Welcome to Kammerklang, Sounds Made Real. This CD is compilation of work from our first 2 large-scale concerts, Kammerklang 2009 and Kammerklang Vox. Each concert featured the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra (a collection of amazing emerging musicians from the Sydney area) and a guest soloist, Claire Edwardes (percussion) and Halcyon (vocal duo, Jenny Duck-Chong and Alison Morgan) respectively. Kammerklang 2009 was conducted by Hoshimi Sakai, Kammerklang Vox conducted by Sadaharu Muramatsu and both concerts (all of the tracks on this CD) were recorded by Jayson McBride. I'm very grateful to the amazing musicians involved in both of these projects for helping Kammerklang and myself through our rocky first years and producing the amazing music you'll hear. Below you'll find each of the composers' bios and some notes on their pieces pilfered from interviews, scores and programs as well occasional interjections from me. Hope you enjoy, thank you so much for reading and happy listening! -Cameron Lam Artistic Director Kammerklang Kammerklang ALPHA Cover Photo by Hayden Shepherd, Kammerklang Logo created by Jesse Brown. Kammerklang (German for "Chamber sound") is an Australian arts company specialising in the collaboration of music and other artforms, literally focusing on the fusion of sound and the "chamber" or space it's performed in. Whether that space includes dancers, paintings, video projection, sculpture or circus performers depends on the project and nature of the works featured. The aim of Kammerklang is to present and promote new artistic creation that is inquisitive, detailed and accessible while still fostering exploration and communication between the arts. Featuring guest artists from all fields, a large chamber orchestra, and numerous young talented composers and artists, Kammerklang is "Sounds Made Real". PERFORMERS: Conductors: Hoshimi Sakai (2009) and Sadaharu Muramatsu (2010) Guest Artists: Claire Edwardes (Percussion) - 2009 Alison Morgan (Soprano) - 2010 Jenny Duck-Chong (Mezzo Soprano) - 2010 KAMMERKLANG CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (2009-2010): Flutes: Shaun Barlow, Owen Salome Oboes: Toby Thatcher, Matt Bubb Clarinets: Toby Armstrong, Peter Smith Saxophones: Nathan Henshaw, Paul Zaborac Bassoons: Jakab Kaufmann, Cameron Burnes Horns: Seb Dunn, Kartini Suharto-Martin, Cindy Sims Percussion: Daniel Luscombe, Morgan Merrell Piano: Jacob Abela, Jack Symonds, Vatche Jambazian Keyboard: Amy Bastow Harp: Genevieve Lang, Verna Lee, Claire McDonogh, Maryanne Tucker Violins: Justin Leong, Colin Tripolone, Carol Tang, Adam Wasiel, Davide Quincey, Ben Adler, Victor Wu, Liz Stanton, Klara Morrison, Michelle Blewett, Ting Lee Violas: Tara Hashambhoy, John Faye, Luke Spicer, Dominic Meagher, James Wannan Cellos: Julienne Guerbois, Emma Trevena, Anthony Albrecht, Lucy Price Double Basses: James Menzies, Steven Adler, Elsen Price, Brigitte Wirfler, Brian Sim Soloists - Emma Moore (Soprano), Morgan Pearse (Baritone) TRACKLIST & COMPOSERS: 1. The Styx by Peter McNamara 2. Colour of Woods by Cameron Lam 3. The Moon by Peggy Polias 4. Nyx by Cameron Lam 5. Selene by Cameron Lam 6. Minimalism Isn’t Dead... It’s Just Sleeping by Amy Bastow 7. Dual by Felicty Wilcox 8. Resonance by Owen Salome 9. Zmey Lipa: In the Cave by Damian Griffin 10. Zmey Lipa: On the Hill by Damian Griffin 11. Empty Shells by Pedro Oliveira 12. ...of mind... by Pedro Oliveira 13. Vitality’s Circuit Grind by Lucy Yeoman NOTES AND COMPOSER BIOS: 1. The Styx by Peter McNamara Performed by Claire Edwardes and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Hoshimi Sakai Composer Bio: Peter McNamara (b. 1980) was born and educated in Sydney’s outer western suburbs and is gaining a reputation as one of Australia’s talented emerging composers. Between 1999 and 2011 he studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with composers such as Michael Smetanin, Bozidar Kos and Trevor Pearce, graduating with a PhD. He has worked as a freelance composer across a variety of areas including orchestral, chamber, electronic and film composition and is currently a lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium. McNamara’s works have been performed by a variety of major orchestras and ensembles in Australia and overseas including Ensemble Modern, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Insomnio, Orchestra Victoria, Orkest de Ereprijs, Ensemble Offspring, the Tokyo Sinfonietta, Ensemble Nomad and the Stroma Ensemble. His work has appeared at numerous international events in Australasia and Europe including a number of performances at the ISCM World New Music Days conference and the Gaudeamus Music Week in The Netherlands. McNamara has a growing number of works published by Wirripang Pty Ltd and Alexander Street Press. He also has a growing number of commissions from various artistic bodies and ensembles nationally