Transpositions is an unusual album in more than one way.  For starters, the music is composed by a duo; Unsettled Scores consisting of Spy Dénommé-Welch and Catherine Magowan.  These are the folks responsible for Canoe last year.  The new album, like the opera, explores the theme of environmental degradation; this time coupled with the idea of chronic illness, through the medium of instrumental chamber music; albeit a most unusual ensemble.  It’s a trio of Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk – Viola, Justin McLean – Bass Trombone and Tuba and Christine Cheongyeong Bae – Piano..

There are eight tracks and they are really quite varied but there is a consistent kind of mood.  It’s one of unsettled anxiety.  One hears it in the second track, “Boiling Frog” which is slightly manic and also quite funny.  Or, say, “Fault Lines: Waves of Panic” which starts out with an unnerving buzzy viola and a kind of “uncomprehending” piano part coupled with very low notes on the tuba but then the it explodes into a kind of frenzy.  Unsurprisingly there’s a fair bit of dark humour.  It’s pretty hard to write entirely seriously for low brass outside the context of a large ensemble.  All in all, there’s really quite a lot to get one’s head around in half an hour or so of music.

The album was recorded in 2022 at EMAC Recording Studios, London, Ontario and is clean and clear.  It’s self published and available from December 12th through Bandcamp in vinyl, physical CD and digital formats.