To the memories of David Drumm and Mary Ruth Wright.

recent work

Improvisational piano performances by Richard Fairhurst with additional instrumentation arranged and performed by Allen Wright. The piano used is in most performances is a fully restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 and recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London.

www.richardfairhurst.com/?fbclid=IwAR…JdBVd4sMwVHk

Topologies (with pianist Richard Fairhurst)

the busy life

X Finis

Fretless electric bass by Mike Sharfe, vocal and other instruments by Allen.

Words by Edna St Vincent Millay, music by AKW. 

The trees along this city street,
  Save for the traffic and the trains,
Would make a sound as thin and sweet
  As trees in country lanes.

And people standing in their shade
  Out of a shower, undoubtedly
Would hear such music as is made
  Upon a country tree.

Oh, little leaves that are so dumb
  Against the shrieking city air,
I watch you when the wind has come,—
  I know what sound is there.

- Edna St. Vincent Millay

City Trees

Words by Edna St Vincent Millay, music by AKW.

Featuring Mike Sharfe, acoustic bass. 
Guitar, lap dulcimer, vibraphone, and vocal by AKW. 

---------------------------------------------
White with daisies and red with sorrel
And empty, empty under the sky!—
Life is a quest and love a quarrel—
Here is a place for me to lie.

Daisies spring from damned seeds,
And this red fire that here I see
Is a worthless crop of crimson weeds,
Cursed by farmers thriftily.

But here, unhated for an hour,
The sorrel runs in ragged flame,
The daisy stands, a bastard flower,
Like flowers that bear an honest name.

And here a while, where no wind brings
The baying of a pack athirst,
May sleep the sleep of blessed things,
The blood too bright, the brow accurst.

Weeds

Lido Song

May 2020. (In memory of my best friend David). Photo taken in Cornwall, England.

Pastorale for french horn, harp, piano, and double bass

after

Piano improvisation by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by Allen Wright. 

Piano: Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London.

nebulae

Piano improvisation by Richard Fairhurst, other instruments and arrangement by AKW. (Piano: Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

topology

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by Allen Wright.

troth

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, string arrangement by Allen Wright. 

(Piano: restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

strinGtheory

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, bass by Jasper Höiby, additional instruments by Allen Wright

instants

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by AKW. (Piano: restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

iteration

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by AKW. 

(Piano: restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

fluster

A long-distance lockdown collaboration with Keith Meldahl (of Encinitas, California) on guitar and lead vocal, Mike Sharfe (Cincinnati, Ohio) on acoustic bass, and AW on organ and vocal harmonies.

The song was written by the late, great Jesse Winchester.

Mississippi You're On My Mind

Improvisational piano performance by Richard Fairhurst, additional instrumentation by Allen.

(Piano: restored Hamburg Steinway Model O 198978 circa 1920 recorded at Long Lane Studio, Bermondsey, London).

adamantine

Composition, Steinway piano, and MOTU bass by Allen Wright.

meiosis

Music and arrangement by Allen Wright. (Photo Canterbury Cathedral).

Piano: fully restored Steinway Model O circa 1920.

consideration

1920 Steinway Hamburg Model O piano and UVI retro organ performed by Allen Wright.

(Dedicated to Lydia Polzer's urge to explore mysterious untrammeled
places...one step at a time).

steps

Music by AW (with electric guitar, keyboards, and electric bass).

tangoism

For two guitars, french horn, violin, viola and bassoon. (September 2020)

Serenade for french horn, violin, viola, bassoon and guitars

Mixed feelings on February 24, 2017 - leaving London for the United States; leaving friends, leaving the marvelous, soulful metropolis that was our home for the previous ten years.

Thanks to Adrian Lever for inspiration on the guitar. Strings by the Woodley Quartet.

Leaving London

Piano: Restored Hamburg Steinway Model O circa 1920.
Strings: Spitfire Audio BBC Orchestra

autumnal

Completed on election day, November 7, 2020; with joy for the present and cautious hope for the future.

cusp

...the smoke without any mirrors. (For Keith, my old and bold friend...Be well.)

bare autumn

Piano: Hamburg Steinway Model O circa 1920, restored with WNG action parts, Paullelo wire, and Ronsen hammers.

Guitar: Vicente Camacho (Madrid).

Dedicated to my Steinway... 100 years old in 2020.

November

1)Reverie   2)Caprice   3)Moderato

Piano: fully restored Steinway Hamburg Model O (ca. 1920).
Flutes, Violas and Trombone: IRCAM solo instruments by UVI.

Three Pieces for Piano, Flutes, Violas and Trombone

Piano: fully restored Hamburg Steinway Model O ca 1920.
Chamber group: IRCAM solo instruments (UVI).

Moderato (from "Three Pieces for Piano, Flutes, Violas, and Trombone")

Piano: Fully restored Hamburg Steinway Model O #198978(ca 1920).
Harp: IRCAM solo instruments from UVI.
Tympani: Spitfire Audio BBC Orchestra and UVI Workstation VST.

Photo: Hansa Studios, Berlin.

faith

Pano: Steinway Model O ca 1920 (fully restored).

Cellos and violins: IRCAM solo instruments (UVI)and Spitfire Audio BBC Orchestra.

Lento

I've repurposed this piece (which was previously solo piano by rerecording the sampled piano part using my Steinway and adding the violin and viola. There's a better flow now, I think...

Piano: Steinway Hamburg Model O circa 1920 (fully restored with Ronsen hammers).
Strings: IRCAM orchestral solo instruments (UVI).

supra et subter

untitled

For piano, prepared piano, ebow, and tympani.

Dedicated to Hu'o'ng Than.

five minutes for prepared piano

"The contemporary project is not really to build an epic work, but pieces of meaning and uniqueness; fragility."   - Thiago Coser

Hi, I'm a dual UK/US citizen, formerly piano tuner/technician (Oberlin Conservatory) and restoration technician (Steinway London, Period Piano),  and a multi-instrumentalist and composer. Inspirations include Josquin, Debussy, Prokofiev, Schoenberg, Mompou, Nancarrow, Boulez and Babbit.

Allen Wright

Pinned to spotlight

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