Postcard-Sized Pieces included in CoMA’s Immediate Pieces Digital Anthology

“The rehearsal has started, but only five of the thirteen people you expected have appeared.”

It’s a situation that will be familiar to anyone involved in ensemble music-making. Plans change, people are busy, and the ideal instrumentation you imagined for a performance doesn’t always materialise. The Immediate Pieces project from Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) is inspired by situations such as this.

The project invites composers to submit works that can be rehearsed quickly and performed by flexible ensembles — music that can adapt to whoever happens to be in the room. The result is the Immediate Pieces Digital Anthology, a collection of short works designed to make contemporary music more accessible and practical for a wide range of performers and community ensembles.

I’m very pleased that my piece postcard-sized pieces has been selected for inclusion in the anthology.

As the title suggests, postcard-sized pieces plays with the idea of musical miniatures: small, self-contained fragments that can be shared, combined, or reinterpreted by different players and listeners. Like a postcard, each piece is compact but suggestive with a brief score that leaves space for interpretation. In keeping with the aims of the Immediate Pieces project, the work is designed to be adaptable and approachable, allowing players to engage with it quickly while still leaving room for exploration.

One of the things I particularly appreciate about CoMA’s work is its commitment to widening participation in contemporary music. Projects like Immediate Pieces challenge the idea that new music must always involve complex logistics, specialist performers, or long rehearsal periods. Instead, they encourage a more open and flexible approach to making and sharing music.

It’s a pleasure to be included in the anthology alongside so many other composers, each bringing a different perspective on what an “immediate piece” can be.

You can explore the anthology here:https://www.coma.org/our-music/publications/immediate-pieces-collection/

More information about the project is available here:https://www.coma.org/immediate-pieces-digital-anthology/