On Andy Eastwood's SpaceScape for Ukulele and String Quartet
I just listened to Andy Eastwood's "SpaceScape for Ukulele and String Quartet," and it is some of the most interesting uke music, as well as some of the most interesting string quartet music, that I have ever heard!
"SpaceScape" depicts a space probe traveling farther and farther away from earth. It has three movements, "Out of Orbit," "Journey," and "Discovery," that altogether amount to just eleven minutes.
The uke, at first, sounds a bit like a pizzicatto violin, aka the high-pitched, percussive sound that we often hear in string quartets. But it soon becomes clear that this is no traditional string quartet. Familiar-sounding? Yes. But something we've heard before? Definitely not.
A propulsive rhythm builds and then slows down. Sparse ukulele chords and string sections call and reply to each other. At some points, the strings seem to carry more of the melody than the ukulele, and the ukulele creates some interesting, repetitive, textured harmonies. The ukulele sounds ethereal (fitting for a suite that is supposed to evoke outer space) but it sounds earthy at the same time.
All throughout, the ukulele part continues to resemble a plucked violin just enough that it draws minimal attention to itself. It is a welcome variation on a traditional ensemble.
As a classical music fan, I appreciate the variation on something familiar. As a ukulele player, I appreciate how much it truly sounds like a uke, with strummed chords with close harmonies reminding you exactly what instrument you are listening to.
"SpaceScape" can currently only be heard in the Youtube video recorded in Huddersfield in 2018. I hope that it will one day be recorded in a studio, and I hope we can look forward to more classically-inflected ukulele compositions from Mr. Eastwood as well.
"SpaceScape" depicts a space probe traveling farther and farther away from earth. It has three movements, "Out of Orbit," "Journey," and "Discovery," that altogether amount to just eleven minutes.
The uke, at first, sounds a bit like a pizzicatto violin, aka the high-pitched, percussive sound that we often hear in string quartets. But it soon becomes clear that this is no traditional string quartet. Familiar-sounding? Yes. But something we've heard before? Definitely not.
A propulsive rhythm builds and then slows down. Sparse ukulele chords and string sections call and reply to each other. At some points, the strings seem to carry more of the melody than the ukulele, and the ukulele creates some interesting, repetitive, textured harmonies. The ukulele sounds ethereal (fitting for a suite that is supposed to evoke outer space) but it sounds earthy at the same time.
All throughout, the ukulele part continues to resemble a plucked violin just enough that it draws minimal attention to itself. It is a welcome variation on a traditional ensemble.
As a classical music fan, I appreciate the variation on something familiar. As a ukulele player, I appreciate how much it truly sounds like a uke, with strummed chords with close harmonies reminding you exactly what instrument you are listening to.
"SpaceScape" can currently only be heard in the Youtube video recorded in Huddersfield in 2018. I hope that it will one day be recorded in a studio, and I hope we can look forward to more classically-inflected ukulele compositions from Mr. Eastwood as well.
**Update: after seeing this post, Andy followed up on Twitter to say that a studio recording of SpaceScape definitely will be released!**
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