Hi,
I've got two pieces I wrote and recorded recently.
First is called "Guano Loco" (don't ask). I've attached the sibelius file and there's an MP3 here.
I wrote it when I had writer's block on a different piece (which I still haven't finished months later :) ) and it took about 5 minutes (honest). I wrote the melody first - it's serialist in that I forced myself to use all 12 pitch classes before I was allowed to re-use one, and it goes through all 12 tones four times, but there isn't a tone row as such. I actually noticed the other day that it misses one note out in the last cycle, but that note is the tonic, which made me smile, so I left it in. After I wrote the melody I noticed that it is roughly in blues form, but with the three-beat isorhythm at bars 7-9 I decided to harmonise it in time with that with a fall through the cycle of fifths. All pretty simple stuff but I think it's quite effective.
I performed it live for the first time last night with a quintet (two horns, piano - that would be me - bass, drums) and they butchered it :angry: but I also recorded it with a completely different band - the recording is here if you want to have a listen. The ending kinda falls to pieces but we only got one crack at the thing due to time pressures so we were all a bit nervous.
The second piece is called "Undertow" and, again, I've attached the sib file and I've recorded it here. Again, the playing on the recording is a bit dodgy (the drummer and bass player were sight-reading, I've got no excuse :) ) but you get the idea.
The name comes from the harmonic device which I use in various different guises throughout, including at the start. The bass line at the start is D,Eb,Db,E and that pattern of semi-tone, tone, minor third is used in various places with transposition (e.g. the rest of the [A] section) and inversion (e.g. at the bridge). I tried to write a counter melody for the [A] section which I'm not sure is entirely successful - when it works it's quite nice, but when it doesn't it sounds horrendous.
Anyhoo, any ideas, comments, suggestions, solicitations, etc. appreciated.
Nick
guano_loco.sib
undertow.sib
