Collaboration with the Cambridge Footlights, premiered in December 2021.

Written by Sophie Stemmons, Libby Thornton and Izzie Harding-Perrott
Directed by Flo Winkley and Elliot Aitken
Music Directors -  Joseph Giles and Bolin Dai
Orchestrated by Steve Gage, Jonathan Whiting and Jonathan Parapadakis.

Fabulous Pair

Drinking Song

Stylophone: Rowena Marshall
Keyboard: Sam Pradalie
Percussion: Dominic Lipari

This composition explores the performative limitations and surreal sonic world concocted by retro-children’s instruments. A sense of the uncanny is derived from juxtaposing the dated, and often crass sonorities of the instruments against the sincere treatment of thematic material and harmonic invention. Throughout, kitsch materials, childlike rhythmic ostinato and sentimental melodic lines are eschewed; motivic material is juxtaposed against unexpected harmonic progressions, whilst movements pair unrelated and often contradictory thematic materials. The thematic material is broken up into awkward phrasing and anti-climactic pauses interrupt the instrumental dialogues. 

At the hearth of these miniatures is a sense of nostalgia. The dated sonority of the instrumentation creates an eschewed version of pedagogical music. Whilst motivic material is derived from a wide range of sources after which it is spliced and contorted to create a surreal and unpredictable atmosphere.  

Factory Piece No.1

A repetitious dialogue is set up between two short materials. This composition retains a sense of stasis with little to no development being enacted on the materials. Instead the material is cut up and instrumental additions and subtractions showcase the materials from multiple perspectives. 



A Brief Dance Interlude 

A jaunty waltz like motif played by the keyboard is interrupted with tutti rising chromatic material reminiscent of the material from ‘Factory Piece 1’.

Factory Piece 4

A chord sequence performed in the piano and accompanied by the percussion is diverted in unexpected directions. This is soon interrupted by the stylophone performing a melodic phrase derived from the percussion’s rhythmic pattern. These two materials are engaged in a dialogue throughout the piece. 

Factory Piece 5

Oscillating, spread, and somewhat Shmaltzy chords modulate to unexpected harmonic territories. The Stylophone and percussion alternate in providing accompaniment. 

A brief Interlude into Remembering  

A sentimental melodic line performed by the Stylophone is answered by pulsating chords in the keyboard. The materials are gradually changed through rhythmic additions and modulations 

Factory Piece 6

A thematic line introduced by the stylophone is repeated and altered throughout the compositions with instrumental and thematic additions.

Utility Music for recycled musical instruments

Meandering Song No.1

Intriguing Piece

Comrades Collecting Grain For Harvest

Melancholy Song No.2

Modern Workplace Rituals

Performed by Bristol New Music Ensemble
Conducted by Michael Ellison 

In a Duet with Which to Pass the Time I was interested in playing with the concept of Boredom. The piece looks at the ways in which the listeners experience is changed when confronted with inactivity. This composition makes contains very little musical variation. Throughout musicians are encouraged to use the same sonority. There is no change to rhythm, harmony, texture or dynamics. Melodic lines are allowed to meander with no direction and structurally there is little to know coherent narrative to how materials are organised. However, within this piece I hope that the listener can find pleasure in the ways in which pitches change and musical lines are cut or interconnected. Finally, spoken word is interspersed throughout the piece. Utilitarian texts taken from appliance manuals, food safety advice, and ingredients are cut up and edited, to either bemuse, confuse or disturb the listener.

A Duet With Which to Pass the Time for Unspecified Ensemble

Composer of musicals/operettas/theatre etc.
Check out my website for more info!
https://www.jonathan-whiting.com

Fabulous Pair

Jonathan Whiting

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