Tonight, my piece …and wisdom comes quietly will be performed at the RNCM by Charlotte Badham and James Girling, along with other student works.
The piece is scored for mezzo-soprano, amplified prepared classical guitar and percussion. Musical material is repeated but with subtle changes and never with the same sounding results, creating an audible paradox between forward motion of cyclical patterns and ritual stillness of repeating lines. In each short section the voice slowly accumulates more of the line of text until all words can be heard, whilst preparations made to the guitar appear to gradually change the instrument into something other than itself.
The title is taken from a gift book by Helen Exley of the same name which includes philosophical quotes from a varied selection of writers, including two of the texts used in this piece.
JS 2016
Joseph Shaw 
This brief insight into the piece makes me want to hear this, Joe. There is poetry in its intent, methinks.
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