and internationally. This includes Perpetual Inertia for the Dutch Orchestra and Ensemble Academy, The German Hills for Ensemble Offspring and Duo-Charged for Ars Musica Australis and the Sydney Conservatorium. In 2006 and 2012, he was the composer-in-residence at the Campbelltown Arts Centre. His work The Styx for chamber orchestra and solo percussion was commercially released on CD in 2009, recorded by Ms. Claire Edwardes and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra. McNamara has received many awards including second place at the 2011 Young Composers Meeting with Orkest de Ereprijs (Cross Modifications), the 2008 2MBS-FM composition award for Orchestra (Modes of Deception), the 2007 Betty Amsden Award for Orchestra (Auftauchen der Nacht) and second place in the 2007 Asian Composers League Young Composers Awards (Landscape of Diffracted Colours). McNamara also received a High Credit from the Lepo Sumera International Composition Contest in 2003 for his orchestral work Shadows of Fallacy. About The Piece: In ancient Greek mythology, the River Styx was the division between the land of the living and the land of the dead or the underworld, known as “Hades”. This work is influenced by some of the features and imagery of this mythological river, its mystery and so- called miraculous powers, and its demonisation by many Christian texts that often describe the River Styx as a feature of Hell where those who have sinned are drowned in its muddy waters. The first section predominantly features blurry musical textures, conveying an image of haziness and contrasts two musical ideas. These two gestures are three arpeggiated harmonic spectra and three arpeggiated sub-harmonic spectra, resulting in a contrast between clear high register textures and low register muddy coloured textures. The middle section of The Styx portrays the miraculous powers that the ancient Greeks believed the river possessed. In Greek mythology the ancient gods were made to drink from the river when they had failed to follow through on a binding oath, resulting in them losing their voice. The middle section portrays this by using more brutal textures contrasted by sudden silences. The work’s final section portrays the river’s demonisation and retains much of the brutal atmosphere of the middle section. 2. Colour of Woods by Cameron Lam Performed by Claire Edwardes Composer Bio: Cameron Lam (b.1989) Composer/Artistic Director (Kammerklang) Cameron is a Sydney-based composer and artistic administrator who, over the last six years, as President of the Sydney Eclectic Composers Society (2007-2009) and Artistic Director of hybrid-art production company, Kammerklang (2009, ongoing), has commissioned and presented over 150 new musical works by young and emerging Australian composers. While completing his Bachelor of Music Composition degree (with Honours) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Cameron worked with a range of university groups as well as stage managing for Ensemble Offspring, Electrofringe, Newcastle’s “This Is Not Art” Festival, and Sydney’s vocal chamber music specialists, Halcyon. As a composer, Cameron has written for a variety of ensembles, from intimate chamber music to large scale works for voices and orchestra, to varying degrees of acclaim. Orphic Hymn #3: Nyx (Night) was winner of the University of Sydney’s 2009 PALM People’s Choice Award, while Orphic Hymn #9: Selene (The Moon) was commissioned by the Australia Council for the Arts to be premiered by Kammerklang and Halcyon in 2010. Cameron is currently completing his first concerto, entitled Electric Phoenix, composed for EWI (wind synthesiser) and orchestra, for long-time collaborator Peter Smith. After releasing his first solo album, Phases at the end of 2010, Cameron aims to complete his second album, Momentum for release in 2013. About The Piece: The Colour of Woods is a playful, driving piece for marimba and temple blocks. The timbre of the registers of the marimba and its muted D key alongside the temple blocks create the wide palette which the Colour of Woods explores. Wood also generates a pitch when it’s used in percussion creating 5 ‘out of tune’ notes from the temple blocks to additionally colour the composition. The piece, written for (and being premiered by) percussionist Claire Edwardes was inspired by her style of performance. The various metres used, the cross-rhythms, and the phrasing seek to emulate the wonderful experience of watching Claire play with such physicality the pieces seem choreographed, not just performed. 