written for Johnny Chang
a piece for viola or violin and breath
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‘musical practice as an unentwineable part of one’s life practice
one’s instrument becoming an extension of one’s body’
ichor is a meditation on the symbiosis of body and instrument developed through musical practice. as the ‘blood-like fluid that flows through the veins of the [Greek] Gods’, ichor absorbs the instrument into a circulatory system with the body of the performer, one that needs to remain connected to sustain the life of the musical performance.
in two parts, the first part acclimatises the body to its new appendage. the second part asks the performer to develop this connection, experimenting with their relationship where the breath sustains the bowing gestures, and the bowing gestures sustain the breath.
a combination of intuitive text and graphic scores, a performance of the piece is a collaboration between composer and performer.
