Unfurl : folio of compositions with commentary

• Main Author: Jones, Patrick John
• Other Authors: Simaku, Thomas
• Published: University of York 2017
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.745771

This portfolio of compositions is the result of four years of practice-led research. It consists of nine original scores, all of which are written for acoustic instruments and intended for concert hall performance: 1. Unfurl (2014) — mixed sextet 2. Uhtceare (2014) – mixed quartet 3. Uncanny Vale (2014) — wind quintet 4. Ropes of Maui (2015) — symphony orchestra 5. Cast (2016) — piano soloist and nine players 6. Locks of the Approaching Storm (2016) — mixed octet 7. Monologues & Dialogues (2017) — bass clarinet and piano 8. Betelgeuse Astral Funicular (2017) — sixteen players 9. Three Movements for String Quartet (2017) — string quartet In the commentary, these compositions are discussed in terms of a series of interconnected dialectical relationships: motion and stasis; line and circle; continuity and discontinuity; change and repetition; unity and disunity. These oppositions provide ways of illuminating the shared features of the portfolio, whilst also demonstrating what makes each work unique. In addition, the commentary reflects the developing nature of my practice over the course of the PhD. It does so by illustrating the continuous process of analysing, refining, and expanding my repertoire of constructive compositional techniques. Finally, this music represents the confluence of a wide range of influences, musical and otherwise. These are too numerous to acknowledge comprehensively, and so are outlined selectively where they help to elucidate specific aesthetic ideas and technical processes.