3. The Moon by Peggy Polias Performed by the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Hoshimi Sakai Composer Bio: Peggy Polias is a composer, music copyist and arts administrator based in Sydney. Peggy prepares music scores, instrumental parts and other print music materials for some of Australia’s leading composers, as well as working part time as the Australian Music Centre. In 2010 she graduated with a Master of Music (Composition), supervised by Professor Anne Boyd at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Peggy used the Matryoshka (Russian nested doll) metaphor to frame discussion and comparison of her Master’s compositions. One such work was The Moon (2007) for 11 instruments, joint winner of the 2007 Fellowship of Australian Composers/University of Sydney Women’s Composer Award. The Moon was premiered at the 2009 Kammerklang concert at the Sydney Conservatorium. Peggy attended the AYO National Music Camp in 2010 and has also had works performed by Chronology Arts, and at the Canberra International Music Festival. In 2011 Peggy participated in the Halcyon First Stones project and the Ku-Ring-Gai Philharmonic Orchestra Composer Workshops. Peggy played Javanese gamelan music for a number of years with the Langen Suka Sydney Gamelan Association. This has been a significant influence on her music, along with aspects of minimalism, feminism, and handicrafts. About The Piece: This work explores the phases of the Moon in nine tiny movements, one for each of the cyclic phases and an added final movement: New Moon: when the stars shine bright Crescent Moon I: peeking through an eyelid First Quarter: when the skytide ebbs Gibbous Moon I: “coiling, emerging” Full Moon: when the eyes shine bright Gibbous Moon II: recoiling Third Quarter: when the skytide flows Crescent Moon II: eyes are drooping No Moon: eyes are closed A nocturnal mood envelopes the entire work, but this is often combined with a playful childlike or naive character. Rather than shape a conflict-and- resolution musical path, ideas just start and stop in a riddle-ish or enigmatic fashion. The cyclic and circular nature of the month and Moon is a main inspiration here, with repetitive processes occurring in most of the movements. There is also very simple use of fractals, and much interlocking of parts, both of which are inspired structurally by the composer’s experience learning Javanese gamelan music. The Moon was joint winning composition in the 2007 Women’s Composer Award of the Fellowship of Australian Composers and University of Sydney. It is happily being premiered at Kammerklang. 4. Orphic Hymn #3: To Nyx (Night) by Cameron Lam Performed by Emma Moore, Morgan Pearse and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Hoshimi Sakai About The Piece: The Orphic Hymns are a set of 87 ancient Greek texts written in the 3rd century CE. Each hymn venerates a different god or goddess in Greek mythology. This is the first time any of these texts have been set to music according to my research. Nyx (pronounced Nux), is one of the oldest gods in Greek Mythology, the goddess of night, mother of dreams, sleep and death, called in this hymn ‘the god-bearer’. Nyx belongs to the oldest category of Gods, the protogenoi (Ancestor Gods) who preceded both the Titans and Olympians and tended to be personifications of the parts of creation (the Earth, the Sky, Night etc.). Orphic Hymn #3 – To Nyx, sets both the orginal Greek text alongside the English translation by Pastor. Karl Hand. These texts are the focus of the piece with the orchestra providing support and commentary akin to a Greek dramatic chorus. This piece aims to create an intricate tapestry of colour, text and rhythm akin to the flowing and luscious nature of night itself. 5. Orphic Hymn #9: To Selene (The Moon) by Cameron Lam Performed by Alison Morgan, Jenny Duck-Chong and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Sadaharu Muramatsu About The Piece: Orphic Hymn #9 is chronologically the second of the 87 Orphic Hymns I have set and is dedicated to Selene, the Greek moon goddess. Programmatically, the piece follows the ritual of two moon priestesses; one a wise old crone, the mezzo-soprano, and the soprano, a naïve apprentice. These characters present the original Ancient Greek text as well as the English translation, prepared by Karl Hand, highlighting their different viewpoints on the mystical nature of the moon. This piece was commissioned by Kammerklang for Halcyon vocalists, soprano Alison Morgan and mezzo Jenny Duck-Chong with the assistance of a grant from the Australia Council for the Arts. 6. Minimalism Isn’t Dead... It’s Just Sleeping by Amy Bastow Performed by Claire Edwardes and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Composer Bio: Amy Bastow started out life composing classical music but now spends the majority of her time composing music for film and television. Amy currently composes and produces the music for Channel 7′s drama “Winners and Losers” (series 3), which boasts over 1.1 million viewers in Australia each week and airs in 14 international countries. Since graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in Composition and a string of awards and scholarships from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2008, Amy