Callaugh

Trumpet: Laurence Collier
Double Bass: Tom Goddard 
Drums: Joe Rumming
Piano: Matthew Price

The Left Unsaid (Take One)

The Ambush for string quartet is a piece based upon the historical 'Battle of Teutoberg Forest' in 9AD, where several Germanic tribes united under the command of the defected Roman general Arminius. The three Roman legions under the command of Varus suffered a humiliating defeat, and it is considered that this devastating loss was 'the ambush the changed history'. 

More specifically, this piece is influenced by demo footage of this battle in the PC game 'Rome II: Total War', in which you control the Roman forces and the battle can be played out. It focuses in on a 'century', a formation and single unit of 80 Roman Legionaries that you can control. The slow-moving opening uses open fifths and represents the 'tactical overview' feature in the game, where you can see your position relevant to the enemies' on the map, before zooming into the chaos that is about to follow. The second section employs combinations of tonal and chromatic lines with irregular accentuation and snapped pizzicato to represent the clash of swords. The sections that follow develop the open fifths with more irregular accentuation, and the chromaticism undergoes gradual compression. The final section which was written first, is a chorale using Phrygian mode on E, and parts of it are subtly developed throughout the piece. In the game there is a chance to win this battle as the Romans if you manage to escape the forest and make it to the clearing. However, I have remained historically accurate here – tragedy awaits.

The Ambush (2014)

Flute: Rhiannon Braddick
Clarinet: Abbie Day
Violin: Myfanwy Dymond
Cello: Calum Hodgetts
Piano: Mark Smith

Organised Confusion (2013)

The Left Unsaid (Take Two)

Escape the Void is a piece written for a mixed quintet of flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano. The 'void' is a metaphor for a place that someone does not want to be, a state of mind, and this is a portrayal of one escaping their inner demons and getting back to reality. 

It opens with a variety of extended techniques across the quintet, especially that of inside-piano work. The sound-world is sparse and ambiguous in terms of direction, with mostly unpitched material until a pedal note in the cello leads to a new chorale section. A new theme emerges and a steady pulse is gained with a driving ostinato pattern in the cello, accompanied by percussive gestures on the body of the piano. After some modulation and development the piano re-enters with a flourish before a tutti climax at the mid-point. The piano leads the way into this final and much faster section with a leaping bass line and the rest of the quintet join in. The texture becomes more dense, the meter changes are fierce – excitement and tension grows. A rhythmically stabbing climax is reached and the piece ends with a slamming close of the keyboard lid. The sound is held and the piano lid is slowly lowered. The void is closed – did they escape?

Escape The Void (2015)

Programme Notes:

The Last Barfly is a piano-led (small) big band piece, focusing on the rhythm section in particular. It received its world première at the Contemporary Music Group Student Showcase concert at Cardiff University School of Music in April 2016. Jazz influenced, it fuses together modal/cool and blues styles with a Latin-groove riff as the main theme. It begins sparsely with an augmented version of the 'break' theme, which is developed and re-harmonised throughout leading to different sections of varying characters. Textural swells, climactic tuttis, ambient atmospheres and rhythmical 'glitches' are all present here in this 7-minute journey of jazz. The piece is dedicated to close friends and members of the Tuesday Night Drinking Club, with the title referring to a phrase coined from generally being the last ones at the bar.

Instrumentation:

Alto saxophones: Vicky Perrio, Georgie Arnold
Tenor saxophones: Harriett Blakeman, Alex Davis 2.0
Baritone saxophone: Katherine Nunn

Trumpets: Andy Wareham, Oli Harris, Benjamin Atkinson
Tenor trombone: Joe Hillyard
Bass trombone: Chris Davis

Piano: Matthew Price
Bass guitar: Harry Gould
Drums: Joe Rumming

The Last Barfly

Wish You Were Here

Fresh Prince (A Reading by Christopher Stone)

Starman

Composer, conductor, and pianist studying MMus Composition at Cardiff University.

MattPriceMusic