I’m both fascinated and bewildered when I think about how unpredictable change can occur within a person or the world around us. Everyone and everything is constantly changing.  For me, Charents’ poem  ‘Rubaiyats of 1926’ appears to simplify the visions of disordered change, attaching harsh, cold truths, contrasted with dreamy, joyful statements. The selections I chose for my text are concentrated on these conflicting visions of change.

In Charents’ visions of change, unpredictable, naturalistic metaphors are used, for instance, ‘the river flowing forever in change but unchanging.’ The emotional evocations from this metaphorical picture dictate the direction of the music I compose. Ultimately, this change is representing that in a person, and within my composition, this fascination with change develops a musical idea into one that is unrecognisable. Thus, in composing Permanent but Forever Dying I have used the text and its emotional implications as imagery to portray within the music. On moments of dark and cold reflection oscillating and descending low motives are heard, contrasted by moments of rising figures symbolising hope, but that are often left suspended in a reflective uncertainty.

Permanent But Forever Dying - Tenor Voice And Piano - Alice Hunter

‘Inferno’ was a  project w on how to most authentically represent the 9 circles of hell in Dante’s Inferno. This explores a wealth of extended instrumental techniques to transport the listener and player into a sound world of unfamiliarity.

Inferno for tenor and cello (excerpt)

Like its botanical namesake, this duet takes the listener on a trip. Time and space become elongated in gradually expanding phrases. As more colours are seen throughout the experience, different harmonic fields are explored and the initial middle pitched motive is extended outwards.

Lamedh flute and clarinet duets

Alice Hunter Dark shadow Haze

For synthesiser (Juno 6)and ensemble (Bass flute, Bass clarinet, percussion, violin and cello) It’s a composition based on strength in working with people, even though they can seem distant, to develop to another stage. Instrumentalists are encouraged to space ‘Dither, Flourish, Dissolve’ according to the instrumentalists around them, working as a team to grow to shape the work.

artwork ‘Dissolve me’ by Dániel Taylor

19m40s call for scores

Dither, Flourish, Dissolve for synthesiser and ensemble

Clarinet- Stuart King
Accordion- Ian Watson
Violin- David Le Page
Viola- Robert Ames
Cello- Clare O'Connell

Performed by CHROMA ensemble on the 31st January 2014 at the David Josefowicz Recital Hall.

"‘A Mango’s Insult’(2013/14) was composed for the CHROMA ensemble. The title is an anagram of Glass Mountain, the name of Michael Zev Gordon’s piece, which this work is structurally based upon"

A Mango's Insult for ensemble

Recording of the open rehearsal at the Academy's Open Day for composers, 25th Sept. '14. 

Conductor - Christopher Austin
The Royal Academy Symphony Orchestra

The inspiration for 'The Silence In The Bird Cage' has grown from the inescapable sounds found within the environment and from oneself and the writings of John Cage in the book ‘Silence’. I was struck by the way in which links are made between chance, movement, and acceptance of what is ‘just’.

The Silence In The Bird Cage for large orchestra (2014)

Of A Torn Sober Siren - Movement 4

Based on Dadaist Raoul Hausmann's optophonetic poem, 'Grün' of 1918

Scored for:

Soprano
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Trumpet in C
Accordion
Double Bass

Live recording from Shoreditch Town Hall

By observing each word or letter, looking at its typography - shape, size, how it has been set on the page, the meaning of the word and what it may represent, each element has its own musical idea.  As in the tone poem, with words and letters winding around each other, or continuing from/after one another, each musical idea flows off of or continues from one another. This transforms a seemingly chaotic image on the page into a linear, developmental, and connected progression from one idea to another.

Grün for ensemble(2017)

The act of flying,
in a flock,
with a life long companion, or
solely,
gives
different
comforts and challenges.
Black Flight contemplates the release of these feelings, granting a journey of
freedom,
reflection,
communication
and excitement.

Black Flight (2018) for orchestra

From the thoughts of a person suffering with dementia. The understanding of conversations becomes futile, words become foreign and broken-up. Thus, the conversations become meaningless, annoying and patterns of sounds in conversation. There is however, times of dreamy reflection where one is at peace with the sounds.

'Futile Words', for soprano & ensemble (2017)

Composer, cellist, clarinettist, conductor, Master of Music in Composition from The Royal Academy of Music

Alice M. Hunter

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