Edmund Jolliffe Three Pieces for String Quartet duration: 12 minutes Three Pieces for String Quartet 1st Piece: This piece was inspired by one of Ligeti's piano etudes, where certain notes are depressed on the piano without making a noise and resonate when the surrounding notes are played. The piece has a motif of four held rising notes with twelve note rows played against them in rapid figuration, though any note of the four held notes is never heard in the figuration. Although the piece is not in any way serial it is based entirely upon twelve tone rows. 2nd Piece: The second piece aims to explore harmonies, with a middle section exploring mostly whole tones. It also attempts to explore different techniques of string playing. 3rd Piece: This last piece is based upon the idea of having a central note and diverging away from it. Gradually each part introduces a twelve-note theme, becoming increasingly more dissonant. The parts that do not begin by playing quavers play very long note which gradually quicken in a methodical way. There are two elements at play within this piece – dissonance as opposed to unison, and staticity as opposed to non-staticity. Edmund Jolliffe has had a number of paid commissions, the largest to date being the Missa cum Gaudia for New Eltham Choral Society. to be performed in May 2000 and subsequently taken on a tour round France.He has also been commissioned to compose a number of anthems, including anthems for the Chapel Royal at St. James' Palace, who are hoping to commission a larger work from him next year. The anthem God is gone up for Westminster Under School is to be recorded onto a CD to be released later this year. Aside from concert music, Maidstone Television Studios have agreed to offer him some work composing music for one of their programmes when a suitable opening arises as a result of having heard one of my showreels. Non-compositional experience has involved much conducting with University and Amateur groups, and often acting as a repeteteur and accompanist for choirs and ensembles. The production of Undertaking Changes at The Old Fire Station Theatre, Oxford, involved putting together a presentation for the theatre and finding sponsorship as well as over forty cast and technical crew. Whilst at Oxford he was also involved with the setting up of the Oxford University Musical Society and the Hertford College Music Society which continue to flourish. He has also worked as a barman and in a bookshop. as well as carrying out some research for the Royal College of Music and so has much experience of working with people, either in a teaching capacity as a musical director or under others. Back to shortlist.