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Recordings

Disco! Disco! Good! Good?

Programme Note:

 

Disco! Disco! Good! Good? is a vibrant work that celebrates the disco era and its cultural impact on music. The piece examines the shift from vinyl to tape recording technology, which revolutionised the music industry, and how it shaped the sound of disco music.

 

The piece pays tribute to the queer ballroom culture that emerged during the disco era, which created safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals to express themselves through dance and fashion. It highlights the significance of queer communities in shaping the cultural landscape of music and its influence on society at large.

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At its core, Disco! Disco! Good! Good? reflects on the fear of being discovered that many queer individuals experienced during the era. It acknowledges the bravery and resilience of those who defied societal norms and danced freely to disco.

Through its energetic rhythms and lively melodies, Disco! Disco! Good! Good? invites listeners to join in the celebration of disco music and its cultural legacy. It is a testament to the enduring power of music to connect people and bring joy to our lives.

The Light Messenger

Programme Note:

 

Based on two opposing subject matters, the Light Messenger is a poetic description of the meaning to communicate through the sky. The first of which is based on the Sanskrit poem ‘The Cloud Messenger’ by Kalidasa. The poem tells the story of a poet who has long been separated from his wife and who prevails upon a passing cloud to carry a message of love to her.

 

The other concerns Hawking radiation, where hypothetical particles are formed by a black holes boundary. This radiation implies black holes have temperatures that are inversely proportional to their mass; the smaller the black hole, the hotter it will glow. This glowing light felt like our final message in the universe - similar to the cloud in ‘The Cloud Messenger’. The concerto goes on a journey in which the poetic lyrical message of the cloud distorts and breaks down into subsequent light particles.

Why's the Grass Gotta Be Blue?

Programme Note:

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“If you looked at my iPod, you would get a trip out of all the different music, from the real heavy metal to bluegrass to classical.” - Eric Close

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  • Does the way we listen to music change our perception?

  • What techniques from bluegrass relate to contemporary music?

  • Can I imitate the sound of a record player?

  • Why am I so drawn to this style of performing?

  • What are the most important elements of Bluegrass?

Night Music

Programme Note:

 

“I never created new theories in advance, I hated such ideas. I had, of course, a very definite feeling about certain direction to take…” - Bartók

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  • What is the music of the Night?

  • How does the Night impact on my emotional state?

  • How can the dark ever-evolving landscape be translated into “Night Music”?

  • Is there a longing for sunrise?

  • Are my feelings towards the Night more of an emotional impulse to my personal life?

Dreams of Isolation

Programme Note:

 

“I think we dream so we don't have to be apart for so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time.” - Winnie-the-Pooh

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  • What does it mean to truly be alone?

  • Is dreaming inner Isolation?

  • Does Isolation take away a sense of time?

  • How does one's Dreams change in Isolation?

  • Can Isolation be freeing?

  • Are we alone in our Dreams?

Coram Boy

Alexander... why?

Rothko Room

Programme Note:

 

"A painting is not a picture of an experience, but is the experience” - Mark Rothko

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  • Can the experience of the Rothko Room at the Tate Modern be conveyed in music?

  • What does the two fields of colour mean in music?

  • Where does our perception of the paintings change in relation to distance?

  • Is there a structural journey within the paintings?

  • Why do these paintings in gulf ones sensory experience?

  • How can the detailed brush strokes be translated into music?

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