Edinburgh Napier University

  The Thesis begins with descriptions of early involvement with bamboo pipes which led to the exploration of woodwind instruments and of commercially produced recorders. Similarities and differences in pipes and recorders are discussed, leading to a study of composers, including Telemann and his modern counterpart Hans Martin Linde. From making my own instruments and watching the construction of recorders, I was led forwards into the world of the avant garde, as recorders entered the 20th and 21st century soundworld, particularly with the development of the sopranino and contrabass recorders, pushing fine boundaries further. Four pieces in the portfolio explore the recorder in all its aspects, from a solo instrument, to recorder orchestras, which are becoming increasingly popular in modem times. My philosophy for including Baroque music comes to the fore in borrowing fragments from this era, and in placing these alongside contemporary music, by techniques of interweaving and layering the different styles, before adding my own harmonies, to produce a neo-Baroque element. The key aspect is to prove that music from different eras when placed together can co-exist in harmony. Folksong aspects, and also Programmatic elements, appear in some of my pieces, and refer to places I have visited, evoking nostalgic childhood memories. Research for these pieces has included re-visiting these places and noticing the changing ethos, showing evidence of empty harbours, and shifting sands which transform the coastline, while the general pace of life, noise levels and new housing development, make the landscape barely recognisable from long ago.