Strophe

SONORA is an improvising chamber group. Each member has his or her own clear musical identity, formed from decades of studying, listening and playing experience and personal aesthetic leanings. Kye Marshall and Rebecca van der Post have strong backgrounds in classical music, but where Becky specialized in new music, Kye explored jazz and free improvisation. Michael Morse has classical training but early on immersed himself in the jazz tradition. Glen Hall has primarily focused on jazz and free improvisation, although he has long been involved in electroacoustic and new music. In short, SONOra uses its musicians’ wide spectrum of experience to create real-time compositions by synthesizing their musical individualities through intuitive rapport.

STROPHE uses several distinct strategies: directions for instrumental grouping and activity; visual images; rhythmic and textural instructions; and electroacoustic ‘prompts’. A number of the pieces are miniatures that communicate by evocative gesture rather than extended development. No traditional music notation was used, although grouping strategies were rehearsed for the suite.

The recording reflects Hall’s interests in evolution and time, from radioactive elements (Irradiations), to early primates (Ancestors), to the stage movements of the chorus in classical Greek drama (Strophe Suite), to cybernetics (Reactor). Also, there are three duets dedicated to soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy and an unpremeditated free improvisation. The recording also uses spatial location—moving sounds across the stereo field—and sound processing for particular ‘atmospheres’.

Strophe Suite

Strophe
Antistrophe
Hyperstrophe
Hypostrophe

Irradiations

Actinium
Neptunium
Plutonium
Promethium
Radium
Radon
Uranium

Reactor

Ancestors

Aye-Aye
Tarsier
Slow Loris

Cubes (for Steve Lacy)

Cubes 1
Cubes 2
Cubes 3

Improvisation

All compositions except Improvisation are by Glen Hall copyright SOCAN, 2006, and published by Kikue Music.

Glen Hall – flute, alto & bass flutes, tenor & soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, electroacoustic sound
Kye Marshall – cello
Michael Morse – bass
Rebecca van der Post – violin

Recorded August, 2005 at Quest Recording Studios, Oshawa, Ontario.
Engineer- Paul LaChappelle
Mixing – Glen Hall & Eugene Martynec
Mastering – EMMIX Studios, Iouri Dmitrievski
Producer – Eugene Martynec
Executive Producer – Glen Hall