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Instrumentation
Additional Information
"Tribe", my 14th string quartet (2013), is the first piece to be composed by anyone for string quartet and the Boss RC-300 loopstation, a piece of equipment which enables the capture, playback and layering – looping – of phrases in real time. The first violinist of the quartet operates the loopstation, which is done using foot pedals.
The piece itself is inspired by the story of the fourteen Tribes of Galway, merchant families who rose to prominence during the 17th century; while their fortunes waxed and waned over a considerable period of time, their influence eventually fell away. Their story is reflected in the structure of the music, which itself builds, falls back and gathers itself again before finally reducing right down to its essential components, the quartet alone.
The incorporation of the loopstation into the work allows for an increased density of sound, adding both extra lines and harmonies, in keeping with the idea of the many ‘tribes’ of the work’s inspiration. An important further element in tying the work firmly to the Galway region is the use of the Irish folk tune The Bucks of Oranmore, which comes and goes throughout the work in various guises, lending its melodic and harmonic shape to that of the quartet.
Tribe was commissioned by the ConTempo Quartet with funds from the Arts Council of Ireland.