BWV Fragments (1999)

Michael Blake (b. 1951) — BWV Fragments (1999) for organ

The composer writes: “‘BWV Fragments’ (1999) was written on the occasion of Ishbel Sholto-Douglas’s retirement from the Rhodes University Music Department. Her life-long passion for Bach’s cello suites, which she first introduced me to when I was an undergraduate at Wits University close to three decades before, led me to use them as the source material for this little tribute. I cut and pasted, transposed and superimposed fragments, and deliberately misread clefs, but every single note came from Bach.”

South African composer Michael Blake (b. 1951) was born in Cape Town and was educated at the South African College of Music, the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg), the Darmstadt and Dartington courses, and Goldsmiths College (London). In 1986 he founded the experimental musical ensemble London New Music. In 1998, Blake returned to South Africa to join the faculty of Rhodes University and founded the annual contemporary music festival New Music Indaba. Blake was a significant figure in the development of an indigenous African experimental music aesthetic. Since about 2000, he has explored postmodern style elements and an interest in engaging with postcolonial narratives regarding the African continent.

Published by Bardic Edition (bardic-music.com)