anfractus
for flute, guitar (or harp), and violoncello2025
~5’20”
The word "anfractus" is a Latin word meaning winding or bending, and is used in relation to labyrinths.
The pitch material of this piece comes from my hexagonal harmonic system (see also nonsense, The Children of Lir, and frequency illusion). This system takes an initial chord of six pitches and from there produces new and related chords. The system is "cyclical" in the sense that it repeats in every direction, and can be inscribed on a torus or doughnut shape.
Like a person entering a labyrinth, the origin chord enters the grid and follows a path, changing as it goes. Eventually, through much winding, it returns to its origin.
The piece was written during the Irish Composition Summer School in 2025 for Lina Andonovska (flute), Sasha Savaloni (guitar), and Ailbhe McDonagh (cello), and was adapted in 2026 for the Extended Music Collective: Sara Di Costanzo (flute), Stef van Vynckt (harp), Nina Vanhoenacker (cello).
The piece was premiered by Extended Music Collective on 30th January 2026 at Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, Suffolk, during a Britten Pears Young Artist Programme Residency.