Composition (2010) No. 4

For any ensemble (and a conductor)

The group must be assembled in a circle or semi-circle with the conductor in the middle.

Everybody plays from the same score (above) with transposing instruments using an appropriately transposed version (likewise instruments in higher of lower registers, with octaves adjusted accordingly).

Before commencing, a series of hand gestures should be agreed between the conductor and the musicians, in order that the conductor may signal to any player at any time to:

Begin playing passage 'One' (or 'Two', 'Three', 'Four', etc.);

Loop the bar s/he is currently playing;

Double the length of the phrase being looped;

Start improvising around the themes and phases included in the score;

Stop playing.

A further hand signal should be agreed which indicates all players should stop playing (and the group should agree beforehand whether this signal should bring about an abrupt stop or a more gentle easing out at the end of the current bar).

The piece begins when the conductor indicates a number from one to five to one of the players and counts in.

[Please contact me in the event of any performance of this piece - transposed versions of the score are available on request]