Twelve Drummers Drumming

This was a commission from Shape Records for an advent-themed performance event. Lovett’s work explores the relationship between musical composition processes and environmental stimuli, with a particular focus on the way in which rhythmic patterns and cycles of extra-musical data provoke particular responses. As a composer and sound designer, his work integrates improvisation, composition and environmental sound, frequently in combination, in order to create sonic composites. In this instance, the impulse was the traditional carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and the compositional process made use of rhythmic patterns in the carol, along with sound recordings of an a cappella performances of the carol itself in order to provide sonic material for the performance of the Twelve Drummers Drumming piece. The finished performance combined a number of strategies that enabled the players to generate musical material, and made use of a timer in order to structure and control the overall duration of the piece. Twelve Drummers Drumming makes use of both composed and improvised material, and was designed to enable performers with a range of musical knowledge and skill to participate. The piece draws on ‘conduction’ processes, particularly those developed by groups such as the London Improvisers’ Orchestra, as well as drawing on concepts of scoring for improvisers that has its roots in 1960s and 1970s British experimental and improvised music practice. Having previously worked extensively within improvised music practice and composition for moving image, this piece extends Lovett’s practice into composing for improvisers, and working with an ensemble.