The Polyphonic Cornett album released

Cover illustration of the Polyphonic Cornett album. Dark blue background with a pale gold circular design in the centre. Titles and artist credits are at the top and the bottom.

The result of a long-term collaboration between James Dooley (Open University) and Jamie Savan (Birmingham City University), The Polyphonic Cornett (released November 2024) presents an album of music exploring the intersection of ‘old’ musical instruments with ‘new’ music technology. The cornett, a Renaissance wind instrument, is augmented with live electronics to extend its sonic capabilities, giving the solo performer the ability to play polyphonic textures from a single melodic line. This novel mode of performance offers a new perspective on music written for multiple performers, providing the solo performer the opportunity to direct all elements of the music’s realisation and presentation.