This piece was written for rarescale in 2010. For various reasons (mainly to do with the extreme technical difficulties of the piece), this is the first opportunity we’ve had to present it to an audience. Falling out of Cars is a virtuoso work for Kingma system alto flute, guitar and electronics which explores approaches to, and definitions of noise. The alto flute part begins with fragments of the melodic material which eventually become more pitched in preparation for the entry of the guitar and electronics.

The piece is fast moving, and uses a lot of quartertones (including one passage where the alto flute plays the same melody as the guitar, but a quartertone higher). The melodic ideas return in different guises through the piece, so there is a sense of repetition but often with subtle changes which allow the short term memory to be engaged, while also maintaining interest and development. Unisons appear between the alto flute and guitar, and the piece has a rhythmic drive which keeps a strong sense of momentum throughout.

Preparation of this piece has provided all sorts of challenges, many of which were solved through a series of discussions with the composer, and I feel the process has helped me to get inside the piece and to develop my technical skills further. There’s a lot of space for musical expression here and I’m pleased to finally have the opportunity to bring the piece to life.