A short study that explores the relationship between two string trios tuned differently – one that is performed live in standard tuning and another tuned down 50 cents (1 microtone) that is pre-recorded.

I wanted the material to be mostly static, allowing the listener and the performers to perceive and experience the tension between the live and pre-recorded elements, with the only movement in the work being the persistent tremolos in both trios as well as the slow swells in dynamics and the gradual harmonic change based around double stopping with the open strings as the basis of the harmony.

Performed by Kirkos Ensemble (Violin - Erin Hennessey, Viola - Ali Comerford, Cello - Yseult Cooper Stockdale)
Live Performance recorded by Darby
Tape Part recorded by Jonathan Nangle

With thanks to Kirkos Ensemble, Paul Scully, Sebastian Adams, Robert Coleman, The Hugh Lane Gallery and Darby

Between Two Trios (2022)

Thanks for visiting. 
What's new:  Work on my violin sonata is proceeding well.  My new symphony, "Symphony for Chamber Orchestra," is posted and waiting for you.  rjb

Scores and parts for many of my works are available from my publisher Creative Spirit Music Publications. Go to  https://www.creativespiritonline.com and select "Robert John Brooks." There, you can also follow the score while listening to a recording.

My music is fully notated and is intended for live performance by live musicians.

After completing my doctorate in composition in 1979 from UNT, I took 30 years off from composing to join the computer software revolution as a software engineer.  In 2010 I began composing again and have not stopped. So, I find myself beginning (restarting?) a composition career rather late in life...but that's OK.  Most of the works posted here were written since 2010. 

Thanks for visiting.

I'm a baritone sax player & composer in a contemporary jazz genre from Cologne, Germany (and play clarinet and flute, and the other saxes as well). All woodwind parts on these tracks are played by me (multitrack rec.), all other instruments by virtousi virtuali (with three or four exceptions). All arrangements and by far most compositions are by me.
I very much appreciate every kind of collaboration.

Patrick Ellis (b. 1994, UK) is a composer, performer and curator based in London. His music has been described as being "focused, intense and unrelenting" (Gaudeamus Jury, 2024), with much of his work utilising limited musical materials, small developments and juxtapositions.

He has worked with many acclaimed ensembles including Terra Invisus (UK), Ensemble Klang (NL), collective lovemusic (FR), XTRO Percussion (NL), the Residentie Orkest (NL), Kluster 5 (NL), Orkest de Ereprijs (NL), The Tantrum Saxophone Quartet (NL), The Spaceship Ensemble (NL), Kirkos (IE) and 315 Ensemble (US/UK), and has collaborated with soloists such as Kathryn Williams (flute), Huw Morgan (organ), Alfian Emir Adytia (cello), Dauphine Van der Velphen (saxophone), Chris Cresswell (electric guitar) and Carson Cooman (organ).

Upcoming projects include a new multimedia work exploring burnout within the classical music industry for the ensemble Standard Issue, a new piece for electric guitar and fixed media for Chris Cresswell, as well as a long-form collaboration with the French-Canadian cellists Laurence Gaudreau and Audréanne Filion.

Patrick's music has been presented at numerous festivals and concert series across the European, North American, Asia and Australasia, including, Gaudeamus Festival (NL), Festival Dag in de Branding (NL), November Music (NL), Rainy Days Festival (LU), Mittelfest and Mittelyoung Festival (IT), De Link Tilburg (NL), Lilium SoundArt (IT), Sundays at The Hugh Lane Gallery (IE), AżTak Festival (PL), New Music Now NL's Dag van de Componist (NL), Click Fest (US), Sounding Here (NL), Kirkos Ensemble's Biosphere Festival (IE), Union Musicale (IT), Mainly Slow Organ Music (UK), Kammer Klang (UK), the Frequency Series Chicago (US), Ideas of Noise Festival (UK) and the Harmos Plural Festival (PT).

In 2024, Patrick was nominated for the Gaudeamus Award and in 2022, he was the Artist in Residence for the AMPA Fontys/De Link Residency programme in Tilburg, The Netherlands. He has also been a part of the Psappha Composing For Piano Scheme in 2019-20, the 25th Edition of Orkest de Erepijs’ Young Composers Meeting and Kathryn Williams' innovative Coming Up for Air Project.

His music has been broadcast on Dutch radio stations, including NPO Radio 4, NPO Klassiek, Concertzender,and Stranded FM, as well as on the US station WCNY, and has been featured on releases from Birmingham Record Company and Huddersfield Contemporary Records.

Patrick is also the artistic director of Open Union, an electric guitar and modular synth duo with composer-performer colleague Peter Bell. Described by the treasured composer Howard Skempton as being 'sometimes subtle and unstable; sometimes rich and dense', the duo aims to build up strong collaborative relationships to create new works. Their current collaborators are Christine Cornwell, Wilson Leywantono, May Chi, Paolo Griffin and Seán Clancy. The duo have performed across the UK at events such as Ealing Extranormal, AMOK, Don't Mind Control, Birmingham Modular Organisation and CODA Festival. In 2025, they co-hosted a portrait concert with saxophonist David Zucchi featuring music by Paolo Griffin at the Hundred Years Gallery; earlier in the year, they supported Passepartout Duo at Centrala Space, Birmingham as part of their UK Tour, and in 2023, undertook a mini tour of The Netherlands as part of the Sounding Here concert series, where they performed at Splendor in Amsterdam and Batavierhuis in Rotterdam.

Alongside composing and performing, Patrick works as the creative director of PRXLUDES, an online contemporary music magazine, platform, and resource dedicated to the promotion of the work of emerging and early-career composers. Together, with the artistic director Zygmund de Somogyi and a team of contributors, they have written about over 125 composers, ensembles and music organisations from the UK and abroad. In 2025, they began hosting events, presenting Alex Groves' DANCE SUITE (performed by Zubin Kanga) as part of PRS Foundation New Music Biennial 2025. Recently, PRXLUDES have been awarded a multi-year partnership with The Hinrichsen Foundation in order to help platform emerging and early-career composers through a series of concerts, conversations, and commissions throughout the UK from 2025 to 2028.

He holds a Masters degree in composition from the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag (Royal Conservatoire of The Hague) and a Bachelor's degree from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. His principal tutors have included Martijn Padding, Guus Janssen, Andrew Hamilton, Seán Clancy, Ed Bennett, Howard Skempton and Michael Wolters.

I'll follow you back when SC lifts the follower limit (!)
Loving listening to everyone's music on here :-))))))))))