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Are we gripped by the need for greater and greater control and in fear of letting go? Do we conduct many aspects of our lives within this framework, driven to create order and tidiness in what is in reality a messy and interconnected world? So what of us composers? Are we bound into a strategy for
creating music based upon imposing our detailed will onto expert 'playing
machines' to execute with precision, every nuance of our intricate scores?
Has anyone else out there been guilty of looking proudly at a recently
completed full orchestral score packed full of detail and complexity,
and patting oneself on the back just for the sheer look of the thing.
Perhaps you have found yourself saying, 'now this looks impressive!' In the teaching of composition, students are of course encouraged
to be comprehensive in their markings, but at what point does this approach
become a blinding habit and prevent them from pursuing other ways of organising
material precisely and accurately? Most importantly, is there a point
at which too much detail prevents the interpret-ation and reinvention
of material? Any composer who has ever collaborated will know that this
obsession with control has its limitations and will come against a brick
wall at some point. The composer will also by then, have been awakened
to a wealth of other strategies to follow which lead to unexpected and
often fruitful results. All of these methods involve 'letting go' in different
ways to our obsession with control. Working with new choreography and
with theatre for instance often means that there is no other way than
to release this grip. In recent years I have become interested in exploring
how improvised and composed elements can come together and, most importantly,
in finding ways that collaboration might work in a variety of contexts.
It has certainly led to new possibilities in my writing and to the realisation
that in letting go in the right way, other exciting possibilities open
up. Composers it seems so often have to make do with an intense
rehearsal at the eleventh hour where the music is professionally 'put
together' but with no deeper connection for the musicians. Ideally composers
would work more closely together with sympathetic players on a mature,
long term footing. The constraints of funding of course, unfortunately
mean that this proves to be hard to put into practice and it is exciting
therefore to see the success of a range of 'new breed' ensembles such
as Between The Notes, the Clod Ensemble, IO and the Gogmagogs who challenge
the way music is created. Like many composers interested in fostering a discourse
with instrumentalists I have recently set up my own ensemble which I hope
will contribute to this exploration. Through collaboration with jazz tenor
saxophonist Tim Whitehead we have created the Homemade Orchestra, an ensemble
made up of very adaptable and creative classical and jazz musicians. This
originated from a performance of some short pieces for quartet at the
Isleworth Festival back in 1997 and led eventually to the recording of
the album Tides last year. This set of seven pieces fuse improvisation
with elements of considered composition and address the idea of collaboration
in a variety of ways. The album will be released in September with a launch concert (see listings section). Other London performances will follow featuring collaborations with fellow composer-creators (including composers selected from the spnm shortlist) as well as with artists from other artforms including Mark Baldwin (dance), and Marcus Tate (film). The ethos of the Homemade Orchestra is to foster an environment where the mixing of musical styles is the norm and to harness ongoing collaborations with innovative and risk-taking creators. Colin Riley - composer We would welcome any responses to the articles featured in new notes. Click here to read what other people have thought about recent cover articles. The monthly listings magazine new
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