Works for organ and brass and to include a premiere of a work composed for WIOF for this combination by Aleksandr Nisse
Organ: Aleksandr Nisse
Trumpet: Benjamin Belloir (France)
General Admissions: €18 Concessions: €15
Children under 18 accompanied by parents go free
Commissioned by WIOF, is inspired by the geological formation of the Copper Coast in County Waterford, a UNESCO Global Geopark renowned for its dramatic coastline and remarkable geological history. The landscape preserves evidence of volcanic activity, ancient oceans, and tectonic movements spanning hundreds of millions of years. Rather than depicting the landscape itself, the work seeks to translate these immense geological processes into sound, compressing vast stretches of geological time into a musical experience.
The central idea of the composition is gradual transformation. Harmonic, rhythmic, spatial, and timbral processes unfold at different rates, creating a musical landscape in constant evolution. The work explores the tension between stability and imperceptible change, mirroring the slow accumulation of geological forces that ultimately shaped the Copper Coast.
The architecture of the church will become an integral part of the composition. Rather than remaining beside the organ throughout the performance, the trumpeter will move through different parts of the building, allowing the changing acoustics and physical space to shape the listener's experience. The movement of sound through the church reflects the evolving landscape and invites the audience to experience the music from continually shifting perspectives.
One movement is envisioned for two organs. Both instruments will perform the same musical material but at slightly different tempi. As the two parts gradually drift apart and reconnect, subtle harmonic changes emerge naturally from their interaction. These evolving sonorities are not the result of conventional harmonic progression but arise from the temporal displacement between the two organs. The process serves as a musical analogue to tectonic movement: almost imperceptible from moment to moment, yet capable of producing profound transformation over immense periods of time. The trumpet will weave freely above this continuously changing harmonic field, responding to the evolving texture. In this way, the gradual harmonic shifts become a compressed representation of the geological processes that formed the Copper Coast.
The mechanical nature of the organ also offers unique possibilities for subtle pitch transformation. By carefully manipulating the wind supply, delicate microtonal fluctuations can be produced, allowing the instrument to move beyond fixed tuning. The trumpet will mirror these fluctuations, creating a shared microtonal language between the two instruments. These slight instabilities in pitch become another reflection of geological processes—continuous, organic, and constantly evolving beneath the surface.
The organ will explore its complete registral spectrum, from its deepest foundations to its brightest upper voices. Together, the two instruments will traverse a vast sonic landscape whose breadth reflects the scale, diversity, and complexity of the Copper Coast itself.
The second movement will incorporate elements of controlled freedom. Rather than following a completely fixed score, the performers will be presented with a collection of notated musical fragments that may be selected freely while following a graphic score and a series of performance instructions. Coordination will be achieved through synchronised stopwatches, allowing the performers to maintain independent musical trajectories while remaining connected within a shared temporal framework. This balance between fixed structure and performer choice reflects the unpredictable yet ordered nature of geological evolution, where countless local events contribute to the formation of a coherent landscape over immense timescales.
The completed composition is expected to last approximately ten minutes and will consist of two movements. The world premiere of this work will be at WIOF 2026 on 13th September at 4:30pm.