http://www.hcmf.co.uk en the UK's largest international festival of new and experimental music Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:48:16 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/88 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/88 Talks and discussions involving many of the composers and musicians from hcmf// 2011 can now be listened to and downloaded as free MP3s.Click on the links to the right to listen to or download each talk. Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:18:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/231 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/231 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 14:16:25 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/87 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/87 As the second and final weekend of this year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival approaches, we talk to Simon Steen-Andersen about On&Off on Saturday 26 November, in which Oslo ensemble asamisimasa perform a programme devoted entirely to his works. Part of the strong contingent of Danish composers and musicians at hcmf// 2011, Steen-Andersen’s music makes use of amplification, gear such as whammy pedals and joysticks and a strong visual element to explore aspects of composition, interaction and performance.hcmf//: How do you approach beginning a new piece?Simon Steen-Andersen: I used to begin with playing techniques, sounds and textures but now I am working more and more with the overall concept or setting before engaging in the actual composition. I do this partly to give each piece a strong identity and partly to make the conceptual level stronger in order to balance it with the rest of the musical experience.hcmf//: What concepts or ideas do the pieces performed in On&Off have in common, and in what ways do they differ?SSA: The pieces on the program are very different and cover a span of eight years, the oldest being from 2003 and the newest from 2011. I would claim there are some core elements and a general attitude that connect all the pieces. And in different ways they are all quite concerned with the physicality of musical performance. But to create a sense of unity in the program I have tried to think of each piece as an element in one big 60-minute piece that appears as a whole, for example by using pieces belonging to the same series as ritornellos between the other pieces. hcmf//: Tell us a little about one of the pieces, rerendered, which features a pianist assisted by two performers manipulating the strings inside the piano, and video of their actions... SSA: rerendered is the oldest piece on the program. The idea was, among others, to take chamber music to the next level: Instead of having the ‘chamber’ as the common denominator, where you claim to play together because the sounds eventually meet in the air and in our ears, I wanted to make a situation where an ensemble was actually playing the same instrument, often in concrete cooperation about the production of single sounds. This creates a very intense and intimate performance situation, made even stronger by the extreme amplification of the generally very soft dynamic level. The amplification works as a kind of microscope. The video works as a kind of visual amplification. You could say the goal is to imitate for a large audience the intimate experience you would get standing around and above the piano together with the players. hcmf//: What demands do your pieces make of the performers?SSA: They demand a lot! Because of the physicality and the alternative playing techniques the musicians really have to get the music into their bodies – they need to make it their own. hcmf//: When and how did you become interested in incorporating these extended techniques and multimedia aspects into your work?SSA: I have always been interested in the part of the experience of live music coming from not closing the eyes. The way I use video is mostly as an extension of my work with the physicality and choreographic approach to instrumental playing. But to be honest, my very first impulse to actually work with video myself was a general irritation over all the more or less random visuals that at some point started to accompany concerts. I thought it had to be possible to make integrated and balanced visuals – not as an extra layer but as a musical parameter. And since then it has in some ways almost been taking over my work...Click here to buy tickets for On&Off on Saturday 26 November. Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:35:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/229 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/229 Free Monday proved more popular than ever this year, with such huge audiences that at some performances the concert hall couldn't accommodate everyone - we're already looking at bigger venues for next year's Free Monday events in order to keep up with demand! Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:50:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/228 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/228 The 34th Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is now in full swing, after a first weekend packed with world-class performances, exciting premieres and audiences eager to discover new music.The festival’s opening evening on Friday 18th November brought two contrasting concerts, from Trondheim Soloists with accordionist Frode Haltli in St Paul’s Hall, and Evan Parker’s Electroacoustic Ensemble in Bates Mill. Highlights of the Trondheim Soloists’ Scandinavian-flavoured programme included Nils Henrik Asheim’s kinetic Chase, during which the ensemble split in two for a frenzied musical pursuit, whilst the finale – the British premiere of hcmf// Composer in Residence Bent Sørensen’s It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall – saw them lay down their string instruments to accompany Haltli on mournful-sounding melodicas.Evan Parker’s late-night concert in Bates Mill, meanwhile, brought the first performances of Tesserae, a 75-minute improvised piece directed by Parker that started with each member of his ElectroAcoustic Ensemble tapping stones together before unfolding into an ambitious and ever-changing soundscape that brought the unique skills of each to the fore.After two days packed with concerts ranging from Quatuor Bozzini’s perfectly honed trio of new string quartets to ELISION’s performance of Richard Barrett’s two-and-a-half-hour CONSTRUCTION, which was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Hear and Now’, the opening weekend of hcmf// finished at Bates Mill with TablesAreTurned, Bernhard Lang’s fusion of precision-timed microloops, played by Alter Ego, with the turntable and delay skills of Philip Jeck.Monday 21st November was once again a day devoted to free concerts and new talent, and crowds packed the University of Huddersfield’s Phipps Hall and Creative Arts Building atrium to hear performances by artists including Quatuor Bozzini and edges ensemble. Stef Connor’s poetic Leoþsong was a lunchtime treat, whilst koto player Nobutaka Yoshizawa’s delicate recital, Ensemble 10/10’s performance of Gary Carpenter’s comic One Million Tiny Operas about Britain and Apartment House’s spirited take on Christian Marclay’s Graffiti Composition were other high points.With concerts by Icarus Ensemble, ensemble]h[iatus and Jennifer Walshe and Annie Gosfield Trio with Athelas Sinfonietta among the performances still to come, hcmf// 2011 continues until Sunday 27th November: click here to view the full calendar of festival events. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:37:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/227 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/227 Icarus Ensemble was founded in 1994 in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Since then, they've been performing basically everywhere in the world, giving a tremendous contribution to contemporary music in Italy and abroad. At hcmf// 2011 they present two concerts: the European Composers Spotlight on Wednesday 23 November and the programme of Romitelli works on Thursday 24 November. Marco Pedrazzini, co-founder and artistic director of the ensemble, speaks to Marcello Messina, who has been working with the ensemble this year as a composer on the European Composers' Professional Development Programme (ECPDP). What are your thoughts about the ECPDP?It's the first time we take part in such a project: these things are not that common in Italy, although we did similar experiments in the past. At the Civica in Milan there are some courses which lead to a final performance of students' pieces by an external ensemble. Something similar happens in the Accademia di Siena, but in Italy we don't have any programme that involves an intense collaboration between young composers and ensembles. This is really a new experience, not only for us, but for the Italian scene in general. On the contrary, when I've been to Amsterdam Joël Bons from the Nieuw Ensemble told me that for them this is a very common thing.Any comments on the pieces?We came across extremely different languages, especially with regards to the scores. I would say that there were also different levels of artistic maturation, regardless of the specific language of each single piece/composer... Some are more drawn towards traditional compositional styles, while others are pursuing more personal paths. Generally speaking, the extreme diversity of the pieces reflects the current situation of contemporary music, extensively characterised by a substantial multilingualism rather than dominated by a small number of prominent aesthetic trends.In our pieces you will play a sampler keyboard. Why did you choose to insert this instrument in the line-up?From the beginning I strongly wanted to insert this instrument in the programme, along with two other instruments, the electric guitar and the electric bass, which belong to another musical tradition, but have been absorbed by the languages of contemporary music, especially by composers who belong to our same generation, such as Nova, Verrando, Romitelli, etc. I've got to say that I feel these instruments are becoming more and more part of our music, although they've been already historicised by other musical traditions: for example the keyboard is associated to its use in pop/rock bands from the past decades... Now it's even different, such keyboards are totally obsolete, now we use ‘silent keyboards' that need to be connected to a computer and, by means of various software, are capable to do pretty much anything by simply pressing a key. It would have been interesting to do a more extensive work on the electronics, although realistically in two weekends there's not much that could have been done, as the rehearsals were already taking up most of the time at our disposal... I agree, more work on the electronics would have helped, for example before writing for you I was not used to such instruments...There might be also a problem with the way we are taught as composers? The role of the composer is still mainly focussed on the score, whereas technology is progressing at a much faster pace than that of writing, and thus we end up with possibilities that are basically unlimited, but that remain unused because composers are not aware of their existence. I would definitely say that the notion of sampling, either using a keyboard or any other electronic device, has dramatically changed music in the last years, not just from an aural point of view, but also from a more practical perspective: my keyboard is so small that I can just stick it in my suitcase and take it everywhere I need - that wouldn't have been possible in the past with an old keyboard.Let's talk about the second part of your presence at this year's hcmf//, your