This is a graphic score that is seen as a starting point for instant composition. The artist has no musical training and so has not created something with a definitive soundscape. The process of making the work started with four collaged drawings with parallel 'parts'. Each of the drawings was then cut into four and re-assembled into longer lines. The process of cutting and re-assembling was meant to break up the original compositions and insert an element of chance into the sequence. The only instrument with a fixed part is in the bottom line for the cello. The violin and viola players can choose to play any of the other three lines. It is a peculiarity of this process that the artist/author/composer has no idea of how the music will sound. Individual sounds, duration, rhythm, tone and so on are for the players to decide. The time restriction set by the brief removes at least one arbitrary element. The work is layered and collaborative in its intention....the drawings are seen as jumping off points for four players making sound together.
Composer: Calum Storrie
Calum Storrie is an artist, designer and writer. He has no musical training. His professional practice up to very recently was in the world of exhibition design for, among many others, the Royal Academy, Wellcome Collection and the Museum of London. He has consistently created visual art of various types. Many drawings arise from his background in architecture. For the last ten years or so he has also documented live music performances in a series of quick single line drawings. Many of these have been of improvising musicians. They are not visual representations of music as such but are certainly responses to performances and performers. Recently he has collaborated with the pianist Steve Beresford on the graphic 'Nine Day Score' which was released by Cafe Oto on their digital label Takuroku. Another graphic score for the musician Douglas Benford is currently being recorded. These works are an extension of both Calum's drawing practice and time spent listening to many kinds of music.