Duel  - for piano and sound projection  (2006/07)   25’00”

(commissioned by Philip Mead with funds provided by the Arts Council of England 2006)

Duel  explores issues of communication that arise when working with different medias and, more importantly, individuals.   The word duel itself can mean a contest or joust, a brawl or fight, a battle, a gunfight, combat, or clash…  Famous duels have involved playwright Ben Jonson, who in 1598 killed actor Gabriel Spenser; the infamous petticoat duel of 1792 between Lady Almeria Braddock and Mrs Ephinstone on London’s Hyde Park – pistol shots were first exchanged in which Lady Almeria’s hat was damaged…; ...  Bells have provided symbolic and cultural messages for civilisations throughout the centuries.  They can provide signals and important information (someone’s coming, bring out your dead…).  Composers have used bells for a corresponding amount of time, whether it is to investigate the spectral content (the very sound of a bell) or the envelope or pattern created through a peal of bells.  English Change Ringing patterns are found in various guises throughout Duel.    The central movement (Aaron’s Peal) is a duel of peals and is a celebration of the birth of its namesake.

Away from the norm...

Rob has worked with Philip on a number of unusual projects including creating electronic realisations of choir works by Ives (Psalm 90 for choir, organ and bells and others).  In addition, he has worked as his sound projectionist diffusing the works of many of the worlds leading electroacoustic music composers and also coding ‘obsolete’ electroacoustic works bringing them into a ‘performable state’.

Laudate in Cymbalis - improvised composition with Lee Richardson and Rob Godman

Rob and Philip Mead have formed a duet of piano and sound-projection with the emphasis being on perceived ‘liveness’ and performance.  The pair have recorded an album for the new UH record label (www.uhrecordings.com) which includes a number of works by the pair including Halo - for piano and responsive sound.

Duel - for piano and sound projection has received numerous performances throughout the UK and Europe, including The International Computer Music Conference 2008, SARC, Queen’s University, Belfast and Bangor New Music Festival 2009 (Xenia Pestova).