The Flutes of Velvet
The Flutes of Velvet is a form of music used during marches and military engagements originally devised by the goblin Arstruk Faintcruelty. The rules of the form are applied by composers to produce individual pieces of music which can be performed. Two singers recite any composition of The Quiescent Amethyst while the music is played on a ustol, a goslust and a or. The musical voices bring melody, counterpoint and rhythm. The entire performance should be passionate, and it is to be in whispered undertones. The melody and counterpoint both have short phrases throughout the form. Only one pitch is ever played at a time. It is performed using the xenmu scale and in free rhythm. Throughout, when possible, composers and performers are to locally improvise and add fills.
- Each singer always provides the rhythm.
- The goslust always provides the rhythm.
- The or always does the main melody.
- The Flutes of Velvet has the following structure: an introduction and a lengthy passage.
- The introduction is voiced by the melody of the or, the rhythm of the singers and the rhythm of the goslust. The passage slows and broadens. Each of the singers' voices stays in the low register. The passage should be composed and performed using frequent modulation. The passage should often include a rising melody pattern with grace notes, often include a falling-rising melody pattern with flattened fifth degree on the rise and flattened fourth degree on the rise as well as rapid runs, arpeggios and legato, always include a rising-falling melody pattern with arpeggios and always include a falling melody pattern.
- The simple passage is voiced by the melody of the or, the counterpoint of the ustol, the rhythm of the singers and the rhythm of the goslust. The passage is extremely fast. Each of the singers' voices ranges from the middle register to the high register. The passage should be composed and performed using frequent modulation. The passage should often include a rising-falling melody pattern with sharpened fifth degree on the fall as well as glides, mordents and legato and always include a rising melody pattern with grace notes.
- Scales are constructed from twenty-four notes spaced evenly throughout the octave. The tonic note is fixed only at the time of performance. After a scale is constructed, the root note of chords are named. The names are ekxox (spoken ek) and asmuk (as).
- The xenmu pentatonic scale is constructed by selection of degrees from the fundamental scale. The degrees selected are the 1st, the 6th, the 11th, the 15th and the 21st.
Events