A Portfolio of Compositions, making use in part of sketches generated by a non-linear process
Creators: name: MORGAN, JEFFERSON
Publisher: name: University of Surrey
Year: 2022

description: This submission comprises a portfolio of compositions with accompanying recordings,
description: along with a subsidiary thesis that describes the compositions, reflects on the
description: recordings and how my compositions have evolved, and describes subsidiary work
description: titled ‘Composers Sketchbook’1 that uses a non-linear map (the Logistic, or Verhulst
description: Map) to generate musical material; the process is mediated by a computer program
description: written to reduce the burdensome task of generation and symbol translation.<br>
description: <br>
description: The research questions for the portfolio are:<br>
description: <br>
description: • Where sketches are used, do they impact the style and structure of the
description: composition?<br>
description: • Does the portfolio show that the influence of the sketches can be seen, even
description: in compositions that use other approaches3and do they contribute to changes
description: from my earlier compositions?<br>
description: <br>
description: These generate subsidiary questions for the Sketchbook: is there a way to map
description: generated numbers into score form with the minimum need for the user to engage
description: with the underlying mechanisms; can those mechanisms allow minimum or no
description: constraint on the mapping; and are the resulting sketches interesting and influential
description: in my composition portfolio.<br>
description: <br>
description: The main body of my submission consists of a portfolio of compositions, comprising
description: three large-scale works and two chamber works:<br>
description: <br>
description: <b>Large-scale works</b><br>
description: <br>
description: • The Moors Sigh, for medium-size orchestra, is based on an incident in 1492
description: during the Reconquista in Spain; it is a reflection on the consequences of
description: being convinced of one’s rightness. Much of the composition uses sketch
description: material generated from the Sketchbook.<br>
description: • The Second Coming (A musical commentary on the poem by W.B.Yeats) is
description: set for electronic sound, pre-recorded speaker and acoustic instruments –
description: trumpet, cymbal, xylophone, marimba, two pianos, four ‘cellos and two
description: double-basses. It uses the poem to shape the structure and each section
description: comments on aspects of the verse. A small amount of the material is
description: generated using random numbers, or by combining overtones in nonharmonic
description: combinations.<br>
description: • Changing Times, for chamber orchestra, takes as its foundation quotations
description: from Ecclesiastes and Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet that illustrate uses of time
description: and also the illusory nature of memory and anticipation.<br>
description: <br>
description: <b>Chamber Works</b><br>
description: <br>
description: • Woodwind Serenade, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and two saxophones,
description: is a five-movement composition; each movement is based on a sketch
description: generated from the Sketchbook.<br>
description: • Second String Quartet is an exploration of serial techniques using a pitch-set
description: that has tonal implications, with some adoption of the Fibonnaci series to
description: generate rhythms.<br>
description: <br>
description: One subsidiary composition is included, an early sketch for The Moor’s Sigh that is
description: based on material generated from the Sketchbook.<br>
description: <br>
description: Finally, to aid understanding of the development of the Sketchbook, the submission
description: includes the diary I kept when developing the process and the supporting program.<br>
description: <br>
description: Note: All literature references are listed in Appendix A – the majority are related to
description: the Sketchbook development work.<br>