Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Colour Therapy takes its form and inspiration from the 56 coloured squares knitted by the composer's wife and arranged into a pattern for a quilt. Each squre represents 1 minute of music. 12 movements divide these 56 squares into groups of 4 or 6 squares. There are 3 movement categories: Duplex group, Six Pack and Stripe Quad.

Duplex groups comprise 4 one minute sections, with each section representing 2 colours. The improvisors are to combine the materials in each numbered section in free musical dialogue, by repeating, fragmenting and extending the written ideas, as well as inserting rests. At the end of 1 minute, the group moves on seamlessly to the next number. Except where indicated, no discernible ending or pause should separate the sections. Performers should roughly move to the next section together, finishing off their current musical idea.

Six Packs have six discrete one minute sections, each one representing a single colour. The material is to be played as written (if exactly notated), then explored using the techniques named above for the duration of one minute, moving seamlessly on to the next section. Stripe Quads are 4 minute improvisations on a 4 square pattern, each square blending 2 colours and 2 striped sections.
Performers should play, fragment, octave transpose or insert rests into any of the given material independently. The written material forms the raw material for the musicians to improvise and interact with each other.

Work Details

Year: 2022

Instrumentation: Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto flute (1 player), double bass, percussion (1 player: drums, percussion, optional electronics).

Duration: 56 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Commission note: Commissioned by Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA).. Colour Therapy was commissioned by the Sydney Improvised Music Association, and premiered at its Jazz Now series 2022.

First performance: by Trichromy — 2022. Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House, NSW