Freddy's Blend

Piano, violin, cello; 6 minutes



This piece was written for the concert, "Freddy's Tune" presented by SoundStreams Canada and CBC Radio's Two New Hours. The concert featured several new Canadian compositions based on "Freddy's Tune" - a motif by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, that inspired Johann Sebastian Bach's The Musical Offering.

My composition, Freddy’s Blend, uses the notes of “Freddy’s Tune” in order, but rearranged, played simultaneously, or transformed through simple techniques (such as playing the tune backwards or “upside down”). The material this generates is then freely blended to create the textures you hear. Freddy's Tune also provides the harmonic language, as the notes of the original melody pile up on each other to create chords.

Premiered April 22, 2004 at the Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto, ON.


Gryphon Trio
  Annalee Patipatanakoon, violin
  Roman Borys, cello
  Jamie Parker, piano

Recorded excerpts


Freddy's Blend was commissioned by Massey College for Soundstreams Canada. The concert, "Freddy's Tune" was a collaboration of Soundstreams Canada and CBC Radio's Two New Hours.  Four other Canadian composers were commissioned to write pieces based on Freddy's tune for the same concert, which was broadcast June 6, 2004 on Two New Hours.