Umonde

12 Circle Songs
For Recorder, Loop Station, and Percussion

1. The Way
SATB + Woodblock
2. The Secret of Secrets
AT Gb/B
3. Beginning
SATB + Woodblock
4. Clarity
Sn SAT B oder Gb
5. Patience
ATB
6. Heaven's Net
Sno A T Gb/B + Woodblock, Shaker (or Mouthpercussion), Congas (or Bongos)
7. The softest thing
STB Gb/B
8. Cheerful Noise
Sno ATB Gb/B + Bongos & Woodblock
9. The Kind Gift
TB + Woodblock
10. The Newborn
Sno AT Gb/B + Woodblock
11. Peace and Quiet
ATB Gb/B + Woodblock
12. The Answer
Sno ATB Gb(B + Congas ( or Bongos) und Shaker (or Mouthpercussion)

Umonde in Xhosa means patience. To listen to these slowly evolving pieces needs patience, but it is exactly this process of layers building on each other that holds special magic for me. So when I started composing these circle songs I could not stop; these are only the first 12 of 24 I have composed so far.
Looking for titles I turned to Lao Tzus Taoteking because his deep ancient philosophy is all about following the flow of energy, just like these pieces are. I found twelve fascinating quotes that became the mottos of the 12 pieces. In my view, our hectic interventionist world needs a more Taoistic approach.

I would like to thank Michelle Holloway who first asked me to write the pieces, Claire Little who was encouraging me all the way, and Jitka Konečná with whom I recorded most of these circle songs – you can see her amazing performances on my Youtube channel. Jitka used a Loop Station Boss RC 30 with two pedals. She plays with a wonderful great bass recorder, but because I know that many of you own no Great Bass recorder I made sure that this part can be played on a bass recorder throughout.

To explain the special symbols: the circle indicates recording on one pedal, the square indicates that you stop that pedal, and the „play“-sign indicates that the new recorder plays over the already recorded loops without recording.

These pieces are born of the never-ending lockdowns; when we cannot play with each other we can at least play with ourselves via the ingenious invention of the loop station. While these pieces are quite meditative, they also have something playful and improvisational about them. So I would like to encourage you to play around with the material I provide here.

I wish you a lot of fun with these works, and I hope the lockdowns will end soon and we can return to rehearsals and concerts, the essence of music.

I am always delighted to receive recordings and comments: mail@soerensieg.de