Films, Audio & Samples
About
This piece is heavily influenced by the traditional music of my native Ireland. There are no traditional Irish melodies in the piece; however throughout the work's four movements there are techniques, modes, rhythms and feelings common to traditional Irish music.
Donegal traditional music has a particularly strong influence on the piece. Donegal fiddlers often use a very attacking bowing technique, which creates a heavy, aggressive sound. This aggressiveness characterises much of the piece and is my way of demonstrating that there’s a lot more to Irish music than the saccharine ‘Celtic’ arrangements that have become synonymous with 'Irish' music in the classical music world.
The title ‘The Cranning’ refers to an ornamentation technique of the Uilleann Pipes, an instrument unique to Ireland. Cranning is used extensively in movement IV where the musicians repeatedly ‘cran’ on low D notes in poly-metric cycles.
Contents note
I ‘Slip'
II ‘Slide'
III ‘The Bamako Highland’
IV ‘Cran’
Performance history
30 Jun 2022: NZ String Quartet | FIRST LIGHT: National Tour | Timaru
08 Jul 2022: NZ String Quartet | FIRST LIGHT: National Tour | Napier
22 Jul 2022: NZ String Quartet | FIRST LIGHT: National Tour | Hamilton
24 Jul 2022: NZ String Quartet | FIRST LIGHT: National Tour | Wellington (Hunter Council Chamber)
Premiered by Smith Quartet at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, UK, November 2005
Russian premiere by Vanbrugh Quartet at The Kremlin Armory Chamber, 2012