Oil drew its name from the opalescent, grimy and slick nature of crude oil which is represented through ever-changing harmony and texture. The piece is split into three movements, each dealing with a different aspect of oil: I. Opalescence, II. Grime, III. Slickness.
Opalescence: This movement explores the swirling colours and shimmering patterns that appear in the surface of oil and translating this into flourishing melodic lines and varied timbrel textures.
Grime: This movement deals with the viscous nature of oil and its slow and sludgy movement, expressing this through portamenti, glissandi and a large range of dynamic levels.
Slickness: This movement plays on the idea of separate moving layers and their interactions with each other, how they mix and react with one another.
Clarinet: Fraser Langton
Kerr McLean is a Scottish composer currently based in Glasgow and currently in his first year of studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Growing up on the slopping valleys of the river Clyde surrounded by the rural Scottish countryside, he has a deep love and appreciation for the natural world and all its beauty. This passion for the natural world led to Kerr delving heavily into the study of the sciences and learning about how the world works through s new lens.
He began his musical studies began when he started percussion lessons at the age of 12 but, his appreciation for music began much earlier. Although growing up in a non-musical family, there was always music surrounding him: from indie rock to country, punk music to rap and even a bit of Oi, music has always been an integral part of his life. So, when he realised music was like a science, he very quickly realised his true passion was music.
In his compositions he often writes about the natural world and the visceral feelings he has of it, while applying his scientific brain to expand these feelings and bring them to fruition.
