Various Artists - Mary Bellamy: Behind the transparent surface (2023) Hi-Res

Behind the transparent surface showcases Mary Bellamy’s characteristic sonic craftsmanship. Since 2017, Bellamy has become increasingly fascinated with the phenomenon of motion and finding ways to create movement through musical means. Bellamy’s music creates a uniquely immediate experience, constantly moving forward, unfurling new ideas, motives, and material in playful, unpredictable ways, resulting in a record that is organic, impulsive, and spontaneous.

Each of the five works presented explores a unique sound world, created through close collaboration and experimentation with the musicians. Behind the transparent surface, performed by Ensemble MusikFabrik, pairs the unique timbres of the Harry Partch instruments with a small ensemble, crafting vivid passages of light and shadow, inspired by the work of James Turrell. Rift, performed by Australia’s ELISION Ensemble, similarly takes the unusual combination of percussion, harp, and double bass, and crafts a series of sonic outbursts, cracking, ripping, and tearing through a vivid series of sonic rifts. Unfurling utilises Christopher Redgate’s unique lupophon to explore uncharted timbral territory for the instrument, with Philip Thomas providing accompaniment from the inside of the piano. Semblance, for bass flute, realised here by Richard Craig, focuses on different approaches to interspersing, layering, and accumulating sound, constantly transform the emerging timbre. Finally, Dual Impulse, performed by International Contemporary Ensemble member Ross Karre, utilises close-miking techniques to enhance the resonance of percussion instruments, creating a massive, rich and vibrant resonance for each percussion strike.

Mary Bellamy is a composer based in Sheffield. She studied composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Sheffield University where she gained her PhD in 2003. Mary joined the staff at the University of Huddersfield in 2006 where she is currently a senior lecturer, head of undergraduate composition and the co-director of the Centre for Research in New Music. Her pieces have been performed by leading international ensembles such as Ensemble Musikfabrik, the Bozzini Quartet, ELISION Ensemble, the London Sinfonietta, and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and by renowned soloists Richard Craig, Séverine Ballon, Genevieve Lacey, Francesco Dillon, and Ross Karre.