In Dialogue w/ Gamelan Nua

Kámen (Stone) for string quartet by Ben McHugh
Played by the ConTempo String Quartet July 2010

Kámen (Stone) for string quartet - Ben McHugh

A piece for solo cello written for Yseult in August 2013 and performed in her final year recital last year (although I think this is a recording from a rehearsal beforehand). The piece was written as a scabby birthday present.

Rhapsodic and brooding throughout, the piece culminates in a lament played with one finger (very) high on the G-string over a pedal C, marked 'allow to gradually disintegrate into grit'. This sounds easy but it's extremely difficult - and brilliantly done by Yseult. Let's convince her to play it again!

Nachtmusik (peformed by Yseult Cooper Stockdale)

Performed by Raymond Deane in the Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin, January 29th 2015, as part of his featured concert of the AIC 'Irish Composers on Irish Music' series. 

More information on AIC (Association of Irish Composers):

www.composers.ie

Miniature for piano (performed by Raymond Deane)

Commissioned and performed by Co-Orch Dublin on the 26th of February 2015. Soloist: Keith Sutherland.

Hiraeth (for Bassoon And Orchestra)

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Nothing I Do Will Ever Be Good Enough

Irish composer Ryan Molloy on his new album of piano works recorded by Alexander Bernstein. 

The album is available from CMC's site - https://www.cmc.ie/shop/ryan-molloy-innisfail 

Ryan Molloy on his new CD Innisfail

The initial concept of Pizza Party came from reading an article about people tweeting about pizza. Rather than using the graph that was generated from this, I just took the idea of a group of people going out and eating some pizza, and the ups and down of someone ravaging a pizza. Or at least how I eat pizzas. The piece is divided into six slices, The First Slice: Pipping Hot!, Marchgherita, Pineapple Knights, So cheesy, Crusts and Dips, and Cold Pizza.

Pizza Party - Kevin Free

This composition was inspired from my work with Tibetan sound bowls and gongs. It is a meditative work, beginning with a slow gong entry, modifying the structure to western timing. The kendhang enters giving a sense of movement to the moderate progressing through sensuous sound of the gamelan instruments, as emphasised by the inclusion of triple timings.

Kreasi Chi Gong - Elaine Nolan

Clusterfuck was (as the name suggests) composed in the midst of a deadline crunch! Musically speaking, the concept is based around a simple line of four even notes. One at a time, certain sounds in the melody morph into grace notes, leaving behind an expectant pause in their wake. As the piece continues, these grace notes build up. First only one, then two, three and finally four grace notes, where the beat itself becomes hidden within this cluster of grace notes. These different grace-note variations are heard one by one, and then in canon across four of the Balungan instruments: first Slenthem, then Demung, followed by Peking and, lastly, Saron. As this canon (peppered with grace notes) is repeated, long sustained notes on the Suling float above. The piece comes to a close after each of the four variations of the melody are heard simultaneously across the Balungan instruments, ending with the haunting sound of the Suling.

Clusterfuck - Sinéad Finegan

Dora and Sembodo
1. Hana caraka
2. Data sawala
3. Padha jayanya
4. Maga bathanga

The work gets its title from the two servants named in a Javanese legend developed by King Aji Saka. Inspired by a quadriptych of the legend the work contains a four movement structure: Aji Saka’s faithful servants Dora and Sembodo were sent a message to bring the pusoko (heirloom) to Java. When Dora came to Sembodo and told him Aji Saka’s order Sembodo refused since he remembered Aji Saka previous order: no one except Aji Saka himself was allowed to take the pusoko. Dora and Sembodo each felt suspicious towards another and suspecting each other tried to steal the pusoko. So they ﬁght each other to death.

Dora And Sembodo - Alan Perrin

A last minute space became available in an Irish Composers Collective concert for solo harpsichord on 20/4/12 so I arranged and submitted this piece. It didn't take very much to alter the original composition to fit perfectly on harpsichord. David Adams performs excellently. Recorded by Dylan Rynhart.

Stave Off arranged for Harpsichord performed by David Adams

The Irish Composers Collective was founded in 2003 and is committed to creating high-quality performances of music by its composer-members.

‘The ICC is a ready-made community of creators, performers, and listeners, and they are blazing a trail for 21st-century music in Ireland.’ - The Guardian

Pizza Party - Kevin Free

Irish Composers Coll

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