programme note:

❝distance changes utterly when you take the world on foot. a mile becomes a long way, two miles literally considerable, ten miles whopping, fifty miles AT THE VERY LIMITS OF CONCEPTION… life takes on a neat simplicity, too. time ceases to have any meaning. when it is dark, you go to bed, and when it is light again you get up, and everything in between is just in between… you exist in a tranquil tedium, serenely beyond the reach of exasperation. all that is required of you is a willingness to trudge. there is no point in hurrying because you are not actually going anywhere. however far or long you plod,
you are always in the same place… it’s where you were yesterday, where you will be tomorrow… every bend in the path presents a prospect indistinguishable from every other, every glimpse into the trees the same tangled mass. for all you know, your route could describe a very large, pointless circle. in a way, it would hardly matter.❞ - Bill Bryson.

the theme of this piece is based on distance, and my personal struggles with returning to my birthplace of jersey in the channel islands, during each of the u.k. national lockdowns. because i have no access to a car, and because public transport is running so sporadically, i am practically marooned within my own home. however, once a day, i walk to the nearby coastline for a walk and look out onto the horizon to see if i can spot any of the other islands, or france. this piece describes the juxtaposition of having two places that are called ‘home’, and the yearning to travel beyond geographical and psychological horizons – back to the u.k., and back to normality.

this piece was composed in february 2021 for the daryl runswick composition competition, where it was workshopped for the finals and performed by the trinity laban contemporary music group, conducted by Gregory Rose.

• Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Kit Venables and Ben Leigh-Grosart

at the very limits of conception

at the very limits of conception — for chamber ensemble (2021)

Half a Blue Pig is the second in a series of pieces depicting culturally significant Mancunian landmarks.
In 1880, a town on the outskirts of Manchester was demolished to make way for the construction of a large reservoir. The people were displaced and rebuilt their town next to this new body of water.
In 1990, part of this reservoir was demolished in order to build a motorway. During this process builders found amongst the rubble a stone pig, broken in half. A surviving artefact from the demolished town. 
They decided to cement it to a wall as a funny joke. 
A local named Allan "Brad" Bradbury with an unrivalled sense of humour painted this new monument blue, mirroring the name of the pub on the opposite side of the road, "Ye Olde Blue Pig".
This bizarre, easily overlooked monument is a story of change, displacement, discovery, humour, and loss.

First performed on 10th March by the Trinity Laban Shapeshifter Ensemble at Blackheath Halls.

Conductor: Jamie Philips
Soloist: Marika Tsuchiya

Half a Blue Pig

Antiphony - Recording 2

a little improv based on Arthur's Fuzzbuster #10 from Picture of Bunny Rabbit, which came out on 23rd ! new Arthur ! listen to the original !

Arthur Russell Fuzzbuster #10 improv

THE ILLUSION OF WITCHCRAFT

This soundscape delves into the dark history of witchcraft on the island of Jersey, creating an unsettling atmosphere that depicts the horrific trials and torture faced by the convicted witches. Manipulating sounds from the original sculpture of the same name, designed by Mike Woods in 2006; the soundscape portrays the unsettling journey of these accused individuals, evoking emotions of fear, injustice and mystery.

"...it is therefore strictly forbidden to all the inhabitants of this island to receive any counsel or assistance in their adversities from any witches or diviners, or anyone suspected of practising sorcery, under pain of one month's imprisonment in the castle on bread and water..."
"...i cannot say there are no witches, but since the difficulty of convicting them has been recognised in the Island, they all seem to have disappeared, as though the evidence of time gone by had been but an illusion..."

THE ILLUSION OF WITCHCRAFT

Performance on 9 June 2022 at Blackheath Halls as part of RECONSTRUCT, Nneka Cummins' final performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Performed by Alex Lyon (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet), Ashley Brand (tenor saxophone), Rebecca Burden (Cello), Marika Tsuchiya (Percussion). Clarinet Sampled from a performance of the piece 'Melody Please' composed by Nneka Cummins and performed by Alex Lyon.

Chip Away (June 2022)

Performance on 9 June 2022 at Blackheath Halls as part of RECONSTRUCT, Nneka Cummins' final performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Performed by Ashley Brand (Clarinet in Bb) and Alex Lyon (Bass Clarinet). Clarinet Sampled from a performance of the piece 'Melody Please' composed by Nneka Cummins and performed by Alex Lyon.

Everyone's a Catfish (June 2022)

Somnic Phantasmagoria - A Waltz for String Orchestra (2022) for string orchestra.

Performed live by Trinity Laban String Ensemble on Oct 14th 2022, in the Great Hall of Blackheath Halls, London.
Conducted by Nic Pendlebury.

A Waltz for String Orchestra, "Somnic Phantasmagoria" (2022) | live at Blackheath Halls, London '22

04 La Sonn'nie D'clioches (The Sound of the Bells) by Emily de Gruchy

If you are interested in working with Emily, please email degruchycomposer@gmail.com 🧩💭

Emily has worked with several ensembles & soloists, including the performer-composer Sam Pugh, Terra Invisus, the Carducci Quartet, Sandbox Percussion, the Riot Ensemble, the Hermes Experiment, Transitions Dance Company, the Manchester Contemporary Youth Opera, the Royal Holloway New Music Collective, and the National Centre for Early Music. She has also been commissioned by several cultural organisations, including Jersey Heritage, ArtHouse Jersey and Art for Guernsey.

Born and raised in Jersey, Channel Islands, traditional Jèrriais culture often influences her compositions, providing a unique amalgamation of French and British sonorities. In recent years, her career has moved towards sonic art and soundscapes, which has led her to collaborate with and compose for cultural heritage and charity organisations - something that she enjoys deeply, and has aimed to bring her prior experiences from working with many professional ensembles back home to Jersey.

at the very limits of conception — for chamber ensemble (2021)

Emily de Gruchy

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