Written for members of the International Ensemble Modern Academy for the 2024 Time of Music Festival, Viitasaari, Finland
Instrumentation: Bass Flute, Percussion, Viola, Double Bass
Duration: 9’30”
Premiere: July 6th – Parish Hall – Viitasaari, Finland
Performed by Hwajune Kim (Bass Flute), SeongYeon Kong (Percussion), Elijah Spies (Viola), Emmett Jackson (Double Bass) and Raimonda Skabeikaite (Conductor)
About the work:
huddled around this vibrant body is a work that explores a confluence of ideas of gathering and interaction, engaging ideas of encounter to capture the energy and vibrancy that radiates from the interaction between bodies both human and non-human. The work grows out of the idea of a gathering around a body of water, exploring the minutiae of interactions and perception, from the varying flow of the water, to the way the water refracts like altering the appearance of objects that lie beneath the surface. On a parallel level the work is also an exploration of a musical gathering, in particular of the huddling around the vibrant bodies that are the instruments that comprise the ensemble. In this exploration the physical interactions between player and instrument become material to be explored and threads to be interwoven and pulled upon, changing over time as the ensemble forages for vibrant and unpredictable materials.
Nathaniel Otley 