Episode Twelve - Bill Duckworth

The Relache Chronicles

William Duckworth – known as Bill to his friends – was a composer, educator and author who wrote for contemporary ensembles and soloists throughout a busy compositional career in the mid to late twentieth century. He was a professor of music at Bucknell University and published five books on twentieth century music and theory. At the time of his passing in 2012, Bill was developing large scale interactive digital works for the internet in collaboration with his wife, Nora Farrell, a computer software designer. He is best known for “The Time Curve Preludes, a work for piano solo and “Southern Harmonies” for choral ensemble. On this episode of The Relache Chronicles we will discuss and listen to an early work of Bill’s titled “Pitch City Breakdown” for amplified piano and “Simple Songs About Sex and War “for mezzo-soprano and synthesizer. Both works are played and sung by members of The Relache Ensemble, with whom he often collaborated.