The Beef Tub is also known as MacCleran's Loup after the tumbling highlander.'
* from Wiki - 'The 500-foot (150 m) deep hollow is formed by four hills, Great Hill (1527 ft, 465 m), Peat Knowe, Annanhead Hill, and Ericstane Hill...Its unusual name derives from its use by the Border Reivers to hide stolen cattle...In his novel Redgauntlet, novelist Walter Scott said, "It looks as if four hills were laying their heads together, to shut out daylight from the dark hollow space between them. A d—d deep, black, blackguard-looking abyss of a hole it is". Scott also describes the flight of a highlander fleeing the aftermath of the failure of the 1745 Jacobite uprising; the soldier rolls down the hill amid a hail of enemy gunfire, and escapes. The Beef Tub is also known as MacCleran's Loup after the tumbling highlander.'
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
