Lilt was originally commissioned by an architectural firm for a trailer showcasing their concept for a luxury mountain lodge in Mainland China. 

I incorporated the minor pentatonic scale (a common feature of Chinese folk music) and featured the guzheng and the yangqin (both traditional Chinese instruments) in the piece. Lilt begins with a cello solo introducing the main themes, accompanied by bright piano chords, lush strings and warm electronic synthesizer pads. The introduction was meant to accompany images of the vast lakes, grand mountains and deep rock gorges near the proposed mountain lodge.

At 01’38’’, the piece launches into a rhythmic lilt in 11/8, with the guzheng, vibraphone and piano playing variations of the original theme. I paid homage to each melodic instrument’s “typical” sounds, for example: the vibraphone plays a jazz reinterpretation of the melody (02’24’’) and accompanies the piano with seventh-chords, whilst the guzheng plays arpeggiated runs prior to playing a melodic line (03’07’’) and incorporates bends, as is typical of the role of the instrument within traditional Chinese music.

Lilt alternates between polyrhythmic sections with dense, percussive textures and brass-dominated march interludes (which were meant to accompany the “military images” within the trailer). I experimented with using complex metre and dense polyrhythms (played mainly by the percussion), with the aim of making these musical elements sound more familiar to a listener and to break down the conventions of writing only in simple metre.

Lilt (feat. Cecilia Chan)

Three people met and played something together.

Next Time

Yolanda S.

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