concert on Thursday 24 November, entirely dedicated to the Fausto Romitelli's music. Why Romitelli?Well, presenting Romitelli wasn't our choice, but a request from hcmf//. However, this request coincides with our interests, as we played Professor Bad Trip many times, since 1999 when we premiered the full version of the piece in France, ‘til 2004, the year the composer died. All our performances of the piece, except one in Zagreb, took place in presence of the composer, who was satisfied with our interpretation of the piece. He would always work with us on particular aspects of the performance, for instance in Belgium, at the Ars Musica, he came to work on the distortion in the two cadenzas for cello in Lesson II, the second part of Bad Trip. There he specifically called for the use of an acoustic cello with external amplification, whereas nowadays many ensembles use an electric cello for these cadenzas, with the result of having to insert long fermatas that are not called for in the score, in order to replace the acoustic instrument with the electric one and vice versa. We also published a recording of the piece in 2000, edited by Romitelli himself... surely Romitelli marked our career, and our collaboration with him was fruitful and inspiring... his premature death was really a big tragedy. Wherever we go nowadays they ask us to play his music, no matter if they know of our friendship with Fausto or not. For instance, they asked us in Vilnius last year, but there we played just Trash TV Trance and not Bad Trip. Actually, after Fausto's death, we've never played this piece, which on the contrary has been showcased by many other ensembles I know... Sometimes someone contacts me to ask advice for the performance of the piece: the last one was an Australian ensemble a couple of months back... And then Bad Trip was recently presented by the Ensemble Talea at the Bang on a Can Marathon, well, Romitelli's music is always demanded and performed.Definitely, looking just at this year's hcmf// Romitelli will not only be performed by you, but also by Ensemble Recherche and recorder player Chris Orton...In general, there's going to be a lot of Italian music in the Festival, including a performance of Nono's classic La fabbrica illuminata on the closing day...I'm very happy about Romitelli's presence this year... As it regards Nono's La fabbrica illuminata, I'd like to add that it has a strong connection with our town Reggio Emilia, as our local workers' movement got really involved, and then, a few years later the Musica/Realtá festival, directed by Armado Gentilucci, started bringing in town important musicians, such as Luigi Pestalozza, Claudio Abbado, Maurizio Pollini, and Luigi Nono himself, who eventually came to present a performance of La fabbrica illuminata.Speaking about your recent repertoire, many of the projects you've been working at involved pieces with a strong component of multimediality, and the use of new technologies, such as Casale's recent opera Conversazioni con Chomsky, that you premiered in last year's REC festival, or Francesconi's Lips Eyes Bang. Yes, back in 2001 I really insisted with the Teatro Valli to schedule Lips Eyes Bang, we were looking at collaborating with AGON and I had personally gone to meet Francesconi and Tadini... We are really interested in multimediality, and in particular in these technologies that have come up in the very last year, that basically allow to control the audio, video and graphics using pretty much the same interfaces... obviously we're also interested in sound spatialisation... However, we keep ourselves tied to the past, be it recent or remote: for example, we've just performed Boulez's Le Marteau sans maitre at the Festival Aperto in Reggio Emilia, along with some transcriptions from Bach's Musical Offering. Moreover, we also direct a project called Icarus Junior, whose last project consisted in the performance of pieces that belong to a really distant past, transcribed by contemporary authors, such as Pérotin transcribed by Guarnieri or Bach transcribed by Sonia Bo.I've also noticed that many of the projects you've been involved in engage with the current historical moment. For example, you've played in Nicola Sani's opera Il tempo sospeso del volo, about Giovanni Falcone, the Sicilian judge killed by the mafia in 1992...That was a very good experience, we even received a fax from our President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, and then in the audience there was the then President of the RAI (Italian state TV) and the anti-mafia magistrate Ilda Bocassini, together with Falcone's sister and other important institutional figures.Well, these examples from your past activity surely show how you've been actively contributing to the recent history of Italian music.Well, thanks, that's a bit too much, but we do our best! Let's put it this way then: judging upon the contribution you're giving, were you based in another country you wouldn't have the problems with state funding you were talking about before. So do you think Italian institutions ignore your contribution?They're not just ignoring us. It's a bit hard to explain the situation of contemporary music in Italy... For instance Reggio Emilia is characterised by a strong leftist tradition: the local administration has always belonged to what's supposed to be the progressive part of our politics... well, even they can't stand contemporary music, they do everything they can to dismantle it, they've even deprived us of the Officina delle Arti, the venue where Icarus used to rehearse an where we hosted you during the workshops. Luckily there is a private donor now who looks interested in offering us a new space.Does this happen for mere financial convenience? Or do you think they're openly hostile towards contemporary music?I think there is an utter hostility towards contemporary music. Some members of our local administration repeatedly declared that it's just a peripheral form of art, and that nobody should invest in it: such an attitude is typically populistic.On the contrary, we have to say that the Teatro Valli is always very keen to promote contemporary music, but the problem is that the Teatro alone can't have a sufficient impact on the town's cultural life. Is this the reason why you're looking more and more at the international scene?Yes, although we've recently been involved in a number of very good large-scale production here in town, always with the Teatro. Now we feel it's time we concentrate on our international presence though.So, would you feel comfortable in describing yourselves using the archetype of the Italian artist ‘in exile'?Sure. This is a topic that we discussed several times in various occasions: those who choose to be artists in Italy generally end up going abroad sooner or later. With regards to contemporary music, we need to say that IRCAM literally absorbs the majority of Italian composers abroad, but in general there are really a lot of Italian artists abroad, affiliated to various institutions.More information on Icarus Ensemble can be found at http://www.icarusensemble.comMarcello Messina  Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:21:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/226 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/226 hcmf// 2011 is underway and there's plenty of discussion and debate year's Festival online. You'll also find instant content such as photos, interviews and reviews. To hear what everyone's saying go to Twitter and search hashtag #hcmf or #hcmf2011. And don't forget to follow us at http://twitter.com/#!/HCMFUK.We'll also be loading pictures from the Festival to our Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/HCMF/13748249668. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 08:59:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/225 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/225 Last tickets remaining for hcmf// 2011!All tickets for Trance Map have now sold out, and there are very few tickets remaining for Dokumentary Koncert #1: Bent Sørensen and Arditti Quartet + Ian PaceAlso selling fast are London Sinfonietta, ensemble recherche, Quatuor Diotima, Xenakis Choral Masterpieces: Classical / Radical, Sørensen / Nono / Haas and Oslo/Triptych.Book online now to avoid missing out Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:38:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/223 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/223 hcmf// is preparing to welcome guests, composers, artists and audience members from around the world to Yorkshire over the coming weeks – and for the second year running the Festival is being supported by Welcome to Yorkshire, the county’s destination management organisation – confirming hcmf//’s place as a key event in the county’s cultural calendar.This year, hcmf// will play host to around 25 music and cultural programmers, plus Festival directors from around the world, as part of the long-term partnership with British Council. Delegates will be attending the first weekend of the Festival, which forms a showcase for new British music and over the past few years has become established as an important annual meeting place for potential partners to discuss and develop multi-national projects, commissions and performances.The Festival will also see performances from a multitude of leading international ensembles, alongside a focus on the music of Denmark and Norway.Commenting on Welcome to Yorkshire’s partnership with hcmf//, Chief Executive Gary Verity said: “Now in it’s 34th year, hcmf// is clearly one of the county’s unique events and has strong international links, which have gone from strength to strength in recent years. Welcome to Yorkshire is delighted to support the Festival in presenting the very best new music to its audience and guests from across the country and around the world. Our partnership gives us the opportunity to ensure that they all receive a warm Yorkshire welcome along with lots of information about why the county is one of Europe’s leading cultural destinations.”Welcome to Yorkshire’s support for the Festival has also contributed to the Oslo/Triptych concert Saturday 19 November, the programme for which includes the UK premiere of the piece Oslo/Triptych  by Scottish composer James Dillon – whose career began in Yorkshire with the first ever public performance of his work – a piano piece performed at hcmf// in 1978. