Piano Poems, Ikon Gallery installation with BEAST

Piano Poems were composed for Birmingham’s IKON Gallery concert series on the 14th of February 2014. BEAST composers helped to construct a unique loudspeaker orchestra installation for the live diffusion of their pieces.

Programme note:

My Witton upright piano is one my oldest musical companions. Bought by my mother for her studies - its mellow tones ever audible as I was growing up - it now lives with me in my composing studio. Somehow, emotions seem to flow easier into sound with a timbre that evokes such fond memories. My goal for this short series of compositions was to explore new timbres and strange combinations of sounds. The gateway for discovery: the familiar tones of the Witton – recorded, transformed and layered with diverse sounds to create musical ‘poems’, each with a distinct shape and emotional landscape.

There were some good photos of Norah Lorway’s piece: