The World in a Single Grain: Silver Sands Guitar Quartet [the CD]

Research Statement

Research Background

This is the debut CD recording of the Silver Sands Guitar Quartet (SSGQ), further developing their 2023 program (and output 70301). The album explores guitar ensemble works in a cross-over, post-minimalist style, with an emphasis on Australian maritime landscapes. The title borrows from the poem by William Blake “To see the word in a grain of sand,” is a wordplay on the ensemble’s name and alludes to the notion of “beach’ and its centrality to Australian identity. The research asked how repetitive processes might lead to a blurry and hypnotic passage of time, simultaneously evoking interiority and transcendence.

Research Contribution

The recording explores the intersections of rock, pop, trance, and post-minimalist guitar performance styles, forging a hybrid idiom enhanced by virtuosity and nuanced timbral inflection, embodying a unique soundworld. Careful attention in the editing and mastering process was critical to maximising results within a recorded medium. Further alterations were made to the arrangements of Villa-Lobos, Koehne, and Felton to ensure fluency and expressive flow (including new fingerings, and adjustments to texture, balance, and tempi). A recent work by Ian Seaborn was added to the program (replacing another) to better adhere to the theme of the album in evoking an underwater realm. The final CD program draws out the maritime theme and creates a distinctive contemporary modern Australian musical guitar sound and aesthetic.

Research Significance

The program was developed through an extensive period of research and development in rehearsals, and significant engagement occurred through performances in Perth and in regional Western Australia. Significant media attention included a critical review. The impact of the research was extended with 1) a distribution deal with boutique American label SoundSet Recordings and 2) winning a competitive state arts grant to tour internationally in 2025.

Non-Traditional Research Output

Recorded or Rendered Creative Work

Document Type

Non-Traditional Research Output

Date of Publication

2024

Publication Title

The World in a Single Grain: Silver Sands Guitar Quartet, Australia

Publisher

Silver Sands Guitar Quartet; Edited and recorded by Craig Lake, Mixed and mastered by Damon Smallman, Photography by Dominique Schneeberger.

School

Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts

RAS ID

83758

Event Dates

November 01, 2024

Duration

44 minutes

Comments

Paget, J., Riollot, I., Lake, C., Dorrian, E., Smallman, D. (2024). The World in a Single Grain: Silver Sands Guitar Quartet [the CD]. [Physical CD and online through streaming platforms (SoundSet, Apple Music, Spotify)].

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