We gave our first concert today! Well, not a concert, but a “listening” time, where people could listen to new music. it was quite good, and the audience didnt leave in the first 5 seconds. Here is the program note:
Sunday Listening Concert
July 6, 2008 1:30 pm SLT
Good Afternoon and welcome to our concert for new music – What the Heck is that???
New music can raise this question, but music shouldn’t always glide off the ears like soft warm water. I enjoy pop music as much as anybody, but there is more to life than just that. There is so much out there to hear, and it will reward you so greatly. The pieces we will hear today:
Adina Spire
Adina is a composer from Romania and currently teaches music at the conservatory there and directs several church choirs. The work presented today is a religious piece. Her music is influenced by the Eastern Orthodox Church in the use of low lugubrious sounds, sweeping landscapes and slowly changing progressions. The piece I have chosen is titled “A little Moment of my World”, written as a soundtrack for a film written by one of her students at the Music Conservatory in Arad. Although not religious, it incorporates many of the techniques used in her larger choral works.
A Little Moment of My World – 3’22”
http://www.garageband.com/artist/adinaspire
Tim Risher
Over and Under was written for the Palladian Ensemble in England, for alto recorder, violin, baroque guitar and bass gamba. It is a chaconne, and features the recorder and violin in virtuosic solos.
Over and Under – 7’33”
http://www.timrisher.com
Michael Bies
A Romp Through the Wood is a set of three short pieces written for two marimbas. The two outer pieces or movements are fantasias with a similar rhythmic structure based on two groups of three eighth notes and a group of two eighth notes in various order. The second piece offers rhythmic contrast to the set and utilizes the mallett technique of “dead stroking” in large sections of the short composition hence the name “Deadwood”.
http://www.michaelbies.com/
Deadwood – 4’12”
Claus Gahrn
Danish composer of contemporary classical music and electroacoustic music.
Claus Gahrn (b. 1978) received his MA degree in composition from the Academy of Music in Esbjerg, Denmark, in 2006. He now lives and works in Esbjerg as a freelance composer as well as a lecturer at the Academy of Music.
Gahrn´s work mainly consists of music for solo instruments and small ensembles with and without electronics. His music has been performed in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Russia and in the UK.
Feather – 5’56”
http://www.clausgahrn.dk/
Charlie de Tar
This piece was composed for John Arroyo’s “Remixin” project, as I’m sure you’re aware.
The piece is based on Ruoho Ruotsi’s remix of Charles Dodge’s
“Canons for Larry (123)”. you can find the project on line at:
The piece is rather dark; the title is a TLA for Child of God. The
screams are sampled from news reports chronicling a takeover of a
Christian boarding school by Child Services, found in the middle of a
conspiracy documentary describing the impending takeover of the UN in a
One World Government which bans religion. The “All men are children of
god… I couldn’t wait to start” sample is from an odd ephemeral
animated public service film which equates “being a good christian” with
“being a good driver”, in which a car-shaped alien is molested and
abused by evil humans. The piece is about moral superiority.
Cog – 4’12”
http://tirl.org/
Alex Kotch
Here is Alex’s bio from his website:
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I have chosen his remix Nude (Cyborg Remix) to grace our little show. It’s sung by a little cyborg.
5′ 19”
http://www.alexkotch.com/
Tim Risher
Alex’s piece leads directly into a second little piece by Tim Risher called “My Advice”. An unusual little pop piece using voices as the basis of the rhythms. This was recorded using live and computer sounds.
My Advice – 3’18”