The work is for pre-recorded tape and soloist playing alto and bass trombone, carnyx (an ancient celtic warhorn), alphorn and conch shell, and is in five similar length movements plus a coda.

The word ANKH itself refers to the ancient Egyptian symbol of life, a cross surmounted by an oval, the crux ansata.

     1. PTAH: One of the original creator gods (ca. 3100BC), later becoming a god of the arts, artist and artisans.

     2. THE TOUCH OF PAN: Originally the Greek god of shepherds. Pan was part human, part goat, playing on the syrinx. He became more and more associated with rural terrorising and sexual promiscuity, finally being regarded as an overall deity.

     3. DE RERUM NATURA (On the Nature of Things): This brilliant work by Lucretius expounded the theories of Epicurus. The book covers atomic physics, astronomy, biology, human mind, spirit and sexuality, geology etc., the whole idea being to dispel fear of the gods by the understanding of sientific reality.

     4. SPLENDOR SOLIS:  The work by the 15c. alchemist Solomon Thismosin, concerned with the explanation of all previous philosophies through alchemy. The book contains 22 extraordinary mystical illustrations, many of the details of which are inexplicable.

     5. THE CENTAUR SLEEPS:  The centaurs were a race of half-human, half-horse creatures who lived in Greek Thessaly. They were generally wild and orgiastic in behaviour, apart from Chiron who studied medicine and music (he was taught by Artemis and Apollo). This movement is dedicated to him.

     CODA: A return to the PTAH music and final close.

     The pre-recorded tape, which is the foundation of the piece, consists of a great variety of material - pure electronics, treated vocal and instrument sounds, sampled and found sounds. These were prepared, played and recorded by the composer.

     The role of the soloist is twofold: Firstly, to perform passages of written score - Signals - which have no vertical co-incidence with the tape. This means there are two independent time-streams of music.

     Secondly, the soloist is required to improvise on these Signals. This, however is not free improvisation - it involves the soloist listening, responding and interacting with the tape, a technique requiring skilled and highly intuitive musicianship.

M.P.

The work was written for, and is dedicated to John Kenny.
Duration ca. 34'40" 

ANKH premiered in Tromso, Norway on July 4, 2004 
After the concert John Kenny said: "The performance was a total success!
The sound produced by my soundengineer from the tape was fabulous to play to [...] 
and the whole thing was a wonderful event"

morris pert 

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