Warren Burt – Music For Tuning Forks

Tracks recorded in 1987, 86, and 85, respectively.
Contains an extra sheet with additional information.

The tuning forks are a set of aluminum bars into which a large center slit has been cut. When struck with a soft mallet, they produce an almost pure waveform (a sine wave) and ring on for about 30 seconds. They are tuned to a series of pure ratios (just intonation) derived from ancient Greek scales. This pure tuning produces the sustained non-wavering sound the forks have. I built them in Oct. and Nov. of 1985 while artist in residence at the CSIRO National Measurement Lab at Monash University under the Australia Council's Artists and New Technologies Scheme. Improvisation in Two Ancient Greek Modes (Enharmonic and Diatonic) was made as a multitracked improvisation during a live broadcast of ABC-radio's "Music Line" program. Voices, Tuning Forks, and Accordion was composed with the assistance of my friend Henry Hunter, who programmed the versions of the computer game "Life" on which the score of this piece was based. Almond Bread Harmonies II was written with an AIM-65 computer in FORTH using a Mandelbrot Matrix program I wrote. The score to this piece provides a pitch and rhythmic structure with considerable player choice available.

Recording Information: Recorded at ABC Studio 325, East Malvern, Vic. on Dec. 5, 1985, Paul Petran, producer (ABH II) and Feb. 17, 1987, Stephen Snelleman, producer (Imp.). VTFA recorded Nov. 19, '86, State Library, Melbourne, by Peter Liddelow. Thanks to Paul, Stephen and Peter, to the Astra Chamber Music Society for permission to release this recording, to Henry for his programming and encouragement, to Ron, Robert, John, Ken, Stan and Rosemary at CSIRO, and huge than yous to Angela, Bob, Catherine, Rodney, John, the Astra Choir and ESPECIALLY Ernie, not only for his cover drawing, but also for all his help, without which none of this could have happened.
-- Sept. 17, 1987, Warren Burt