5 9
Numbers
Choir: SATB div. a cappella
Duration: ~5 minutes
RELATED: #Joy #Fast #Humor #Aleatoric
Numbers establish the foundations of our musical and daily lives. Throughout history, positional numerical systems have allowed humans to organize the world around them. The Babylonian system, for example, was sexagesimal (base 60) and did not numerically represent zero— remnants of this system can still be seen today in the way we measure time (60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour) and circles (360 degrees). The most common system of today is the decimal system, but our world is increasingly powered by technology that, at its most fundamental level, consists of 0s and 1s. For musicians, numbers are critical in the rehearsal process especially: we use them to count time, measure melodic and rhythmic distances, and position ourselves within the context around us. Creating music— indeed, living our lives— seems unimaginable without numbers; they certainly deserve their own performance.
Top 10 Guardian UK Pick
Featured on BBC Record Review
Spotify Pick for Classical New Releases
Digitally released by NMC Recordings, 2020
Written for the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, UK, 2019
"Numbers stood out to me-- an enjoyable piece that is funky to conduct and fun for singers." Robert Hollingworth, The Guardian UK, 2020
"I was especially taken with composer Shruthi Rajasekar... reveling in her playful celebration of the numerical and digital life."
Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3, 2020
Numbers, recorded by the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, 2019. Directed by Ben Parry. London, UK.