Rūta Vitkauskaitė

Programme Note

Edge of Time (2018) is an open score commissioned for CoMA – Contemporary Music for All’s 30th anniversary. It is written for a large ensemble/orchestra and singers and was premiered at King’s Place in London by the CoMA London ensemble, led by Gregory Rose, and the CoMA Singers, led by Janet Oates.

The score itself is a journey that includes conventionally notated sections, as well as semi-graphic sections. There is even a piece within the piece where you will hear every performer play their individual melodies simultaneously. The piece is an abstract journey through different time phases, some active and engaging, some meditative and repetitive, and some slowing down to almost a stop – as if reaching the edge of time.

After the premiere, I arranged other versions of the piece: a four-part open score version (full duration), a shortened eight-part and percussion version for the CoMA Glasgow ensemble, and a trio version (clarinet, cello, and piano) for Trio Sonorite. The trio version was initially created for online performance for Trio Sonorite and was supported during lockdown by Help Musicians UK. Later, it was arranged to be performed live with video projection featuring artworks by Aimee Birnbaum, supported by the Lithuanian Culture Council, and premiered at Arts Club 1901. This performance initiated the birth of the collaborative group Chromatikon, of which I was a member and composer until 2022.