Author: Michael Edwards
From: Russolo 1999
Year: 1998

3rd prize Category B - Michael Edwards
Michael Edwards was born in Cheshire, Engalnd in 1968. After taking oboe lessons he began composing, studying with A.Beaumont at Bristol University. He graduated with Firts Class Honours in 1989 and stayed on at Bristol to complete a Master of Music degree, wich was awarded in 1992. Durind this time he also studied privately with G.Pritchard and S.Bainbridge and undertook an investigation of electro-acoustic techniques. He moved to California in 1991 for further studies in computer music with J.Chowning at the Center for Computer Research CCRMA at Stanford University and graduated from there with a Doctorate in Composition in 1996 and spent a year-a-half working concurrently as a Software Engineer in Silicon Valley and as a Lecturer in Music Theory at Stanford. At present he is Guest professor for Music and the Internet a t the Universitaet Mozarteum in Salxburg, Austria.

Flug me, foot trod - for alto saxophone and stereo tape (9:00)
Flug me, foot trod takes its title from the G.M.Hopkins sonnet, Carrion Comfort. This is ugent,violent,exciting poetry, but it was not until I read some of Hopkins own notes to the verse that I felt particulary drawn to pilfering a title from him. He writes of one word "rude", that nust be enunciated with force, "in an uncouth,violent,barbarous manner".This, if anything, summarises the articulation necessary to intepret my piece. In preparing the tape, I sampled selected portions of the solo part. In particular I concentrated on some of the more unortodox sounds an alto saxophone cam make, key clicks, breath noise, growling,etc. For demonstrating these sounds, I am very grateful to G.Scavone who gave freely of his time and tolerated my often outlandish requests. Indeed, the whole piece is aimed at utilising his slick virtuosity. It was not my intention to create the effect of an "orchestra of saxophones", or to have the saxophone play against itself on tape. On the contrary, the work takes its precedent more from the solo concerto, pitting two unequal forces against each other, their only common ground being material and, hence, structure.