Performed by Erica Williamson
GGS April 2013

Improv On Bach

Hauntingly intense yet achingly beautiful work for solo flute and piano.

as the light shimmers, so the shadows dance

For solo bass clarinet and electronics; 2020

Commissioned by Arraymusic, composed for Colleen Cook. Premiered on Feb. 19, 2022 at Arraymusic's Premieres Concert. Audio recorded by Dan Tapper.

Capsule

Through The Forest of Songs is a 20 minutes three movements concerto for one piano 4 hands and orchestra, written especially for the Brazilian piano duo Durval Cesetti and Nan Qi. The commission is generously supported by The Canada Council for the Arts.

The theme of this work comes from my fascination with forest. To me forest is the nature’s wealth, a magical place of history and mysteries where one can focus and discover, from tiny organism to species of extreme dimensions. Many forests in the world embody a unique and primeval ecosystem that is unfortunately disappearing, therefore I am prompt to create a work that pay tribute to this precious treasure of nature, to remind us the wonder and beauty where forests have an everlasting bond between our lives and society.  Having these ideas in mind, the composition is a music journey exploring the meaning and marvels of forests across three continents: Manitoba’s Elk Glen in Canada, Jiangsu’s Bamboo Sea Park竹海in China, and Brazil’s Amazon Rain Forest. 

The three movements are of contrasting characters and each presents a specific element of cultural significance:

1.	The Elk Glen – music evokes a Canadian wintry wonder world, the deep and vast icy landscape, characterized by a diverse mosaic of animals of bear, moose, elk, and sound of Canada warbler.
2.	The Bamboo Sea Garden – music evokes imagery of Chinese brush painting: green waves dance with the wind, rising and falling, unusual creaking sound of the wind through the bamboo leaves. One can image exploring through a sanctum of light and shade that opens to a hidden Golden Palace of ancient time.
3.	The Amazon – a vibrant array of orchestral colors and rhythmic energy to depict the a world of biodiversity where abundance of mysterious species co-exist, the use of wood percussion, congas and bongos has a nostalgic reference to the disappearing woods of  the Rain Forest, and evokes the sounds of re-invented Brazilian tribal music.

Through The Forest of Songs concerto for one piano 4 hands and orchestra midi version

Metasomatic: Bifurcations (2018-19) for cello

Performance by:
Mathew Arrellin, cello

See the full score here:
https://issuu.com/mathewarrellin/docs/arrellin__mathew_-_metasomatic_i__2019__sept._29_e

www.mathew-arrellin.com

Metasomatic

Metasomatic: Bifurcations (2018-19) for cello | Mathew Arrellin

Archival performance from November 4, 2023

Violin - Maria van der Sloot
Cello - Beth Root Sandvoss
Piano - Suzanne Rueberg Gordon

Bleary was written for the Land's End Ensemble in 2018, and revised for a second performance in 2023.

bleary (2023)

Her Shore - Linda Catlin Smith

Read by Manhattan Symphonie at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, New York, Nov 2016. 

"Waves, Exile" is a work about journeys of no return. 
It was inspired by poetry excerpts from the American poet Tim Nolan’s "My Dead":

“They live in The Land of Echo, The Land
Of Reverb, and I hear them between
The notes of the birds, the splash of the wave

On the smooth rocks. They show up
When I think of them, as if they always
Are waiting for me to remember”

Waves, Exile - for orchestra

Land Acknowledgement - Barbara Croall, 
Commissioned by the Hannaford Street Silver Band
Barbara Croall, words and music

Nine Daies Wonder - Bramwell Tovey, 
Mark Fewer, Violin Soloist
Commissioned by the Hannaford Street Silver Band
James Gourlay, guest conductor

The Reanimation of Forster’s Corpse - Kelly-Marie Murphy, 
Commissioned by the Hannaford Street Silver Band with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts
James Gourlay, guest conductor

Indigenous Rites -  Vivian Fung, 
Wallace Halladay, Saxophone Soloist
Commissioned by the Hannaford Street Silver Band with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts
James Gourlay, guest conductor

Winter Songs - James Rolfe, 
Commissioned by the Hannaford Street Silver Band with the assistance of the Ontario Arts Council
Elmer Iseler Singer, Michael Thomas, guest conductor

Christmas Truce, 1914 - Leonard Ballantine,
Commissioned by the Hannaford Street Silver Band with the assistance of the Orpheus Choir
Orpheus Choir of Toronto, Robert Cooper, conductor, Rev. Dr. Peter Holmes Narrator

1. Land Acknowledgement - Barbara Croall

Chanson for Trumpet and Flugelhorn (2006 rev 2020)

I recorded both the parts of this version of Donald's 'Chanson' in my flat as part of Lockdown recordings last year. Originally I played it at the BISYOC Summer Course at Moor Park near Ludlow 2012 with Ilene Chanon, Principal horn of the Bergen Philharmonic. Last year Donald made a version for two trumpets, and I thought it would sound nice with one part on flugelhorn.

Donald's programme note:

Chanson is a modal duet in with an unusual rhythmic structure.  Essentially each part has it’s own time signature, although to prevent excessive complexity the score is written with one ‘dominant’ time signature and the other part, not always part one, ‘fitting’ in.  The pulses in the ‘fitted in’ part are shown with tenuto marks. There is also some use of additive rhythm intended to give the impression of time moving forwards at an inconsistent rate. These techniques were further developed in my 25 minute recorder duet ‘A Journey Among Travellers’.

Chanson for trumpet and flugelhorn by Donald Bousted

Andromache for Alto Flute by Coreen Morsink played by Chenoa Anderson, Canadian premiere, June 10th, 2017, Mile Zero Dance's space, Edmonton, Alberta.  Score available for purchase through Tetractys Publishing https://www.tetractys.co.uk/section797740_318165.html

Andromache for alto flute By Coreen Morsink played by Chenoa Anderson

Coreen Morsink is a Canadian/Greek composer focusing on music springing from ancient Greek sources as well as unusual tuning systems. Her pieces use compositional techniques which combine old and new with explorations into microtonality, multiphonics and extended techniques.

Andromache for alto flute By Coreen Morsink played by Chenoa Anderson

Coreen Morsink

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