Music for Cordelia (2019-2020)
Having written a guitar duet each for Carl, Chloe and Theo in 2016 (see below), when Cordelia was born it seemed natural that ‘due note’ should be given to her arrival; here it is played by Richard Harding in the duet version. Due Note means ‘Two Notes’ in Italian: here they are the tonic G and the dominant D. The piece is a theme and variation exercise in G major, with 12 tone rows diversely harmonised.
Due note per Cordelia (6' 30'')
​
Children grow, as children do. So Cordelia is now 2 and got a nice rocking horse for her birthday. Here is a piece to go with it: unashamedly tonal (A Major, but here played with capo by Richard) and unimaginatively called Schaukelpferd. Somehow managing to be sad and happy at the same time.
Schaukelpferd (1'20'')
Another kind of freedom (current)
Free improvisations rarely satisfy me. Freedom, they seem to suggest, is following one’s own whim. I long for the delights of counterpoint and harmonic progressions as in the good old composed pieces. This project is about exploring how free improvisation may be helped to become 'polyphonic': creating separate parallel streams in concert, without undermining the freedom of each individual performer to choose.
I am currently discussing the possibility of a performance with MIO (the Merseyside Improvisers Orchestra), to whom the project is dedicated.
​
Project description download
Electronic 'Music for kitchens' (2019) (9' 52")
Back to 2002 I came across a recording of electronic improvisation, consisting mainly of pure tones, by Toshimaru Nakamura and Keith Rowe. I was listening in the kitchen and, suddenly, I became aware of appliances around me contributing their own sounds to the music. The blurb on their CD did not mention this listening dimension. So, when I decided to go back to electroacoustic composing, writing a piece who could reproduce this experience seemed the obvious thing to do. This piece can be enjoyed on its own, but if you are willing to take it to your kitchen, you will be surprised by what graceful sounds emerge from your fridge, your hob burner, coffee maker... Give it a try.
​
Film music (2014) The Piece (2' 49") Just to play (2' 11")
I have been asked to provide music to accompany film on two occasions, both for projects run by Michael Dunbar at the end of his University training in Film Technology. The first film, 20 minute short The Long Autumn Months, required original piano music. I wrote the two pieces above, which were recorded by Matthew Kam at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.
The second project required a film score for the shorter Summer in Hong Kong. This was scored for guitar.
My son's wedding (2016) Carl rocks (1' 45") Chloe's handbag (1' 38") Theo's asleep (1' 43")
When my first son got married in 2016 I wrote three guitar duets to be played at the reception. I chose my son’s favourite 6/8 and ¾ time signatures, often found in the pieces I used to practice when I was expecting him. My friend and fellow Liverpool composer Richard Harding kindly recorded them on electric guitar.
Late Junction Mix - Fri 30 Dec 2016 Middle C ( 56')
Howard Skempton’s BBC Radio 3 Late Junction Mixtape featured Michael Finnissy playing my very first ever piece for piano. Excerpts from that selection can still be heard by accessing the Late Junction Mixtape archive.