Something More Specifically “Musical”: 1973–1984

This chapter recounts yet more milestones and developments in Wolff's musical career, as well as the changes within his household which in turn enacted further changes into his opus. As Wolff settled into life at Dartmouth, he once again found himself diverging politically from the paths set by Cage and Cardew. But beyond the social consciousness of his performance collective, Wolff turned to a new technique: the veiled embedding of old worker's songs and political tunes in the fabric of his counterpoint. In addition, Wolff would also create another landmark piece in his career: Wobbly Music, which was his first choral work. It established his canon of musico-political sources: the worker's music championed by folk revivalists of the 1950s and 1960s, and exploited a technique that had long fascinated him: hocket.