has written music for over 70 projects, including music for film, TV, commercials, mixed media, theatre, education and the concert hall, in Australia and internationally. Amy has written music for many of the country’s leading professional ensembles, including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The Australian String Quartet, The Song Company and The Australian Youth Orchestra. Amy’s concert music has been performed internationally in New Zealand, Europe, the UK and in Beijing. Amy’s music has featured at many festivals, including the ISCM World New Music Days, the Melbourne Fringe Festival, the 40 Hour Film Festival, the National Composers’ Forum, the WOW Film Festival and the Performing Australian Music Competition in London. Amy has held posts as a composition lecturer at the University of Sydney, has taught piano and composition at St Andrew's Cathedral School (Sydney) and Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School (Melbourne), has written music for schools and has been invited as composer-in-residence for music education programs. Amy also writes and produces her own independent music, is host and producer of the Melbourne music radio show Kiss My Arts, and is a writer and music journalist for Vulture Magazine. About The Piece: This piece was originally conceived in my first year of formal composition training. It was an exercise in minimalist writing, certainly not a serious piece of music. After much study, compositional experimentation and practical experience, I have returned to this piece, adding revisions and infusing it with the more mature me. I feel as though I have come full circle – I feel I have completely abandoned everything I have been taught, but I somehow feel at home. My music usually displays fast, energetic and continually changing rhythms and textures, extended harmonic relationships and extreme motivic development. It is quite liberating to write music that is simple on the page yet through its natural process of development creates something quite complex, exciting and organic. There are moments of direct harmonic and rhythmic juxtaposition, mimicking the terraced quality of Baroque music, but there are also sections that take elements from rock/riff-based music and trance. I have specifically avoided any intellectualisation of this piece, allowing the subconscious (sleeping) mind to propel it forward. 7. Dual by Felicty Wilcox Performed by Alison Morgan, Jenny Duck-Chong and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Sadaharu Muramatsu Composer Bio: Felicity Wilcox completed a Bachelor of Music in composition in 2006, graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with First Class honours. She completed a PhD at Sydney Conservatorium of Music as a recipient of a University Post Graduate Award, in music and multi-media composition in 2012. Her doctoral research focuses on live electro-acoustic performance and integration of electronic sound and visual media into the concert setting. She has had pieces from her portfolio performed by the Sydney Symphony Fellows, the Kammerklang Orchestra and Halcyon Ensemble. Felicity has extensive experience as a composer for film, television, theatre and radio, working under the alias Felicity Fox since 1987. She has contributed to many award-winning films throughout her career and has been the recipient of AFI and ARIA nominations and several AGSC awards. Felicity was also the Assistant Music Director, arranger and composer for the Paralympics opening ceremony in Sydney, 2000. Felicity has lectured on a casual basis at the University of Western Sydney since 2010 and at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School since 2003. She is teaching the inaugural course in composition for images at Sydney Conservatorium in 2013. About The Piece: When writer Marcus Whale and I sat down together, we wondered what to make a piece about. Marcus was intrigued with the concept of imprisonment. For me the idea of imprisonment became about emotional imprisonment; co-dependency, sexual entanglement; the beauty and anguish inherent in such a relationship. As a whole, Dual can be looked at as an exploration of different ways entanglement can be represented with sound. Tonal clusters recur throughout, at times horribly discordant, at times in strong unison. The ‘dirge’ mentioned in the lyrics is heard first between the vibraphone and piano and recurs towards the end fortissimo across the whole ensemble. It comes from that place of imprisonment, riling against something non-specific but darkly emotional. Quintuplets start sotto voce and grow in insistence, evoking murmurs that evolve into argument. The oboe solo passage represents the naked beauty of idyllic love. High-pitched scratchy strings work against the aching woodwind melodies as a reminder that such perfection is only illusory and temporary. Dual is