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:44:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/222 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/222 Cellist Anton Lukoszevieze will discuss and demonstrate the new work Nerve Cell-0 by Zbigniew Karkowski with regards to extended cello techniques, improvisatory schemata in correlation with live electronics, the unpredictability of live-performance situations and the aesthetics of noise. Open to all, but particularly of interest to composers / improvisers / string players. Free to attend, but please book your place in advance by emailing Heidi Johnson at h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Nerve Cell-0 will receive its world premiere at hcmf// on Tuesday 22 November at 10.00pm in Phipps Hall in the Creative Arts Building at the University of Huddersfield (Tickets can be booked here). Developed during a residency at EMS Stockholm, Nerve Cell_o is a monumental duo for cello and a complex central ‘nervous system' (FitzHughNagumo) of interactive live electronics. The cello part is a sonic 'landscape' of possible improvisatory strategies in response to and against the realtime electronic soundings.Nerve Cell_o is commissioned by Sound and Music and EMS, Stockholm. Workshop supported by the Polish Cultural Institute Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:45:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/268 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/268 Tuesday 22 November10.00am - 12.00noonPhipps Hall, Creative Arts Building, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH Cellist Anton Lukoszevieze will discuss and demonstrate the new work Nerve Cell-0 by Zbigniew Karkowski with regards to extended cello techniques, improvisatory schemata in correlation with live electronics, the unpredictability of live-performance situations and the aesthetics of noise. Open to all, but particularly of interest to composers / improvisers / string players. Free to attend, but please book your place in advance by emailing Heidi Johnson at h.johnson@hud.ac.uk  Nerve Cell-0 will receive its world premiere at hcmf// on Tuesday 22 November at 10.00pm in Phipps Hall in the Creative Arts Building at the University of Huddersfield (Tickets can be booked here). Developed during a residency at EMS Stockholm, Nerve Cell_o is a monumental duo for cello and a complex central ‘nervous system' (FitzHughNagumo) of interactive live electronics. The cello part is a sonic 'landscape' of possible improvisatory strategies in response to and against the realtime electronic soundings.Nerve Cell_o is commissioned by Sound and Music and EMS, Stockholm. Workshop supported by the Polish Cultural Institute Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/221 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/221 1. Trondheim Soloists + Frode Haltlihttp://www.trondheimsolistene.nohttp://www.haltli.comhttp://www.arnenordheim.comhttp://www.schirmer.com/composers/kernis/bio.htmlhttp://www.bentsorensen.nethttp://nilshenrikasheim.no 2. Evan Parker's Electroacoustic Ensemblehttp://evanparker.com/electroacoustic.php3. Dokumentary Koncert #1: Bent Sorensenhttp://www.bentsorensen.net4. Oslo / Triptychhttp://www.cikada.nohttp://www.grenager.nohttp://www.robinderaaff.com http://www.jamesdillonmusic.com 5. Trance Maphttp://evanparker.comhttp://www.matt-wright.co.uk 6. London Sinfoniettahttp://www.londonsinfonietta.org.uk http://www.myspace.com/jexperholmenhttp://www.lefterispapadimitriou.com http://www.zubel.pl http://www.duchnowski.pl http://www.thehouseofbedlam.com/larry_goves/home.html7. CONSTRUCTIONhttp://www.ump.co.uk/barrett.htmhttp://www.elision.org.au8. Cikada Ensemble: Laurence Crane @ 50http://www.cikada.no http://www.buene.com http://www.myspace.com/laurencecrane9. Quatuor Bozzinihttp://www.quatuorbozzini.ca http://www.jamesweeks.org http://richardglover.wordpress.com http://www.rozalie.com 10. ensemble recherchehttp://www.ensemble-recherche.de http://web.mac.com/stevendaverson/stevendaverson/Home.htmlhttp://www.ffn.ub.es/jmparra/hector/Biography.htmlhttp://www.boosey.com/composer/Harrisonhttp://www.ricordi.it/composers/r/fausto-romitelli/fausto-romitelli-1/view?set_language=en11. from Scratchhttp://sonicsfromscratch.co.nz http://www.untitledwebsite.com http://www.james-saunders.com 12. TablesAre Turnedhttp://members.chello.at/bernhard.langhttp://www.ongaku.de http://www.philipjeck.com 13. ELISIONhttp://elision.org.au http://www.elision.org.au/ELISION_Ensemble/Einar_Torfi_Einarsson_composer.htmlhttp://users.telenet.be/paulcraenen http://www.timothy-mccormack.com http://franzson.com 14. Shadowplayhttp://www.bentsorensen.net http://www.cikada.no http://www.scenatet.dk http://www.trioaristos.com 15. Nieuw Ensemblehttp://www.nieuw-ensemble.nl http://www.shlom.com http://members.chello.at/~bernhard.lang http://www.maykenas.nl 16. Anton Lukoszeviezehttp://kalvos.org/lukosze.htmlhttp://www.myspace.com/zbigniewkarkowski17. Nieuw Ensemblehttp://www.hcmf.co.uk/ECPDPhttp://www.nieuw-ensemble.nl http://www.giuseppecalifano.net http://www.myspace.com/matthewsergeant18. Ensemble 10/10http://www.hcmf.co.uk/ECPDPhttp://www.odayu21.com 19. Icarus Ensemblehttp://www.icarusensemble.com http://flavors.me/marcellomessinahttp://finolamerivale.com/Finola_Merivale/Home.html20. NoTAMhttp://www.notam02.no/web/?lang=enhttp://mhm.hud.ac.uk/cerenemhttp://www.cecilieore.no http://sounz.org.nz/contributor/composer/1090http://mhm.hud.ac.uk/cerenem/staff/rose-doddhttp://www.froholm.com 21. Arne Deforcehttp://www.arnedeforce.be http://www.iannis-xenakis.org/xen/index.htmlhttp://www.bek.no/~rubenhttp://www.jamesdillonmusic.com 22. Opera for Solo Pianohttp://www.thenorwegianopra.no/trondreinholdtsenhttp://www.markknoop.com 23. musikFabrikhttp://www.musikfabrik.eu http://www.vivosvoco.com http://www.hcmf.co.uk/About-Rebecca-Saundershttp://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/composer/composer_main.asp?composerid=2729&langid=1&ttype=BIOGRAPHY&ttitle=Biography24. Icarus Ensemble: Romitellihttp://www.icarusensemble.com http://www.ricordi.it/composers/r/fausto-romitelli25. ensemble h]i[atus + Jennifer Walshehttp://ryoanji.free.fr/?v=hiatushttp://cmc.ie/composers/composer.cfm?composerID=114http://www.milker.org 26. Mark Knoophttp://www.markknoop.com http://www.iannis-xenakis.org/xen/index.htmlhttp://www.kreidler-net.de http://www.stefanprins.be/eng/index.htmlhttp://ablinger.mur.at 27. Anders Forisdal: Klaus Langhttp://klang.mur.at 28. Arditti Quartet + Ian Pacehttp://www.ardittiquartet.co.uk http://www.ianpace.com http://www.iannis-xenakis.org/xen/index.html29. Annie Gosfield: Floating Messages and Fading Frequencieshttp://www.anniegosfield.com http://www.athelas.dk 30. Quatuor Diotimahttp://www.quatuordiotima.fr http://www.oscarbianchi.com http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~ts8http://www.jamesdillonmusic.com 31. FIGURA Ensemble + Signe Asmussenhttp://www.figura.dk/hovedmenu.6http://www.signeasmussen.dk http://en.ewh.dk/default.aspx?TabId=2449&State_2955=2&composerId_2955=191http://www.steingrimur-rohloff.de http://www.nicolaiworsaae.dk/nicolaiworsaae.dk/Home.htmlhttp://en.ewh.dk/default.aspx?TabId=2449&State_2955=2&composerId_2955=17732. Ensemble Linea: Ferneyhoughhttp://www.ensemble-linea.com http://www.fabienlevy.net http://brahms.ircam.fr/francesco-filideihttp://www.elision.org.au/ELISION_Ensemble/Brian_Ferneyhough_composer.html33. On&Offhttp://www.simonsteenandersen.dk http://asamisimasa.com/-/sandbox/show?ref=mst34. Gotterfunkenhttp://www.rosaensemble.nl http://www.myspace.com/wilbertbulsink35. Xenakis Choral Masterpieces: Classical / Radicalhttp://www.iannis-xenakis.org/xen/index.htmlhttp://www.nlcc.org.uk http://www.philharmonia.co.uk/orchestra/conductors/clementpowellhttp://www.newmusicplayers.org.uk 36. Sorensen / Nono / Haashttp://www.bentsorensen.net http://www.luiginono.it/enhttp://kglteater.dk/en/OmKunstarterne/Opera/Kunstnere/Solistensemble/Gert%20Henning_Jensen.aspxhttp://frederikmunklarsen.dk http://www.andreasborregaard.com Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/206 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/206 London Sinfonietta’s concert at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival on Saturday 19 November includes the second-ever performance of Larry Goves’ Things that are blue, things that are white and things that are black, an innovative piano concerto written for Sarah Nicholls that uses three different acoustic and electric keyboards. As well as composing, Goves, who recently received a Paul Hamlyn Foundation award to support his future work, also performs live electronics as part of his ensemble the house of bedlam.hcmf//: How did you first start composing?Larry Goves: I started composing in an embarrassing adolescent phase of trying to be creative in a disorganised, omnidirectional frenzy. I joined a lot of societies: some specimens for a youth poetry society, in particular, are completely unforgivable. Composing was the only part of this that seemed natural and comfortable.hcmf//: What currently interests you the most in music?LG: I’m fascinated by different composers’ attitudes towards tuning systems and complex notation and word-setting and decoration, as much as subtle changes in rhythm and pitch in classic blues recordings, far too much to list here. At the moment I’m quite excited about my immediate composer friends, where there’s enough socialising, chat and trust to feel like I have a privileged insight into the music in one way or another. Composers such as Ian Vine, Gameshow Outpatient, Anna Meredith, Matthew Sergeant, Emily Hall, Mark Bowden and many others. hcmf//: Tell us more about Things that are blue, things that are white and things that are black and why it uses three different keyboards...LG: Things that are blue, things that are white and things that are black is the second in three planned responses to a favourite novel, Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy. The first piece, for piano and keyboard triggering samples, was written for Sarah Nicolls in response to a commission to expand the piano performance environment with technology. The samples, in both pieces, are retuned piano notes and impossible-to-play-on-your-own piano chords. Things that are blue…, which is a kind of piano concerto, uses a similar setup and incorporates prepared piano into the middle movement as a homage to John Cage.This was also intended as a kind of romantic piano concerto, or rather my memory of a romantic piano concerto from when I was a child. I think there are features of virtuosity that I perceived watching pianists then, that I’ve lost as studying music has demystified them. As I’ve incorporated so many impossible chords into the electric piano, I feel I’ve reclaimed this a little. I wrote the piece for Sarah and although this wasn’t an overtly collaborative piece I feel that she had a big impact on it.hcmf//: If you had your way, where would your pieces be heard?LG: In concert halls, motorway service stations, just before the news, in space, on the way to space, in big empty fields, on Dictaphones instead of something that had just been recorded, as an occasional substitute for speech, in art galleries, on fishing boats, as a regular feature on the World Service and from specialist novelty birthday mugs. Well to start with, anyway. I probably shouldn’t have my way.hcmf//: What are the house of bedlam up to at the moment?LG: Individually they’re scouring the UK looking for rare birds, programming extraordinary concerts on the South Bank, purchasing houses and living in them, raising families, writing/playing music and staring into space. Collectively we’ve been quiet for a long time, mainly, while I took stock of our last projects and wrote some much bigger pieces. This is the calm before the storm, though – I’m planning new music, sounds, approaches and concerts for 2012 and beyond.hcmf//: This summer saw the conclusion of the year-long Exchange and Return project, in which you collaborated with two artists (Mira Calix and Tansy Davies) with different musical backgrounds to your own. What were the most valuable things that you took from the experience?LG: I learnt more about live electronics and approaches to software, a history of electronic dance music, what it’s like to play at a non-classical festival and all sorts of other practical things. I learnt most from seeing Mira Calix, another, very different, composer working and starting to understand her thought process and approach. I should mention that two sections of the middle movement of Things that are blue... are closely related to the Exchange and Return project. I made a remix of an early track of Mira’s and the sections of this most removed from the original found their way into this movement. Although none of the original music is left there is, I hope, something of the spirit there.hcmf//: What do you have planned for 2012?LG: I’m going to write a short piece for EXAUDI (it’s their birthday!), some music for the Manchester-based Trio Atem and lots of music for the house of bedlam. More than anything else, though, I’m going to look for the kind of project which allows me to build on larger-scale projects and develop the sense of scale that’s hinted at in Things that are blue, things that are white and things that are black.Click here to buy tickets for London Sinfonietta’s concert featuring Larry Goves’ music on Saturday 19 November. Ensemble 10/10 also perform Goves’ earlier work I Wear You On My Sleeve as part of the free hcmf// shorts on Monday 21 November Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:10:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/220 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/220 hcmf// is delighted to host its second Family Morning, which this year is presented by Danish ensemble FIGURA. This workshop is about sounds, music and how to create music together with professional musicians and composers.Create your own piece of music by using your imagination and playing with rhythms and symbols, helped along by Danish composers Peter Bruun and Jesper Egelund and the musicians from the FIGURA Ensemble. The morning will end with a public performance of the music created in the workshop.Bring an item of your own choice that can create sounds: a plastic or paper bag, a pot lid, a rattle or the instrument that you play! No experience necessary.For children aged 9-12 years and their grown-ups!All children must be accompanied by an adult.Buy tickets from here. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:58:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/219 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/219 As part of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival’s ongoing commitment to developing and commissioning new musical voices, London Sinfonietta’s concert at hcmf// 2011 on Saturday 19 November features Marula, the first of four pieces to come from Danish composer Jexper Holmen’s two-year residency with hcmf//. Running until 2012, Holmen’s residency is supported by the Danish Arts Foundation and backed by SNYK, Denmark’s centre for contemporary music, and his publisher Edition.S.“It’s just a small advertisement for what will happen next year,” Holmen says of the work for clarinet, string trio and analogue ring modulator, which premiered at London Sinfonietta’s Sonic Explorations event in October. “It’s quite a violent piece, but there’s still this ambience of softness about it.”Marula forms the third part of a cycle of works – Miranda-Medina-Marula-Melonta – where Holmen has tried to focus less upon details than on creating powerful music that uses blurring and distortion to unsettling effect. He used chance operations in the course of composing the piece, which his notes for the piece direct the musicians to play “as if the carved blocks were relentlessly paced forward by a stream of lava.”“I think there’s something unbrutal in being extremely brutal,” he says, “because you save the idea, you protect the idea from being destroyed when you do it in a very block-like and manifesto-like way.” The work calls for the string players to hold double-stopped chords and then move their fingers to different notes, producing intervals where the pitches slide away from each other, a similar effect to the electronic ring modulation. “It will blur the sense of specific pitches and make it more a question of density,” he says. The whole piece is amplified then fed through loudspeakers in mono to increase its heavy, intimidating atmosphere.Holmen has been drawn to create noisy and challenging pieces since he was a teenager: his audition piece for the Royal Danish Academy of Music used prepared clarinets, “ones I had constructed from different parts put together, soprano clarinets with bass mouthpieces, mouthpieces on their own and some other things that had to be put together with gaffer tape.” Once accepted at the conservatory, however, he found that under-confidence with the range of compositional techniques he was learning led him to write what he calls “very polite music”.“We had Xenakis visit us and listen to some of our pieces, and with mine he didn’t even want to comment, he said it was too ‘school-like’,” he recalls. “That made me think that perhaps my music wasn’t meant to be polite, and so I began to write more experimental music again, especially very loud pieces.” In recent years he has found ways to incorporate more subtle and melodic elements into his music without compromising his sonically abrasive side. He says he feels more musically connected to electronic artists such as Autechre, his fellow Dane Bjørn Svin and Aphex Twin than to much of classical music, citing the latter’s sparse and oblique Selected Ambient Works Volume II as a particular influence. “Many of my pieces have things that are going around and around with only small changes,” he says. “You have to sharpen your ears to get the details, although if you don’t sharpen your ears you can still listen to the surface, and that’s interesting too.”Huddersfield audiences first encountered Holmen’s music at hcmf// 2009, with Lullabies, an exploration of the unpleasant underbelly of children’s music, and Oort Cloud, a 40-minute imagining of “cosmic disaster” inspired by a previous concert Holmen had attended where the venue acoustics were overwhelmed by the resonating sound. It was, he says, a deliberately demanding piece, both for the musicians – the saxophonist had to simultaneously combine multiphonics with circular breathing, whilst the accordionists spent long periods bearing the weight of their instruments with their arms outstretched – and for the listeners, as Holmen structured the piece so its multilayered, blurred parts would be hard to grasp as a whole. “I was a little annoyed that things were not allowed to be difficult. I wrote a manifesto for the festival that was all about difficulty being a quality, that things didn’t necessarily have to be easy,” he says.A first look at the other pieces Jexper Holmen is composing as part of his hcmf// residency:MelontaA collaboration with Monty Adkins for accordion and electronics, due to be premiered at hcmf// in November 2012.“Normally I use electronics in a simple way because that’s all I can handle technically, but now I’m working with Monty I’ve decided that for the first time it should be very subtle, very advanced and very heavily electronic. The electronics react to what the accordion player is doing. I’ve prerecorded elements and there’s also live processing of the instrument. It might change dramatically between now and the premiere, but at the moment my plan is that there should be one giant chord of more than 10 voices spread out around 26 loudspeakers, but which is only heard when the accordion is playing.”AlnitakA collaboration with accordionist Frode Andersen forming part of hcmf//’s Learning & Participation strand.“It’s a further development of Lullabies, which I did at hcmf// in 2009. That was for electronics. music boxes and old defective accordions.  Again, it’s for music boxes and accordions, but the electronics are very much calmed down. We’re asking people to play the instruments who have no experience of playing. We don’t think of them as amateur musicians; we look at them as people doing something that they are not used to. They will have this very fresh approach to the instruments they’re playing. And then we’re doing some alternative amplification techniques to make it sound special. Although it’s written as a Learning and Participation project, it’s important that it’s still this uncompromising and relentless approach to music, so it shouldn’t be easy for anybody.”TheïaWritten for ELISION ensemble and featuring contrabass clarinets, vibraphones, prepared cellos and tam-tam“Again it has this blurred, alienated sound and uses ring modulation, only this time it’s not one ring modulator but many. It’s done exclusively with analogue gear as the analogue ring modulators sound much warmer and richer than digital ones. Theïa is inspired by the giant impact hypothesis. People wondered why the moon was so big in comparison to the earth; it’s an unusual size for a satellite. It’s very lucky for the Earth as it stabilises it, and without this stabilisation, life wouldn’t have been able to develop. So the hypothesis is that once, in the early history of the solar system, Earth was impacted by another planet, which caused it to almost be smashed apart, and this formed the Moon. So it’s something extremely destructive which has caused something very beautiful and lovely. Theïa is an ancient Greek goddess who was the mother of the sun and the moon. There’s a lot of pulsating things in it, like things orbiting, and it’s very heavy and relentless. I’ve not used rhythm so much in my other pieces, but this one is all about pulses.”Click here to buy tickets for London Sinfonietta’s concert featuring Jexper Holmen’s Marula on Saturday 19 NovemberHear more of Jexper Holmen’s music here on Soundcloud Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:11:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/218 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/218 All online discounts for hcmf// are now sold out and no longer available, but you can still receive great discounts on tickets through our Festival Saver Tickets  or by booking on the 17-25 Year Old Scheme, sponsored by the Royal Philharmonic Society. Click here for more information Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:09:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/215 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/215 hcmf//’s founding Director Professor Richard Steinitz in conversation with BBC Radio 3 presenter Robert Worby to mark the launch of Explosions in November, a new book about the history of the Festival, published by the University of Huddersfield Press.The launch takes place on Thursday 24th November 2011, at 2pm, in the Creative Arts Building, CAM G/01, University of Huddersfield. Everyone is welcome and the event is not ticketed. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:01:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/217 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/217 “I think art is a way to create dreams which are eternal,” Bent Sørensen says. “I don’t mean that the music I write will be eternal, but when you sit down to write a concerto, you are free to dream that you’re going to live forever. Art is a way to deal with death.”“To sit down in front of a new piece of paper is to start a new life, really,” he adds. “The music becomes like a diary and is infected with the things that happen around me.” Although Sørensen, the Composer in Residence at this year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, may be the only person able to link each of his works to specific memories from the time he wrote them, his music has the power to cast a similar spell upon the rest of us. His soundworld is one of shadows and uncertainty, where microtonal shifts and delicate glissandi evoke a range of emotional states and where fragmentary melodies blur and decay like a series of half-remembered associations.“For me to write a piece, there has to be some links which meld together without really having anything to do with each other,” he says. “That’s like living, as well: living is very much by accident and you can’t really control what’s happening. But then you think, ‘Why am I here right now?’ and it’s down to a lot of small coincidences and accidents, that certain things came together, and I’m always looking for that in my work.”The opening concert of hcmf// 2011 features the first UK performance of Sørensen’s new work, It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall, performed by accordionist Frode Haltli and the Trondheim Soloists. It’s the second piece that Sørensen has written for Haltli, after Looking on Darkness, composed for Haltli’s professional debut in 2000. In this case, the “small coincidence” which birthed the piece was a chance encounter when Sørensen was a guest of the Arcus Temporum festival in Hungary in 2008. A woman approached him and gave him a slip of paper with what would become the title of the piece written on it. “She said it was from a poem by a Hungarian writer, and that it reminded her very much of my music. I thought it was a very beautiful sentence, so I put it in my pocket.  