Output details

An Instant Conception for small ensemble and percussion (10 players)

This score is a part of a trilogy of works focusing upon proportional form, rhythm and pitch-organisation, chromatic consonance and equidistant scale theories. It was premiered by Ensemble 10/10 in May 2009.

The evolution of composition began within extra-musical inspiration based upon naturally occurring causalities: phenomenon generated by and relationships between a cause and its effect. I mused as to what would happen if I could take middle-C (weight and mass suggested by pitch-register) and drop it into a ‘musical pond’? The height of the fall and velocity of impact could be related to dynamics and the effect would produce ripples of pitch and rhythm through the ensemble.

Having established a cause, I utilised the Fibonacci sequence to generate and control the effect: 0-1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34. This infinite pattern of integers (literally reads like an expanding ripple) provides a basis for pitch-development; a way to determine the length of compositional units and the amount of repetitions, thus shaping form and proportion alongside pitch-organisation. The sequence was converted into semi-tones to calculate a pitch and interval reference for pitch-organisation and into semi-quavers for use in rhythmic proportion (see score preface and supporting research).

An Instant Conception primarily utilises the perfect-fourth interval (five semi-tones) with proportional references to the number 5. Each movement opens with a passage of harmony composed from the cycle-of-fourths. I could refer to this as quartal, plagal or equidistant harmony, but all labels would be misleading. Atonality and pantonality would suggest chromatic dissonance; polytonality would imply a tonal language, so in this case, I feel the label ‘chromatic consonance’ is most fitting.

Natural Causality is submitted as supporting research. It is the direct predecessor of An Instant Conception. Ensuen completes the portfolio trilogy and continues my practical research into proportional forms and Western equidistant scales (see score preface).