Why Scotland Why East Kilbride

Research output: Performances, compositions and other non-textual formsPerformance

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Why Scotland, Why East Kilbride is an affectionate journey back to the composer’s childhood home. It takes its title from the 1972 East Kilbride Development Corporation infomercial of the same name http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=0955, which is projected as an accompaniment to an extended rave-out for double rock band. The composer appears in the work in the imagined alter ego of Edward ‘Teddy’ Edwards, neglected British pioneer of Light Music Electronica.
This fifty-minute musiktheaterstück retraces themes of technology, modernity, science and science fiction previously explored in works such as The Whirlies for strings and electro-junk improviser, The Black Rain for amplified string quintet with live computer processing, and Dr Mueller? Dr Mueller!? Oh, boy :( for clarinet and acoustic laptop.
At the heart of the piece is a musical fragment that came to the composer in a dream on the morning of 3 June 2012: a four-bar phrase for a large orchestral horn section accompanied by a rock band. To recreate this sound, a double rock band (modelled on Hawkwind circa 1972) is augmented by a ‘digital video mellotron recreating the sound and visuals of 16 French horns. The work also includes live performance chemistry, recursive synthesis using obsolete effects units, ‘space age’ costumes, and a ritual dance.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished or Performed - 4 Jul 2013