a dialogue, a duet, an obvious pairing of voices with more subtle pairings of instruments. The music is fluid, moody and reactive; the singers’ lines reflecting the visceral and spell-binding images of Marcus’ text. 8. Resonance by Owen Salome Performed by Alison Morgan, Jenny Duck-Chong and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Sadaharu Muramatsu Composer Bio: In 2007 Owen Salome (b.1990) won the secondary-school category of the Sibelius Young Composers Awards for his chamber piece ‘Deep Fish’, which was subsequently premiered by renowned Sydney modern-music group Ensemble Offspring. In 2009 Owen was the president of the Sydney Eclectic Composers Society, a student-run society of the University of Sydney that champions the performance of new works composed by students. Owen is also involved in a number of musical projects as a flautist, including the Sydney bands My Sauce Good and Doc Jones and the Lechery Orchestra. Owen is currently working with director Mathieu Cadart on a group-devised performance piece, ‘Land, Landing, Landed’, which was premiered as a part of the 2010 Sydney Fringe Festival in September. About The Piece: Written in collaboration with the writer Ella Salome, Resonance deals with the idea of perspective; the different ways our minds react to stimuli. The initial seed of inspiration was the idea that no situation will ever have the same emotional impact on two different people. Resonance is a glimpse into two minds seeking to comprehend what could almost be considered a religious experience. The desolate environment in which the piece is set is interpreted differently by each character, resulting in a set of conflicting emotions regarding the entire experience. 9. Zmey Lipa: In the Cave by Damian Griffin Performed by Jenny Duck-Chong and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Sadaharu Muramatsu 10. Zmey Lipa: On the Hill by Damian Griffin Performed by Alison Morgan, and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Sadaharu Muramatsu Composer Bio: Composer Damian Griffin (b. 1982) has a passion for choral music, enriched through associations with St John’s College Choir and the Sydney University Musical, Madrigal and Musical Theatre Societies whilst completing an honours degree in Science (Advanced Mathematics). He has further developed his education in composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and was a recipient of the Doris Burnett Ford Scholarship in 2005. Several of Damian’s works were performed in 2008 at concerts run by the Sydney Eclectic Composers’ Society; many of these reflected his quirky view that contemporary music need not be painfully serious all of the time. He has enjoyed composing for and assisting Sounds Fine, the youth choir of Coffs Harbour Regional Conservatorium, and has also found copying and transcription work a productive outlet for his analytical, perfectionist streak. In 2010 his works were performed by the cross-artform organisation Kammerklang, in association with new music ensemble Halcyon. He was able to collaborate again with Halcyon in their 2011 young composers project First Stones. When not obsessing over things magical and fantastical, Damian wholeheartedly loves his role as Director of Music (and mathematics tutor) for St John’s College within the University of Sydney. He has gained much satisfaction over the past decade working with its dedicated choristers and through hearing the College’s musical voice grow and flourish. About The Pieces: The Dragon of the Linden Tree is one of several projects in the works for author Jacqueline Brocker. In the Cave and On the Hill present Zmey Lipa (the eponymous dragon) at two markedly different stages of his long life, conveying changes in his connections to the world around him. The first journeys into the past, reflecting on Zmey Lipa’s rise to greatness, while the latter moves forward to the present, when Peter, a research student, finds his own ways of relating to the dragon and his accumulated learning. In trying to give these scenes a musical voice, I have used a largely narrative, theatrical approach, while also drawing on influences stylistically relevant to the story, such as some of the folk music of Eastern Europe. In the Cave makes use of drones, close dissonances and ornamented, melismatic lines to reflect this style. The dissonances are expanded in the more contemplative sections of On the Hill, with harmonies created with motion of parallel tetrachord clusters. The contrasting viewpoints of the characters, arising from their differing life experiences, results in some correspondingly sharp musical contrasts – which, as in life, can hopefully be enjoyed for sheer absurdity value. Perhaps the things I find most interesting about Zmey Lipa are how the performers embody the characters and their dialogue and whether or not I was able to adequately convey the nuances and humour in Brocker's text. It was also entertaining getting to share this fantasy world with everyone involved. About The Piece: II. On the Hill moves forward to the present, when Peter, a research student, finds his own ways of relating to the dragon. In giving the scenes a musical voice, I have used a narrative, theatrical approach while drawing on influences relevant to the story, such as Eastern European folk music. Changes in perspective result in some correspondingly sharp musical contrasts – which, as in life, can hopefully be enjoyed for sheer absurdity value. 