tuggemo is a (sadly obsolete) old English word for a swarm of birds or flies.

This piece is all about swoops of direction and energy.

 

PERFORMANCE NOTES

There’s a lot of glissando-ing in this piece! It’s important to always let the notated note sound/register before starting to gliss. (At least an eight note before moving!)

(It seems simpler to write this as a rule for the entire piece than make the notation more complicated!)

A lot of the glisses are (deliberately) quite extreme/long and the string to play on is indicated, but it gets too tricky you can always cross the string – just always try gliss to and from the indicated notes.

PRACTICAL NOTES:

Where possible the quartet should be amplified and the electronics should be loud & the quartet amplified up to sit within the electronics.

If that’s not possible – the electronics should be loud regardless (though not drowning the quartet)

There are various track versions for performing this piece depending on your set up:

1. All electronics as one stereo file (Tuggemo – Final Speed Audio) and the click as a separate file (Tuggemo – Just Click).  You would need to put both files into your DAW and send the electronics stereo file to FOH and the click to the quartet via a separate output so need an audio interface or soundcard with at least 4 outputs to perform this way. (In case it is useful, in the past, quartets have used something like a simple Behringer 4 way headphone amplifier to send a click coming from one output on the audio interface to all members of the quartet)
2. Separate bass, drum and synth stems, as well as a click which allow different mixing of the elements. This version would require a sound engineer familiar with the piece. You might also need an audio interface or soundcard with multiple outputs to perform this way.

 

PRACTICE/TRACK OPTIONS:

Anna has made various track/playback options for you to learn the piece with – these folders with files are available from her publishers.

Tuggemo Practice Tempos with Bells and Clicks –playback of the track at various slower speeds with a click track and bell sounds on the rehearsal letters

Tuggemo Practice Tempos with Bells –playback of the track at various slower speeds with bell sounds on the rehearsal letters

Tuggemo – Final Speed Audio – containing both WAV of the performance speed audio and performance speed audio with click and the click track on its own

If you are performing with a sound engineer who wants mixing control over the various stems/sounds in the piece it’s also possible to get hold of: Tuggemo Stems with 2 bar intro from her publishers, (hire@fabermusic.com)