Quiet Comfort

Quiet Comfort is based on the concept of the harmonic series, and was inspired by an improvisation exercise created by Michael Wray called 'Horn Meditation', in which players freely improvise on the harmonic series in a dark room with their eyes closed.

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Duration: c. 6 minutes 30 seconds.

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The piece's title is based on the overall soundscape of the work - the musical elements combine in a way that creates a calm, warm, deep sound. The piece aims to provide a comforting and rich sonority, with elongated rhythms, slow tempo, rich harmonisation and soft dynamics providing an overall feeling of quiet comfort.

This piece utilises the harmonic series in numerous ways - firstly, in the opening and closing sections of the piece, in the form of staggered entries ascending and descending along notes in different harmonic series. The first note of each passage is not necessarily the fundamental note.

In the body of the work, the melodic lines are comprised primarily of notes on a particular harmonic series, with other notes added for colour. The accompanying players improvise long tones beneath the melody, with each part being given a choice of pitches from the series. Each harmonic series is played on a particular valve combination.
For contrast, there are passages which are not based on any harmonic series and do not involve
improvisation. The melodies that appear throughout the piece are developments of the short motifs that appear in the opening of the work.

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Performances:

Sydney Conservatorium Euphonium and Tuba Class. October 12, 2022. East Recital Hall, Sydney, Australia. Conducted by Brad Lucas. International Premiere.

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Price: $80

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