RITUAL

“The Ritual suite is, firstly, a contemplation of agnostic devotional repetition. There is a seeking within this music. Historically, principles of repetition have been anchors of both sacred and secular devotional practice in countless societies, and that history profoundly resonates with me. Every piece in the Ritual suite is built around contemplative repetition in some form.

A second contemplation that I care deeply about - also having to do loosely with historical time - presents itself in Ritual: instrumentation choices. In my electroacoustic work, I often find myself lingering on concepts of "historical anchoring” as I create my sounds and timbres: what makes a sound signify being “modern", or "dated", or (better yet) “classic"? Modes and procedures of electronic sound generation come in and out of fashion all the time, but there are certain instruments and processes that eventually become “timeless tools” just like a Violin or a French Horn might be. (Never particularly in-fashion, never particularly out-of-fashion, just being the useful sonic tools that they are.) As such, I generally choose to use electronic instruments that are more “timeless” in this way - less tied and identifiable specifically to their historical eras of creation, but rather as colors and timbres to be freely used in their own right. Electronically synthesized textures are then juxtaposed against (even) older instruments such as cello or renaissance recorders. Far from relegating each of these colors to their own sonic categories, I seek to re-use, re-purpose, and re-discover what new combinations might be possible.

As the electronic and acoustic mediums of the Ritual suite mix together, I hope to explore a sound-world that is in essence outside of time: disparate instruments taken out of their historically used contexts and transported into an othering soundscape, intended to allow myself, and others, a space to re-examine and center within these multiple layers of contemplation.

"Quest” opens with a sonic tableau of ambiguous stillness combined with apprehension of explorative tensions to come. The piece falls roughly into four sections of equal length but increasing timbral depth, each journeying organically into the next. “Ritual” seeks to ground in a quiet stillness, anchored by a Moog chordal motif, accompanying the solo cello and recorder voices. While still soft and controlled, “Midwinter” introduces a more unsettled atmosphere, evoking a distant and isolated environment of unclear origins. “Thanatosis” increases in apprehension, sonically addressing the emotional complexities and aftermath of an anxiety-triggering event. Finally, the suite erupts into “Battalion”, an aggressive, relentless, violent dance, before fading away into the wind.”

Instrumentation:

Cello (solos performed by the composer)

Bass and Alto Recorders

Pitched and Unpitched Percussion

Piano and Organ

Boutique Electronics