On the Operations of the Sun was commissioned by Musica Beata for premiere at the Three Choirs Festival, Worcester, 2011 (cond. Tom Hammond-Davies). It explores the interrelations between science, music and architecture in medieval thought.
The title comes from De Operationibus Solis by the thirteenth-century philosopher, Robert Grosseteste. For Grosseteste, light was the first form of things. In this work, the tracery of the South Rose Window at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris gives compositional form to the sounds of twelve voices.
A computer animation of the window’s stone tracery, from the centre to the circumference, was first programmed in Processing software. The x/y coordinates of each rose petal were then mapped to MaxMSP to determine a rough draft of the pitch progression of each voice.
This use of a computer model as part of the compositional process reflects contemporary architectural practice. The digital animation acts as a spatiotemporal proposition for musical processes. It is a ‘blueprint’ for each singer to realise in sound during the course of the performance.
In 2013, a 12-channel installation version was created for a solo exhibition of sound installations at Hungate Medieval Art, Norwich (From Birdsong to Light, May 25–June 16, 2013).
St Peter Hungate, Norwich, 2013.
Technical Requirements for Installation version:
- 12-channel audio system (hexaphonic)
- Full HD video projection, synchronised to audio playback.