Output details

"Hatching Aliens for flute and piano: 3 movements"

The research goal of "Hatching Aliens" was to test whether a range of “extended” flute techniques could be beneficially employed within a large-scale work for flute and piano. There is arguably no precedent in the published repertoire for this, the use of such techniques being overwhelmingly restricted to shorter experimental works. It did however represent a natural step for the current researcher who had previously deployed a range of “extended” techniques within a number of earlier works. The issue here was whether such techniques could move beyond “extended” and additional to become “normal” and essential to the aesthetic fabric of a coherent and substantial composition. The result was "Hatching Aliens".

An initial element of the research process saw the researcher leading a workshop investigating a wide range of new internal sounds that the flute can produce. This led directly to the incorporation of some of them in the final composition. Another element of the research process was the devising of a notation system that could successfully communicate the innovative flute techniques employed in the piece to others wishing to perform the work. This presented many challenges, for conventional musical notation depends to a large degree on a shared and relatively stable understanding of what is likely to be required by the composer. This condition was not present for the unconventional elements of this work, although the researcher was able to draw upon some emerging notational standards from his previous works and, for example, Wil Offermans’ use of triangular noteheads for particular effects.

The work was premièred by the composer and Tim Carey at the British Flute Society Convention in Manchester, and played again at the NFA International convention in New York the following year. Since its publication it has been performed many times both by professional flautists and students.