I knew that was the title. I have to get the title before I write a piece. It’s like naming a child: even if you name a child Brian and he grows up and you think he looks more like a Steven, you don’t change the name.”Sørensen is unafraid to put emotion at the forefront of his work and It is pain... explores sorrow, a theme chosen from a story he was told by a friend, “about a girl who wanted to become an accordion player and was very talented, only she couldn’t play in the end because of problems with her back. I had this feeling of tears flowing down onto an accordion.” In Haltli, he feels that he has found a musician who can take his ideas from the page to the audience in the most direct way. “I asked Frode, ‘How does it sound when this accordion is crying? Can you make tears come out of it?’” he says.“It’s the most clearly melodic piece I have written. But then I wanted everything to gradually disappear, because of this feeling of someone who couldn’t play the accordion anymore. Halfway through the piece, all the strings disappear, but then the orchestra start to sing and play on the melodica, so you have 16 melodicas and they drown the accordion. And as with many of my pieces, there’s a spatial idea to it. Frode is sitting in the back; he’s almost hidden in a way.  There is one violin player at the other end of the hall, and there’s a kind of dialogue, a musical love story between the violin and the accordion.”There’s a twist to the story, or as Sørensen might see it, an accident which reveals something else about his art: “The funny thing was that I went back to the same festival in Hungary this year and I met the same woman. I told her that I’d used the title for a piece and she was very happy. I asked her if she would find the poem for me and she said that she would translate it into English. The next day she came to me and she said, ‘I’m sorry, but it was actually not a white wall, but a red wall.’ And I said, ‘I don’t mind, because your line is better than the one in the poem.’ That’s very close to what creating art is about, because you have an idea and then it changes in the memory and becomes something different.”As a young composer, Sørensen studied with fellow Danes Ib Nørholm  and Per Nørgård, the latter known for deriving music from mathematical sequences through his ‘infinity series’. Earlier Sørensen works such as Sterbende Gärten (alternately The Echoing Garden or The Decaying Garden), Shadowland and Minnewater, with its subtitle, Thousands of Canons, explored repeating cells and proportions in ways that gave the works almost fractal-like qualities; but the composer says that such structures do not interest him so much now. He sees the creation of his first opera, 2004’s Under The Sky, as a turning point in his approach: “In the late ‘80s and the first half of the ‘90s, I was working with very strict form and rhythm. Then since the end of the ‘90s, when I started to work with music theatre and worked with text and dramatic forms, the timing became different, and I also started to think much more about spatial things.”“I think I realised that all of my music up to my opera had some hidden film scripts, or theatre scripts or poetry in it. I don’t mind saying that my music is telling stories; it’s just that I don’t always remember what stories they are telling. Sometimes the best thing in music is that you have the freedom that you don’t always know what the story is about, but you know how you should tell it. You are speaking with a language which you may not completely understand yourself, but you are creating a story which is true.”The Sørensen works programmed at hcmf// 2011 highlight this storytelling in space as well as time. Aside from the arrangement of the musicians in It is pain..., there’s Shadowplay, a concert in which Sørensen revisits three relatively recent trios for different combinations of instruments – Schattenlinie (2010) for viola, clarinet and piano; Phantasmagoria (2007) for violin, cello and piano, and Gondole (2010) for violin, viola and cello – and recasts them as one 15-movement work in Huddersfield Town Hall. Cikada Ensemble, Ensemble SCENATET and Trio Aristos will perform the piece, with one trio onstage, one in the middle of the audience and one on the balcony. “I always dreamed that one day I could put these three trios together in one concert,” he says. “I don’t know how it’s going to work. It’s a spatial piece, and it’s like a destruction, because they are three independent trios with five movements each, and by melding them together differently, you are destroying the original form. But I think the music should be good enough to survive that.”Huddersfield also plays host to Snowbells, a new version of Den hvide skov (The White Forest), an installation by Sørensen and Katrine Wiedemann (who also directed the first performances of Under the Sky), which brought an unexpectedly wintry glade of snowy white trees and the sounds of church bells to a summer forest in Jutland. This time the forest is staying put – “In November, a white wood in Yorkshire is just ridiculous compared to summertime in Denmark,” Sørensen remarks, and judging by the freezing temperatures during last year’s hcmf//, he has a point – instead, his sounds will manifest themselves mysteriously from speakers hidden around one of Bates Mill’s industrial yards, a further move in time and space from the original source recordings.The installation Den hvide skov marked Sørensen’s first use of prerecorded sound in his music: the second is Saudades Inocentes, a work developed in collaboration with Anna Berit Asp Christensen, artistic director of Copenhagen’s SPOR festival. “Anna Berit’s my experimental playmate, in a way,” Sørensen says. “We recorded her in a lot of situations – she’s always humming, so we recorded that, and her steps when she was walking – and other females’ voices, all the female sounds we could find in Copenhagen, basically.” These voices form a diffuse cloud which emanates from loudspeakers under the audience’s feet, whilst onstage, three generations of male singers: a grandfather, a father and a son, sing texts developed from the recordings.  “It’s a lot about longing: they are singing to each other, but in a way they are in two different rooms.”Sørensen credits his collaborations with encouraging him to expand his music into these new fields. “All the way up to the end of the ‘90s, I was basically working on music on paper. I love the loneliness, to lock myself in for days and months and work. And then when I started to work on Under the Sky, I suddenly started to collaborate with other people.” He adds, “When you need people from other artforms, you get inspired by them. But you’re also inspired by their artform. When I work with Katrine, I get inspired by theatrical elements. When I work with Anna Berit, a very strong curator who can put things together, I get inspired to work with different elements in new ways.”Audiences can look forward to more collaborations and experimentation from Sørensen in the future. Whilst his immediate work plans still include several more traditional commissions for concertos, this year he has cut back on his teaching duties in order to have more time for projects such as the ‘backyard operas’ he has been developing with Asp Christensen, site-specific performances in unlikely locations using simple electronics, ghetto blasters and elements of text and movement.  “I felt that if I continued with so much teaching I would only have time to write all those quite posh commissions, like the concertos. But I also want to work in a more experimental, underground way, which is what we’re doing with the backyard operas. We’re also doing some indoors concerts at the Bergen festival where we go into some famous people’s houses and change them into one big sound installation.”He considers: “So that’s what I’m doing at the moment, a combination of classical and much more conceptual music. But of course, I want the classical music to be conceptual and the conceptual music to be classical. I can’t divide myself into different kinds of music; they have to be under the same umbrella.”Click here for more details of Bent Sørensen events at hcmf// 2011 and to buy tickets:Snowbells, Friday 18 November then throughout the festivalTrondheim Soloists + Frode Haltli, Friday 18 NovemberDokumentary Koncert #1, Saturday 19 NovemberCikada Point 4: Improvisations on Bent Sørensen’s Funeral Processions, Monday 21 NovemberShadowplay, Tuesday 22 NovemberSørensen/Nono/Haas, Sunday 27 November Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:25:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/216 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/216 Secondary schools can now download a fantastic resource pack, Random Walks, crammed with practical ideas for introducing students to the work and ideas of Iannis Xenakis, a featured composer at hcmf// 2011.Random Walks has been devised by composer Barry Russell, and was commissioned by hcmf// with support from the Young Voices Foundation. The pack consists of a set of composition projects intended as a 'way in' for Key Stages 3 & 4 to the unique sound world of Iannis Xenakis. The music is sometimes rich and complex, sometimes stark and austere yet, despite its often cerebral origins, it speaks with strong emotions and raw power. The seven projects offer ideas to students derived from Xenakis' approach to composition which they can use to model and create their own pieces. The projects will help students think outside the box and boldly go...!Barry has worked as a secondary school teacher, a 'Musician in the Community', Senior Lecturer and Artist in Residence, and has delivered many education and outreach projects as part of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. He is a pianist/performer with the Cornelius Cardew Ensemble, 50p worth of the Pound Shop Boys and works Europe-wide as a freelance composer/animateur. Barry has also written a book of composition projects for GCSE: The GCSE Composition Course, published by Peters Edition. Download your free pack from the link below to get creating! Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:49:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/214 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/214 hcmf// Artistic Director Graham McKenzie reflects on the music of Composer in Residence Bent Sørensen ahead of the Festival... I first came across Bent Sørensen's music in 1997 on Birds and Bells - a CD on the highly influential ECM New Series. At the time I pretty much collected everything released on the Munich based label irrespective of whether I had any prior knowledge of the artist or composer. Throughout the recording Sørensen plays continually with spatial depth in the music, inviting the listener to experience it from unusual and changing perspectives as glissandi sweep through the ensemble sound and composed ‘echoes' reverberate. The music is beautifully realised by the Oslo Sinfonietta and Cikada. Nordic Sounds commented - ‘Sørensen's music is dreamscapes without boundaries'. The track I kept returning to was Funeral Procession - slow and almost inaudible in places - there is a sense of compromised beauty about the piece. Like all of Sørensen's mature works it creates a strong sense of decay emotionally akin to viewing an aging artwork! I waited eagerly for further instalments from the Danish composer. Sadly nothing more arrived and gradually I lost contact with Sørensen's sound world.I was re-acquainted with the composer and his music in 2007 courtesy of an invitation from the Danish Arts Council to attend the Bergen International Festival where Sørensen headed up a strong Danish themed programme. There I met Sørensen, found him to be engaging, found that we shared the same birth year, and hatched a plan to profile his work at some future edition of hcmf//!Since that first meeting I have travelled to Denmark on a number of occasions to meet Sørensen and discuss his work, during which I have also become increasingly aware of an inventive and burgeoning music scene, involving a younger generation of composers and musicians, that seamlessly interconnects and flits between genres - much of it inspired by Sørensen,who is frequently cited as an influence. This cross fertilisation and experimentation in many ways seems to reflect recent developments in Sørensen's own practice. For a composer who has undoubtedly reached the elevated position of ‘greatest living composer' within his own country, I am astonished at the extent to which he embraces risk!From the quiet, pulsating string quartets of the 80s, the 90s were largely dominated by large scale orchestral works, to be followed by Sørensen's self described ‘opera years'. The composer seemed to be following a well trodden path. Lately however he has diverted sharply and steadily built a more conceptually orientated and carefully curated body of work - perhaps best evidenced by The White Forest - an installation by Sørensen and stage director Katrine Wiedemann, in which eight vocal pieces by the composer - recorded by Theatre of Voices - are relayed through speakers hidden in a ‘white'woodland setting'. Sørensen is clear that he does not see this side of his work as some sort of distraction from the main event of his more ‘classical' composed works. ‘I don't want to make my music into a sound installation,' he says ‘I want a sound installation to be my music'! He is also strongly attracted to the durational possibilities offered by sound art - including permanence! He speaks of being deeply affected by the experience of returning to the concert hall to collect his bag shortly after a performance of one of his works, alone with the double basses and music stands, and wondering what remained of his music?This growing flexibility to space and location however is also fuelled by a genuine desire for music to engage with a wider and more diverse audience - removed from the constrictions and conventions of the concert hall. He talks enthusiastically about his next project - a series of ‘backyard operas' - where the performance will take place in a back courtyard or square while the audience look on from the windows around the courtyard. In the second act audience and performers will switch locations, with the performers now visible in the open windows. The perception of Sørensen is generally that of a solitary figure largely due to the pervading sense of melancholia and sadness to be found in much of his work. ‘Music is sorrow,' he says! Paradoxically as his current practice demonstrates - it turns out that he is the consummate collaborator! In his latest work Saudades Inocentes Sørensen has taken the relationship between artist and curator to its extreme conclusion, crediting writer and curator Anna Berit Asp Christensen as the co-author of the piece - ‘Anna and I were discussing some projects involving me as a co-curator and I asked her -Why is it always me who gets involved in your world of making programmes? Why don't you get involved in my world creating the pieces for the programme? A lot of the ideas regarding form, narrative elements etc - really came from Anna...'The Portuguese word Saudades cannot be easily translated - it is often a desperate longing beyond that which cannot be reached. There is certainly no suggestion of desperation in Sørensen's music but there is a sense that he is still searching, still learning, and moving in directions that will surprise both him and us, for many years to come! Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:51:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/213 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/213 With this year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival almost upon us, we’re taking a look at some of the performances pushing sonic boundaries in particularly innovative ways, be it through their use of space, time, improvisation or exciting meetings of instruments and technology...After the unique performance of Rebecca Saunders’ Chroma at hcmf// 2010, Huddersfield Town Hall plays host to another concert on Tuesday 22 November that uses this atmospheric space to explore sonic possibilities.  It its first UK performance, Shadowplay brings together three leading ensembles – Cikada, Scenatet and Trio Aristos – to reframe three existing trios by hcmf// 2011 Composer in Residence Bent Sørensen as one continuous work, with each set of musicians placed in a different spot around the hall.“I always dreamed that one day I could put these three trios together in one concert,” Sørensen told hcmf//. “I don’t know how it’s going to work. It’s a spatial piece, and it’s like a destruction, because they are three independent trios with five movements each, and by melding them together differently, you are destroying the original form. But I think the music should be good enough to survive that.”New York composer Annie Gosfield’s concert Floating Messages & Fading Frequencies on Friday 25 November, meanwhile, casts its audience back through time, with disembodied narratives based upon messages transmitted by the European resistance to British secret agents during World War II. Woven around this is an electronic tapestry of static, oscillations and ghostly tunes from the past, plus music played by Gosfield’s trio and the Danish ensemble Athelas Sinfonietta.Here’s a taste of Gosfield’s hybrid music, from her 2003 work Lost Signals and Drifting Satellites:A regular and welcome face at hcmf//, saxophonist Evan Parker nevertheless challenges expectations with each appearance: on Friday 18 November, Bates Mill will vibrate to the sounds of his Electroacoustic Ensemble as they premiere a new piece, Tesserae. This incarnation of the Electroacoustic Ensemble features 17 of the world’s most innovative musicians improvising alongside Parker, including Barry Guy, Paul Lytton and Ikue Mori. Jennifer Walshe is another musical chameleon and on Thursday 24 November her extended vocal techniques will be tested to the limit in a concert with ensemble ]h[iatus combining improvisation and her compositions, including the UK premiere of her piece METTA, an hcmf// co-commission. The festival also offers a chance to see the first performance in this country of Bernhard Lang’s TablesAre Turned on Sunday 20 November, in which turntablist Philip Jeck and Alter Ego play scratch tennis with Amon Düül II – click here to read our Bernhard Lang feature and discover more about the piece. And watch out for our interview coming soon with Simon Steen-Andersen, in which he reveals just what exactly he plans to do with joysticks, video camera and whammy pedal in On&Off on Saturday 26 November.Tickets for all the above events at hcmf// 2011 are on sale now: click here for more details and to book your seats. Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:47:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/212 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/212 The recipients of the 2011 Paul Hamlyn Foundation Awards for Artists were announced on 3rd November at a reception at the Royal Institute of British Architects, and included Larry Goves, who features at this year’s hcmf//.He will receive £45,000 over the next three years in support of his practice. His piece Things that are blue, things that are white and things that are black, will be performed by London Sinfonietta on 19th November.Another hcmf// alumni, John Butcher, also received an Award - his major full length composition Somethingtobesaid was commissioned by hcmf// in 2008.The awards were announced by guest speaker Tom Service, the broadcaster and journalist, who made a speech in which he discussed creativity and arts funding: To listen to excerpts from some pieces by Larry Goves, click here. Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:31:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/211 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/211 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:17:20 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/86 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/86 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:02:07 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/85 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/85 Having premiered his first chamber opera, Thanks to My Eyes, at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in July, Oscar Bianchi will be unveiling the string quartet Adesso – again, his first work in the form – at hcmf// on Saturday 26 November. An hcmf// co-commission performed by Quatuor Diotima, Adesso promises more of the dense, taut textures that have characterised the 36-year old composer’s works to date.Awarded first prize at the Gaudeamus international composition competition in 2005 and with an impressive list of international ensembles having performed his music, Bianchi started composing around the age of seven. Working his way through composition for bands, film and television as a teenager, after exploring jazz and improvisation he began studying composition in Bologna and Milan, followed by further degrees from IRCAM in Paris and Columbia University, New York. His future projects include a solo work for prepared piano, an accordion concerto, an orchestral piece for Gewandhaus Leipzig and a new work for six-piece vocal ensemble.hcmf//: Tell us about your string quartet, Adesso, which will be premiered at hcmf//...Oscar Bianchi: I had been wanting to explore how I could conjugate the notion of texture and thickness, and at the same time a linear way of proposing degrees of intensity. How to make music out of a very highly articulated element, that I organise texturally, and to propose a third dynamic: a very articulated, very intense experience, but at the same time to keep working on the idea that I call exhaustion. Exhaustion, meaning that I believe that sound, as any other art form, has a way that it exists, defines itself and is being consumed. I always believed that the most perfect musical constructions are those that make a proposal, that deal with the musical material in a way, they explore it to the point of consumption. And when I think about consumption, I think about almost a natural way of existing and, I would say ‘dying’, but that’s not the correct word, existing and being completed. So I wanted to approach this composition with the same idea of going through a hectic, deep, articulated motion, trying to reach profound intensity, texture-wise, and formally trying to achieve this idea of consumption.hcmf//: Does it present any particular challenges for the performers?OB: If there is one challenging element, it might be how to conjugate quarter-tonal writing to clarity of articulation. There are a lot of parts where the gestures, let’s say the objects, are relatively clear rhythmically, but the pitches are quarter-tones, so the challenges are how to preserve the micro-intonation and the articulation, both the rhythmical structure and the harmonic aspects.hcmf//: Can you remember a piece which had a great influence upon you as a developing composer?OB: Ligeti is an absolute reference in a global way, but also especially in relation to texture and form. His Lontano had a profound effect upon me.  