Name: Nwyfre by Lola Marlowe
Duration: 2 min 11 s
Description: Nwyfre (pronounced "noo-if-ruh") is a term in Druidry that refers to the fundamental life force or energy that binds all things together.

This is a post-minimalist piano piece I wrote for my Grade 12 internal assessment. Inspired by starling murmurations and works from Olafur Arnalds. Below is an analysis of the compositional techniques used.  

The timbre of the piece intends to portray the dusk sky or the last light before darkness; which is done through the consistent C Major Key and the instrumentation which includes samples of a soft, muted piano. 

The piece begins with a syncopated ostinato which portrays the first starling that initiates the murmuration. As the piece develops, different ostinatos are layered over the original creating a polyphonic texture which represents each new starling to join the group. The first half of the piece creates a feeling of continual growth as the texture becomes thicker and more complex however the soft dynamic is maintained to create contrast from the central section and also reflect the subtle beauty of the birds. 

The central section begins at around 1min 30sec into the piece. There is a sudden change in timbre as the main ostinato moves down to a lower C chord and the dynamic becomes slightly stronger. The other higher ostinatos are also brought down to a lower part in the piano causing them to sound merged together. This is to represent the moment where the starlings become one and begin to work together to create shapes across the sky. As the section continues the original ostinato is enhanced by layering a higher melodic ostinato that follows the same rhythmic pattern. By 2min and 9sec the piece reaches its climax. At this point there are numerous piano ostinatos that weave together with each other to create a moving blanket of sound. This polyphonic texture is then accompanied with a low double bass line to add further depth to the sound. 

As the central section finishes the overall structure of the piece becomes clear. Throughout, there are four different sections that are based around the chord progression of the original ostinato. The fourth is the central section and once this section is finished the piece starts to backtrack through the other sections which is a common post-minimalist technique.

Murmurations

Nwyfre (pronounced "noo-if-ruh") is a term in Druidry that refers to the fundamental life force or energy that binds all things together.

Nwyfre

Lola Marlowe is a student composer and musician currently based in Brisbane. With over a decade of formal cello experience, she's performed in venues including QPAC, The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and Saint John's Anglican Cathedral. In recent years, she has been placed and shortlisted in the ACMF National Songwriting Competition (2021) and ASME Young Composers Competition (2022). ​​

She began studying composition at The Queensland Conservatorium before moving to the Queensland University of Technology for a Bachelor of Creative Industries majoring in Music and Sound. Currently in her second year, Marlowe plays cello, guitar, piano and vocals with a heavy focus on film scoring and songwriting. 

In 2025, Lola Marlowe is looking to network with other local creatives. If you are based in Brisbane and looking for a composer or musician for your next creative project, have an explore of Marlowe's portfolio and get in touch. 

​​​

​

​

​

Nwyfre

Lola Marlowe

Related tracks