11. Empty Shells by Pedro Oliveira Performed by Alison Morgan, and the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Sadaharu Muramatsu Composer Bio: Pedro Oliveira Woolmer (b. 1987) graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Composition) degree with first class honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music after studying with Damien Ricketson, Trevor Pearce and most recently with Nigel Butterley. In 2008 he worked on a collaborative project with a local artist, combining his five-movement work, Quartet for Flute, Violin, Viola and Guitar, with five associated paintings based heavily on deities of mythology. Pedro is also an accomplished pianist, winning a number of competitions and playing in gala concerts across the state. Currently he spends most of his time teaching piano. About The Piece: In the composition of this piece the main aim was to further increase the emotional impact of the text at any cost. As a result the syllables of words are sometimes separated and rearranged in a different order and melodic contours often distort the vowels. The volume, length and pitch of a note can reduce a word into an unfamiliar sound and occasionally the ensemble smothers the voice in similar colours or uncompromising textures, removing its soloistic identity. The ensemble picks up on the playfulness, cynicism and uncertainty of the text in the overlapping and sometimes abrupt juxtaposition of jaunty unison rhythms, bizarre harmonies and long expressivo melodic lines. 12. ...of mind... by Pedro Oliveira Performed by the Kammerklang Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Sadaharu Muramatsu About The Piece: This piece, virtually a miniature piano concerto, is a celebration of the abstract nature of music, its ability to speak to something within us beyond reason. It was conceived without external inspiration, hence its title, looking for primitive expression through pulse-melody, unpredictable gestures and chords seemingly pulled from the ground. Eight melodies used in the traditional sense, sometimes a complete line and sometimes two notes, pervade the length of the work but are almost inconsequential. Their insertion makes little sense and for that reason I enjoy their presence. 13. Vitality’s Circuit Grind by Lucy Yeoman Electroacoustic work, recorded and constructed by Lucy Yeoman Featuring recordings of Alison Morgan and Jenny Duck-Chong Composer Bio: Lucy Kong (nee Yeoman b. 1988) was born in Sydney and began her foray into the composing world at age 8, after encouragement from her piano school. Her interest in composition grew during her high school years and as a result she decided to further her studies by successfully applying for an undergraduate position at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2006. After four years of study and and three scholarships later, she graduated with a Bachelor of Music Composition, 1st class Honours in 2010. While maintaining her interest in art music since leaving the Con she has composed for a variety of different mediums. During her last year of study in 2009 she gained her first experience in commercial composition by scoring music for the Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off the Streets advertisement which was screened on all of the major television networks. In addition to this she took home the Best Score Award for her film score in Sydney’s 2009 48 Hour Film Festival. In 2010 her interest in Computer Music led to her to be a featured composer in Kammerklang, an art music concert where her electroacoustic piece 'Vitalities Circuit Grind' was performed. In the last two years of her life she has been working as a song writer in the pop music industry. She took a small break from this in 2012 to compose a solo piano piece for the metal/rock/trance band 'Germ' featured on their most current EP 'Loss'. About The Piece: Vitality’s Circuit Grind is a sonic realisation of the shackled routine that modern society follows daily. The monotonous drone of everyday living is disguised by materialistic desires, which in turn create a continuous noise that distracts the crowd from the truth; we are ensnared by our dull existence. There are those who see reality for what it is, but become jaded over time and relinquish their resolve. Others get sucked into the vortex, never to be seen again.