ChristopherBest.net

composer and writer

Still Beating(2007)

This piece was written in response to a call from the SPNM to its shortlisted composers for a work for traditional Scottish lever harp.

Though I was a newcomer to this instrument, I had had an idea for some time to write a piece for the larger orchestral harp, involving the microtonal de-tuning of adjacent strings so that when enharmonically altered by the pedal, the near unisons would create 'beating' akin to that produced by pairs of Gamelan instruments.

The opportunity to try out this idea on a lever harp was too good to miss, though it required a considerable re-think due to the instrument's radically different design and range. Working with Ruth was hugely rewarding. She took a little persuading to meddle with the finely poised tuning of her instrument, but after a number of exploratory workshops and much rehearsal, our efforts began to reap rewards.

Still Beating received its premiere at Wapping power station in London on 6th March 2007, as part of the SPNM's 'Solo Spotlights' series. It is currently being adapted as a duet for two lever harps and a version for pedal harp is under consideration.

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