Welcome to Instrumentality
What Instrumentality is all about and what you can expect to find here.
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Is Rubato dead?
Rubato is not something you eat for pudding, it’s an important musical concept that makes a big difference to how music is performed and, consequently, how we respond to that…
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A simple thought, an epigram – music in miniature
An epigram is a short poem that makes a single statement. So why not musical epigrams - musigrams, epitunes? With an old friend, I set about making some just to see.
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Going round in circles – exploring harmonic sequences
The harmonic sequence was a favourite tool of Baroque composers such as Bach but it also finds itself in songs such as I Will Survive and Hotel California. We take a look.
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Fifty years on: re-imagining The Queen Of Love
The Queen of Love is an almost forgotten masterpiece of psychedelic folk music, written by Robin Williamson and recorded by The Incredible String Band in 1970. Back in 2020, during lockdown, I set about arranging an orchestral adaptation of the piece to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Here it is.
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Can cellos play the blues?
Cellos have a pretty serious image. They're seen primarily as classical instruments, whereas the violin gets to play everywhere. So I set out to put this right and give the cello a chance to play the blues.
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Analysed: Yellow by Coldplay
Yellow is perhaps Coldplay's most famous song and its popularity is still strong more than 20 years after it was released. So, what is special about Yellow in a musical sense? Let's look.
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Analysed: Halleluja by Jeff Buckley
Hallelujah is a classic Leonard Cohen song that has been performed by a multitude of artists. So what is it about this song that makes is so engaging?
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Analysed: Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever
Happier Than Ever is not only a very successful song from a great album of the same name, it's a highly unusual musical composition. I explore why it's so unusual and why it seems to work so well.
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Analysed: The Killers’ Mr Brightside
Mr Brightside was the Killer's debut single, released in 2004. It was voted best song of the 2000s in many polls and is the most streamed track released before 2010. So why is its appeal so enduring?
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Analysed: The Rolling Stones’ Paint it Black
The Rolling Stones' Paint it Black is one of the three most streamed songs in 70 years of the charts. Considering it was released in 1966, long before streaming, that's quite a achievement. So, why does it have such long-term appeal?
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