Ones Twos and Threes

‘The ear-tickling inventiveness’ (The Telegraph) of Colin Riley’s music is showcased in this collection of finely crafted character pieces for soloists, duos and trios. Ones, Twos and Threes invites listeners into a world of subtle invention, playful imagination and self-reflecting melancholy. At the heart of Ones, Twos and Threes is Riley's fascination with musical structures that conceal as much as they reveal. Palindromes, canons, puzzles and transformed source materials form the hidden architecture of the music, yet the album wears its ingenuity lightly. The pieces inhabit contrasting but connected landscapes. Some evoke dusk and the gradual arrival of night, lingering in states of reflection and suspended time. Others dance with child-like energy, wit and surprise, delighting in unexpected turns and fleeting moments of mischief. Throughout the album, familiar materials are stretched, slowed, reimagined and reassembled.

Colin Riley says ...

‘Ones, Twos and Threes is music that I hope rewards attention. Many of the pieces begin with simple ideas – patterns, puzzles, fragments of borrowed material – but the aim is always to create something expressive and alive. There are no grand gestures or flamboyant displays; I'd rather the listener was drawn into the shifting perspectives, hidden symmetries and small discoveries that reveal themselves over time.’

Nine years - nine pieces

Heads on Sticks (2018) - Fast and groove-based, almost as if the trio is a drum kit. This short burst of music is based on a fragment of a chord sequence by Radiohead. It was commissioned by Trio Sonorité supported by the Gemma Foundation. Performed by Trio Sonorité (Ozlem Celik, Daryl Giuliano, Jelena Makarova)

Veil (2024) - A meditation on dusk. This duet for two cellos explores natural harmonics resulting from re-tuned strings. These sometimes ‘slight tuning distortions’ create a suspended and haunting quality. Performed by Natalie Rozario.

Flee to Me Remote Elf (2021) - This violin duet is palindromic in structure. It uses the violin percussively in a playful series of sections. There are some added inner-beats to heighten this silliness. The piece was commissioned by Steve Bingham in its original version for his album Cuckoo. Performed by Steve Bingham.

Eawl-Leet (2020) - Another dusk piece, this time for solo cello. ‘Eawl-Leet is an old Lancastrian name for twilight. It was commissioned by the Royal Academy of Music as one of its bi-centenary ‘200 Pieces’. Performed by Sun Haeng Cho.

Brake Tackle and Bowl (rev 2023) - This is a duet for two pianos, one of which is prepared. Like Heads on Sticks and Flee to Me Remote Elf, this is another of my ‘rhythm-section’ pieces. The original piece was commissioned by Kate Halsall and supported by the Arts Council of England. Performed by Kate Halsall and Fumiko Miyachi.

Toy Machines (2022)

i Automata Dance

ii Slow Mechanics

iii Cogs Levers and Seesaws

A set of 3 movements exploring the beautiful child-like qualities of the piccolo; sometimes rapid and almost out of control, and sometimes still and dreamy. It was commissioned by Julian Kelly for the St Anne’s Summer Afternoon Concerts Series. Performed by Sally Palmer.

Thirled Moments (2026)

i Winter Horizon

ii Blaze

iii The Past Hiovering

A set of 3 movements for solo harmonium. These reflect on aspects of winter; its precious light, its magical bleakness, and its earthy brooding. Performed by Kate Halsall.

While Stars Light Your Way Across the Night (2017)

i No Longer a Flower

ii And So I Follow You

iii Only In Stillness

iv In Soft Hands Wet With Tears

v Silent in a Winter Sleep

vi Brush-Stroked in Joy

A set of 6 lullabies for solo piano. These are more of my nocturnal pieces. The piece was commissioned from Borough New Music. Performed by Clare Menor.

Out of Order (2025)

i Song and Dance

ii Like Leaves We Touch

iii As the Flow Cries

iv Ascending and Descending

v Seven Hours and Fifteen Days

vi T is for Pterodactyl

A set of 6 movements exploring ideas of quirkiness, dark humour and absurdity. There is a kind of Alice in Wonderland feel to these. Performed by Metamorphoses (Jean Johnson, Mikhail Zemtzov, Iiona Timchenko).

Edited and produced by John Croft
Album design by Rutger Zuydervelt

1 recorded by John Croft (Amadeus Centre, London 2026)
2 recorded by John Croft (Brunel University, London 2026)
3 recorded by Mark Fawcett (Norfolk 2025)
4 recorded by Sun Haeng Cho (Korea 2020)
5 recorded by Chris Lewis (University of Kent 2014)
6, 7, 8 recorded by Colin Riley (Royal Academy of Music, London 2025)
9, 10, 11 recorded by Colin Riley (Rookhow Quaker Meeting House, Cumbria 2026)
12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 recorded by Roy Cheung (University of Surrey 2017)
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 recorded by John Croft (Stockbridge Church, Edinburgh 2025)

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the creation of this album and believed in the music.