Posts
Something about this week has rubbed off on me, into my subconscious and out through my ears. Friday saw me working with Mr McFalls Chamber in a strings, harp, piano, electronics and poetry performance for the Distil Showcase in Stirling. Sunday, I was lucky enough to see McFalls doing their Viva Tango! thing with Valentina Montoya Martinez (voice) Victor Villena (bandoneon) and Cyril Garac on Violin.
So when Red Note put out their latest 'Noisy Nights' call for Violin, Cello, Accordion and Tape scores there was nothing I could do but yield to the call of electronic tango poetry. Using a beautiful poem called 'Como Sera' by Amado Nervo I began creating a 3 way contrapuntal tango between Violin, Cello and Accordion. Describing a love triangle which will never be resolved, each of them dancing to their own melody, weaving in and out of each other yet never submitting to the will of the others to dominate. The melody ends on the submediant, never allowing us a resolution.
A gentle F minor piano loop pins the poetry to the ground, with the words longing for the taste of spiritual kisses and immortal delights. The poem beautifully suits the darkness, passion and longing of the tango as the poet yearns for a time after departing this life.
A trip to Red Note's 'Inventor Composer' on Wednesday night added some dramatic electronics to the piece, with disturbing sub bass, teeth-grindlingly uncomfortable bitcrusher crushes and high frequency audio tingles provided by cut glass resonances.
This piece is built from my first week as an Edinburgh resident, parcelling up the musical gifts which have come my way into something new. Something which tells the story of relocation, of uncertainty, of endings and of new beginnings.
