Slap On

“Over the couple of decades or so that I’ve been playing the cello in contemporary music ensembles, it’s occasionally occurred to me how pleasing it would be to have the chance to slap my colleagues, instrument and self in a friendly manner and lighten the sometimes strained new music atmosphere in sonically inventive ways. CoMA’s kind commission has allowed me to facilitate just that: players are instructed to do their convivial slapping within a tightly constructed rhythmic framework, using vocal alongside instrumental sounds, with some of my favourite funk riffs buried in the texture for good measure.

My thanks to CoMA for having me on board.”

Zoë Martlew