"Planxty Emma Coulthard" - Fergus Johnston

Fergus Johnston
Electro-Acoustic & Beyond 6
  • artist:Fergus Johnston
  • featured artist:Emma Coulthard
  • region:Western Europe
  • release year:2021
  • style(s):Electronic, Contemporary
  • country:Ireland
  • formats:CD (Compact Disc)
  • record posted by:Artsada Ltd
  • label:RMNMusic
  • publisher:Babelscores
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A “planxty” in Irish folk-music was a type of piece usually composed for harp in tribute to the nominee. “Emma Coulthard’s Planxty” (or “Planxty Emma Coulthard” - I can never decide which is the better title and have used both) is a short piece commissioned by Artsada Ltd for Emma Coulthard in 2017. It asks for a glissando headjoint (of the kind developed by flutist Robert Dick) to be used for slide effects. The electronics part, created in the “Kenaxis” software environment, is derived from pre-recorded samples of Emma Coulthard’s playing, manipulated using delay, granular synthesis, and distortion of pitch and timbre. The piece is simply a set of variations on a theme, heard at the outset, derived from the letters of Emma Coulthard’s name mapped onto a chromatic scale.