Canntaireachd (2021)
Duration:
10′
Instrumentation:
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet in Bb, Tape
Programme Note
I am fascinated by onomatopoeic words – the words which mean the sounds they make. Canntaireachd is a whole language of such words, where the words mean particular
gestures for Piobaireachd – bagpipe music. I am just a beginner in learning Canntaireachd. The piece invites the audience to sing-along to one of the well-known tunes, The Unjust Incarceration from Colin Campbell’s Instrumental Book 1797+ Vol.1 No.1. The piece is structured in a way that clarinet (written originally for Joanna Nicholson) is playing virtuosic clarinet Verses, followed by original sing-along Canntaireachd choruses.
Commissioned by Modern Chants, funded by Creative Scotland and PRS Foundation.