Scores May 2018

Seven Sisters - Spitfire Audio Chamber Evolutions

I've had the urge to write a composition for strings recently, probably because I've been enjoying the new Olafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions samples by Spitfire Audio. 

The clue to the clever nature of this impressive sample library is in the name: Chamber Evolutions. To create these sonic evolutions, the Olafur Arnolds library builds on the Evo Grid system developed by Spitfire Audio in earlier libraries.

Traditionally it's been hard to get samples to sound improvised or organic. It used to require many layers of instrument samples, which eat up computer memory, and lots of programming to control expression, articulations and other performance nuances. An ensemble of live string players can easily create rich textures and variation in a part, and I've often thought if only samples could be as straightforward! Well, now they are! 

The Spitfire Audio EVO grid system makes creating evolving textures much easier and more enjoyable. Textural variation is available at the click of a button, and combining sounds couldn't be simpler. The evolving nature of the sampled recordings ensures a continuous variation and development of the texture, making light work of what used to take hours! The upside is that there's more time to focus on the composition and less stress realising the music. 

I've called this new composition Seven Sisters, inspired by the legend of Atlas and his offspring, Maia, Alcyone, Asterope, Celaeno, Taygete, Electra, and Merope. 

The seven sisters in this composition are the seven white keys of the piano, each note taking its turn in the melody until all seven natural notes are present. The melody in this recording is played with Cinesamples Solo Strings cello. All the other string parts are recorded using the Olafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions and the London Contemporary Orchestra strings library, also by Spitfire Audio. 

Thanks to Spitfire Audio for recording such brilliant sounds!

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