‘Agglomeration refers to a process of growth by accretion – the formation of stars and planets by the coalescence of dust and rock, for example, or the way in which outlying individuals and communities may be drawn into and engulfed by a large conurbation.

Musically, this piece follows a similar procedure – the fleeting, amorphous sonorities at the opening gradually gain more definition, culminating in dense block-like chords using the four instruments in rhythmic unison. Similarly, the pitch material – initially compressed into a minor third – gradually expands to fill the full range available, coloured by microtonal inflections in the clarinet and strings.’

Gráinne Mulvey

Copyright © 2007 Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland.