Recording of the première, University of Manchester
Early on in Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco, one of the key characters marvels at how the memory of his computer ('A totally spiritual machine') can be used as he wishes, so much better than human memory, which 'at the cost of much effort, learns to remember but not to forget.'
We live in the present, yet this present is always coloured by memories of the past, by selective perception of external circumstances, and by fears and desires for the future. Memories themselves are fickle: often we misremember, or at very least remember selectively, forgetting important details and obsessing over trivialities. Sometimes an unexpected memory of something half-forgotten may emerge for whatever reason. All of this makes 'living in the moment' such a rich and multi-dimensional experience; it is the resulting poignancy of existence that I have attempted to capture in this piece.
I am very grateful to Gavin Osborn for commissioning the piece, and for his generosity with time and inspirational musicianship during the process of composition. Misplaced Time Refound is composed in loving memory of my father, Leslie Whalley (1940-2015).
The first performance was given by Gavin Osborn in the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, University of Manchester on 25 February, 2016.
- ISMN: 9790570682232 (M570682232)
