Piano, Violin, Flute, Oboe, Mandolin, Bass Guitar.
Commissioned and premiered by Plastic Atlas, Chance : Chants includes four parts of differing lengths (both physically and temporally, each being relative) which are each performed a different number of times, exploring the “phasing slowed down” idea of my String Quartet and only beginning and ending together. Within each part are a number of choices for the performer, beginning with silence, then progressing through chant (played or sung), ostinati, song (melodic type lines) and finally free improvisation. Reviewing the premiere performance, Peter McCallum wrote:
James Humberstone’s chance: chants works on the principle of large-scale phases as the five instruments (piano, mandolin, flute, oboe and violin) repeat parts of varying lengths to fit a pre-established time scale to create bright harmonies in an immediate and engaging floating world.
Scores can be located by contacting the composer. Below is the complete premiere performance by Plastic Atlas featuring Kathleen Gallagher (flutes), Li-Ling Chen (oboe), Alex Norton (violin), Michael Hooper (mandolins, bass guitar) and Andrew Robbie (piano).
James Humberstone 