It combined both an extremely sophisticated way of looking for a sound texture that was not fully explored before, so there were avant-garde aspects within it. But at the same time there was a tremendously powerful proposal in terms of poetry, of extra-avant-garde references. He was able to present both the longing for a new sound, for a new depth, for a new acoustical space, and on the other side was capable of paying tribute to orchestral writing from Beethoven on. I really enjoyed this non-scholastic, non-academic way of considering a work of art: a work of art that can be surprising in its innovation and, on the other side, extremely eclectic and vibrant.I think that the masterworks, no matter whether they belong to two centuries ago, or to 50 years ago, they have an impact on you that you will always carry. It’s like a memory that works in your present imagination. I also keep finding more and more that the orchestral works of Xenakis are having a tremendous impact upon me, because this guy was, like Ligeti, capable of introducing other elements, meaning highly articulated and planned research in its own writing, but at the same time conveying messages that couldn’t be separated.hcmf//: What do you consider to be your own breakthrough in artistic terms?OB: It’s possibly my piece for soprano and ensemble called Primordia Rerum that I wrote in 2003. I believe that through this piece, I put down some fundaments of the area I would become interested in concerning sound. At the same time, another piece of mine, Mezzogiorno, also defines other aspects that I started developing in 2004, aspects of the orchestration and colours, integrating instruments that are slightly uncommon in the classical or contemporary classical world, such as electric guitar and electric bass and later on recorders and low saxophones. They’re not extremely rare, but you don’t hear them in an average contemporary music programme.Obviously the difficult thing for a composer is how to integrate those instruments within a language that is organic, consistent and dealing with each other in a way that doesn’t keep having extra-classical references. For example, the electric guitar is so heavily connotated that as soon as you hear one sound with an overdrive, your ears cannot help but think about any sort of rock aesthetic. So the responsibility of a composer is to take those sounds, those instruments, and to model a new language, or to articulate the language in a way that fits into the instrumentation.hcmf//: This year also saw the premiere of your debut opera, Thanks to My Eyes. Do you deliberately seek out new challenges, or is it just how things turn out?OB:  I have to admit that I have a little bit of a hard time getting into a pattern of composing. I don’t think any of my compositions have exactly the same instrumentation. I need to renew the experience of composing through a new project, and it’s the instrumentation that allows you to think about a space in which to start dealing with organised sound. However, I also have the opposite effect, which is that sometimes when I have been working for a long time in a specific environment, I believe that I’ve achieved a knowledge of this environment – let’s say for twelve instruments – and I wish that I could go on and make good use of my experience to go in on a deeper level and take advantage of the fact that I’ve been exploring this space for a long time. I understand that it can be good to keep exploring a space on a deeper level; on the other hand, because I haven’t written so many things it’s important for me to challenge myself and see what I can do.hcmf//: You’ve enjoyed a fairly nomadic existence over the course of your career. How much does location affect the music you write?OB: I would tend to say that it doesn’t affect it at all, because my assumption is that the process of making music, which goes through inspiration, concentration, analytical processes and intellectual outputs, is obviously nourished by a graphical element, but not in a very linear way. So I tend to say that this is not closely related. But on the other hand, I know that it’s very important to me to keep challenging myself intellectually and also humanly. So my nomadic life of the last 10 years is for a mix of study reasons and curiosity. I always believed that, the more places you have the chance to explore, the more experience, the information you can collect. Maybe on an unconscious level there is a link between that and the music, but, if asked, I have a hard time finding the connection, because I do believe in inspiration, but not because it’s raining now or that there might be a beautiful lake in front of me, not in such a direct way.Click here to buy tickets for Quator Diotima’s concert, including the premiere of Oscar Bianchi’s Adesso, on Saturday 26 November Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:53:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/210 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/210 Richard Barrett talks about CONSTRUCTION, which will be given its world premiere at hcmf// 2011. Buy tickets here. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:23:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/209 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/209 As part of our Iannis Xenakis focus at this year’s hcmf//, we are presenting a performance of Polla ta Dhina (1962) by Xenakis for children’s choir and orchestra. It will give local children a unique performance opportunity with an orchestra but we need to raise £10,000 to make it happen.Under hcmf//’s Learning & Participation Programme we are seeking support to form a special choir of up to 20 local children from the Huddersfield area to perform Polla Ta Dhina and to work with participants over a series of six creative workshops and rehearsals to prepare for the performance in November 2011.During the workshops participants will learn about Xenakis’ music through fun, practical music-making activities. Workshops will be led by one of hcmf//’s experienced freelance music leaders and will also focus on vocal and performance techniques specific to Polla Ta Dhina. There will be no charge for children to take part in either the workshops or performance. After learning the piece, participants will rehearse alongside orchestral musicians from the Manchester Consort. The large-scale performance will take place at Huddersfield Town Hall on Sunday 27 November 2011. This project will help participants to:• Develop new vocal and performance skills• Improve confidence and self-esteem• Develop ensemble and team-work skills as a choir• Learn about a key figure in new music• Gain experience of singing with an orchestra• Perform in a high-profile event as part of a prestigious festivalCan you help? Click here to donate online, or simply forward this email to a friend to help spread the word! Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:18:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/201 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/201 Leading new music blog, The Rambler (http://johnsonsrambler.wordpress.com) is to host an online discussion between four generations of experimental composers. The composers – Christian Wolff, Michael Parsons, Jürg Frey, James Saunders and Tim Parkinson – have all written new works for the Basel Sinfonietta. The programme of five works, under the collective title ‘From Scratch’, explores the legacy of the great British experimental composer Cornelius Cardew, and will be performed by the Sinfonietta as part of hcmf// 2011 on 20 November.Between them, the five composers cover many of the main landmarks in the history of experimental music, from the ‘New York School’ of Cage and his contemporaries, to Cardew’s Scratch Orchestra, to Germany’s Wandelweiser group, to the new wave of British experimentalism. They will be joined in the conversations by Stefan Thut of the Basel Sinfonietta, and organiser of programme, and the conductor, Manuel Nawri.The discussions will be held on a private messageboard during late October, then edited and published as a series of blog posts in advance of the Huddersfield concert. Previous roundtable events have been held with performers and composers associated with the ELISION ensemble, and with participants in London’s Music We’d Like to Hear concert series.The Rambler’s author, the new music writer Tim Rutherford-Johnson, says:“These roundtable discussions have proved a really great way of getting an insight into how what contemporary musicians think about. The messageboard format is more unpredictable than a conventional interview, and it often leads to composers and performers opening up a little more than they would usually.”Don't miss these posts for a unique, behind-the-scenes insight into the thoughts and ideas behind this concert. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:18:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/207 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/207 The concert is just a few weeks away now, and everything has been sent to the ensemble. Apart from finishing the piece and struggling with the parts, in the last weeks I've also been involved in some other activities related to the ECPDP, which are worth mentioning here: - I interviewed Marco Pedrazzini from Icarus Ensemble. We had a nice chat over the phone - topics included Romitelli's music, the present situation of Italian music, this year's ECPDP, etc. I'm now in the process of transcribing and translating the interview, which will be published here in the next few days.- A business seminar for the four ECPDP composers from British institutions took place at the University of Huddersfield on 3 October. The session was opened by Graham MacKenzie, who gave advice on the best ways to establish relationships with festivals. This was followed by a two hour workshop with Elaine Gould from Faber Music, who gave us a lot of precious feedback on our scores and parts. The day was concluded by Nikki Cassidy, who discussed different approaches to self-promotion, mainly through the web. The whole seminar was chaired by Heidi Johnson.- Some other good news: I've been contacted by the University of York Music Press, who offered to publish the scores written by the four UK-based ECPDP composers. I've also been asked to help with the Romitelli concert that's going to be played by Icarus on the 24 November: this is an honour for me and will definitely be the icing on the cake after the premiere on the 23 November!Marcello Messina Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:43:56 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/46 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/46 Iannis Xenakis began the journey of his creative life with a well nigh unreachable destination. After years of discovery and uncertain exploration, during the course of a youth both adventurous and tragic, he embarked simultaneously on the careers of composer and architect. This undertaking remains without parallel in the history of music.His first composition to be recognized generally as mature work was Metastasis for orchestra, written at the age of 32, in the same year that Boulez completed Le Marteau sans Maitre. Thus on the one hand, the group of young composers who met at the celebrated Darmstadt Summer Courses (Berio, Boulez, Maderna, Nono, Stockhausen...) represented a radical movement to continue the still recent traditions of serial composition, Xenakis on the other hand, seemed to break violently with all tradition. He may seem to have taken a blind leap into the unknown; but in fact he was building on the foundations of a far older tradition, one hidden and obscured by its very age: that of Ancient Greece.Music and mathematicsAs an architect, and by implication, as a mathematician, Xenakis re-established the venerable connections made some two-and-a-half millennia before, by Pythagoras and Aristoxenes of Tarentum, between Music and Mathematics. These connections seemed