Chrysalis (2018)
Duration:
18′ 34″
Instrumentation:
Percussion Solo & Symphony Orchestra
Soloist Percussionist: Vibraphone, bow; Bongo; Hi-hat; Voice; Voice tubes 1.2; Timpani (32”, plastic membrane, pedal), and 2 chinese cymbals, low singing bowl, cymbal; Bass Drum and super ball, and metal nitting; needles; Large cardboard box; Selection of small percussions: C# low singing bowl, B (middle octave) singing bowl, 5 pots in (middle octave) a, Bb, (first octave) e, f, Gb.; 2 cowbells – C and F#, triangle – around C, curry bowl (C#), Buddhist bell B, 2 copper pipes (tuned F#, B – first octave and F#,G,B – second octave), Finger cymbals F, 4 cups – around C, E, G, A in second/third octave; bike bell in E (fourth octave), Crotales – one octave.
Picc./Flute, Flute 1.2, Oboe 1.2, Clarinet in B 1.2, Bassoon 1.2, Contrabassoon
Horn in F 1.2.3.4, Picc.Trumpet in Bb, Trumpet in Bb 1.2, Trombone 1.2.3, Tuba in F
Percussion Player I: Timpani (3 drums), Percussion Player II: Cymbals, Box (large, cardboard), Medium tom-tom
Glockenspiel, Harp
Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Violoncello, Contrabass
Programme Note
The idea for ‘Chrysalis’ emerged from listening to Indian konnakkol performances and merging those rhythms with my interest in sound exploration. The percussion part was the result of many hours spent in Jude Carlton’s studio, listening to some very tiny and some big and dramatic sounds produced by hundreds of percussion instruments. The form of the piece takes the listener on a journey from a highly structured rhythmic world to a world of timbral abstraction and back. Many of the instruments that you will see on stage are owned by me or Jude personally, and some of them were even built by Jude. For some of these tiny instruments, it will be their first time on a big stage. So listen carefully…