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Being Dufay (Recorded album, Studio Realisation)

'Being Dufay' is a single author composition of 47 minutes in duration. It is recorded on ECM (ECM 2071) and has been performed in 13 international venues. 'Being Dufay' is performed by John Potter (tenor).

'Being Dufay' explores the contextual and compositional relationships which arise when fifteenth century polyphony is transplanted into newly composed settings. The piece uses sound processing technology, but the presence of technology itself does not contribute to the modernity of this work. Instead, two primary creative objectives are the focus of this research: firstly, to go beyond creative processes which would set-up stark juxtapositions of historical and contemporary materials, and secondly to find stylistic alternatives to creating a ‘fusion’ of old and new (actively avoiding a situation where styles and ideas are simply “blended”, with stylistic compromise.) The distancing of technology itself from this dynamic was an aid to its exploration of historical material. Finally, to avoid creating unnecessary polarities between technology and Dufay’s work, the use of technology _itself_ here is purposely “retro” through the use of 1980s and 1990s synthesizers, rather than by employing cutting-edge contemporary computer-based digital methods. As a result, a compositional trajectory emerged which is essentially minimal in nature, presenting the past intact and unaltered, whilst setting up structural frameworks to support it. The result is somewhat akin to creating a new landscape behind an original sculpture.