Fretwork

Kinneret Pulses for 5 viols, 1992.

It was the serene and radiant Galilee that provided the starting point for a new piece for Fretwork scored for a viol consort of treble, two tenors, two basses. Kinneret Pulses is constructed out of a succession of different tempi which interrelate through a process of metrical modulation, resulting in a constantly shifting polyrhythmic harmonic texture.

It is this texture which creates the backcloth for a slowly evolving web of ‘polyphonic inventions’ that embroider a recurring plaintive aria-like melody from the solo bass viol. Throughout the piece, these two elements of harmony and melody are interlaced into a varied aural landscape of continuously changing perspective, which is further enhanced by the single lone voice of a repeating A-flat pulse which provides a focal and pivotal point to the work’s structure.

Commissioned by Fretwork with funds made available by the Arts Council of Great Britain. First performed in Corpus Christi, New York City, 1992.

Published by Novello Music (Music Sales Ltd.)

Henry’s Mobile, for 4 or 5 viols. 1994

This short piece for a viol consort of treble, 2 tenors and bass is an affectionate tribute to the masterly genius of Henry Purcell. I have taken a tiny fragment from one of his Fantazias and used it as the basis for all the rhythmic and pitch materials that we employed in the piece. I hint at and allude to but never hopefully reveal my original source.

Commissioned by The South Bank Centre. First performed 2nd May 1995, The Purcell Room, London.

Published by Novello Music (Music Sales Ltd.)