to Xenakis the only way out of the apparent impasse of serial music. At the very moment when serialism seemed the most richly promising to young composers, Xenakis rejected it as obsolete. But escape to Neo-classicism or Post-Romanticism seemed to him equally unacceptable. As was the case for other geniuses who had no place in the main stream, such as Edgard Varèse and Giacinto Scelsi, there was for Xenakis no possible way forward to be found except by turning to the future. In 1956 Xenakis had already defended his position in a famous article - The crisis of serial music - published in the Gravesaner Blätter edited by Hermann Scherchen. There he explained that in serial polyphony, the function of each sound was no longer audible or intelligible to the ear: this could only lead to acoustic chaos. Polyphonic structures of such complexity, he continued, could only be perceived in a global sense, and should henceforth be governed by statistical laws; only these were capable of affording a logical order to such massive blocks of sound.Constraint and freedomXenakis therefore appealed to three areas of mathematical theory which could impose an orderly structure on these nebulae or galaxies of sound. Probability theory gave birth to something which Xenakis christened ‘stochastic' (i.e. ‘probabilistic') music. The first complete example of this compositional method is Pithoprakhta (1956), his opus 2. Game theory gave rise to a method of composition in which the introduction of sounds was determined by a game-like strategy. Set theory and group theory led to music where the sounds were treated as though part of an algebraically symbolic language. These three dimensions dominated the development of Xenakis' music until the 70s. As if the rigidity of such structural laws were not enough for Xenakis, he went further: from the late 50s, he made increasing use of computers. All of this led to music which contains a striking paradox: though ‘calculated' coolly and rationally by mathematics and computer, it is music of a burning violence, of a force and expressive energy which apparently emanates not from the creative process, but from the finished product itself. Like a modern-day Beethoven, Xenakis seems to have felt it necessary to bind himself with iron-clad structures in order to master and control his inner demons. From this potentially terrifying constraint and imprisonment grows the fruit whose juice is true creative freedom.Every commentator has been struck, however, by the peculiar fact that the starting point for Xenakis' thoughts seems by no means essentially musical; moreover, that it could have been expressed in other ways than through music. This is in fact what happened while he pursued his career as an architect. But as he gradually achieved mastery over his composition (let us not forget that he had enjoyed no formal instruction at a conservatory and was largely self-taught) he was able to move ever further from the ‘scaffolding' of his structural method and to follow more and more his free inspiration. It is for this reason that he has refrained almost entirely from writing analyses of his mature works.Writing the musicFrom the beginning, Xenakis has always proceeded from graphic sketches (a technique developed during his time as an architect) to the writing of a musical score. From the 70s onwards, these sketches have increasingly taken the form of ‘arborescences', or tree-like, branching curves drawn on calibrated graph paper. Each of the branches of these tree-like structures then blossoms, as it were, into a melodic line, once translated into musical notation. 1979 saw the development of Xenakis' remarkable UPIC computer, which is able to take curves drawn on the screen and convert them, in real time, into sounds. Evryali, for piano, was one of the first pieces to be written in this way.The effect of this unusual method of writing is to give a feeling of freedom and ever increasing musical impact, force and power. Xenakis' melodic figurations, infused from his earliest works with ancient modal scales, forged yet another link with the Greece of Antiquity. Starting from these modal scales, Xenakis developed a system of ‘non-octave scales', which in turn permitted the introduction of an even-tempered scale. These features remain to this day a crucial part of Xenakis' musical language, even though they exist side by side with micro-intervals and glissandi. Although the formation of harmonic patterns was never one of Xenakis' chief preoccupations, in his most recent works, such as Tetora, these non-octave scales have gone on to produce a striking harmonic system.In the same way, even Xenakis' most complex rhythmic patterns grow out of relations formed with a simple, exact, basic pulse (his music is often written in simple time signatures such as 4/4). In short, the unique communicative power of Xenakis' music derives from the infinite complexity of his structures at the microscopic level, and also from the great, almost monumental simplicity of his large forms and their expressive content.Since Xenakis, as we have seen, started from the use of statistical methods, it is no surprise that he began by composing orchestral music, and music for larger ensembles, only later moving to chamber - and solo instrumental music. His first work for a solo instrument, and perhaps his most complex, Herma for piano solo, was written when he was already in his forties, and is his twelfth published work. Profile © Harry Halbreich Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:11:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/205 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/205 “What I do nowadays is a lot of remixing, both stuff from the archives and scores I wrote myself,” says Bernhard Lang. “Sometimes it’s just the beginning of the piece: I destroy it, erase it and reconstruct it again.”This year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival features two typically intriguing new works by the Austrian composer. On 20 November, Rome ensemble Alter Ego and experimental turntablist Philip Jeck team up for TablesAre Turned, an encounter where each will sample, swap, distort and reimagine the other. Then on 22 November, Amsterdam’s Nieuw Ensemble present the world premiere of Monadologie XIVb. Subtitled Puccini-Variation #2: ‘Im weiten Weltall fühlt sich der Yankee heimisch’ (‘The Yankee feels that he’s in outer space’), the hcmf// co-commission is based upon a snippet from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, transformed by computer-assisted composition processes into a full piece.“I’m really fascinated by reflecting upon the subject of the composer himself or herself,” Lang explains, “about identity and this whole process of creating. So my later pieces are all more or less self-referential pieces, where there are different layers of subjectivity and of the creative ego.” This themes of repetition, rewriting and self-referencing are not just reflected in nearly three decades of compositions for the concert hall: these days his work encompasses music theatre – including the mischievously titled I Hate Mozart, created for Vienna’s 2006 celebrations of the composer – collaborations such as TrikeDoubleThree with choreographer and dancer Christine Gaigg, and the soundtrack for Norbert Pfaffenbichler’s short film Conference, an unnerving amalgamation of fictional screen portrayals of Adolf Hitler which screened at the Venice Biennale earlier this year.Born in Linz in 1957, Lang’s initial routes into music were through studying jazz, classical piano and arranging, only turning to contemporary composition after he had already established a career playing with jazz groups. For some years he combined composing with improvisation; however these days he admits that writing has made him too busy to keep performing and besides, his current interest tends more towards the possibilities of written music.He found himself considering his attitude to improvisation recently when faced with his collection of recordings from sessions he had participated in: “These are hundreds of CDs and sometimes I don’t even remember the names of all the guys who played on them over the last 30 years,” he says. “I think writing is something else: it’s engraving into some kind of archive of cultural memory and I’ve always been fascinated by that.“I started to write very early for bands, when I couldn’t even write music very well. I started to write things down and to get a precision into what I was doing. On one hand I loved going freely, improvisation just for itself, nothing fixed, no concepts, absolute musical freedom. On the other hand I was always fascinated by paper and pen and by being re-read by other people, this discourse which opens up by writing, because writing implies interpretation. Improvised music is rarely interpreted: it’s a flower blooming for one evening. So the idea of reinterpretation is more or less focused on the idea of reading a given text. This is what interests me so much.”Lang started to develop these ideas in earnest with his Schrift-Stücke (‘writing pieces’) series, starting with the solo flute work Schrift 1 (1996), which was written in one draft, “very quickly, like automatic writing when you’re being hypnotised.” This branched out into his Differenz/Wiederholung (Difference/Repetition) series, an exploration of the use of loops that has so far reached its 22nd instalment.It was the mid-1990s and Lang was inspired by what he heard in the techno music of the period. “One day I started doing a piece using all these repetition brackets. I was very afraid to do this, because it was kind of forbidden at this time, but it became an adventure lasting more than 10 years.” Differenz/Wiederholung: 1 (1998) actually arose out of Lang’s experiment with transcribing a Philip Jeck concert he saw in Graz to make it playable by flute, cello and piano. His interest on transcribing works from one medium to another also led to the 1996 electroacoustic pieces Hommage a Martin Arnold 1 and 2, which applied the same micro-editing techniques to fragments of Mozart’s music as the Viennese film-maker Martin Arnold did with vintage clips, finding sinister new meanings and atmospheres in seemingly innocuous source material.Of TablesAre Turned, which receives its first UK performance at hcmf// 2011, Lang says, “It’s a work dedicated to one of the greatest improvisers of the century, Philip Jeck. On the other hand, it’s not a free-flight improvisation; it’s more or less an improvisation on scores, one which focuses on given texts. These texts are already present on the vinyl.” The piece is built around a fragment of the song ‘Tables Are Turned’ by German rockers Amon Düül, a group Lang cites as a major influence, both in its messy, politically radical first incarnation and as the more accomplished Amon Düül  II. “The first was a politically very interesting band, but music-wise you could only understand it if you had taken shitloads of LSD. The other one was musically interesting as they did extended improvisations using electronics, which I think to this day are monuments in rock.”As the work unfolds, Jeck’s performance using turntables, phasing and delay gradually intertwines with that by Alter Ego – “The ideal is at the end you never know who is playing what, the two sources are mixed” – with the musicians simulating the sounds of scratchy vinyl and stuck turntables. Having collaborated with Jeck for several years, Lang is drawn to how Jeck uses the sonic degradation of old records as wider metaphors for imperfection, memory and decay. “I think both the turntable and orchestra are romantic things. They are science from a different age. Also the vinyl is a scripture which is being eroded all the while it is being played. I simulated that in the orchestra with structures losing their treble frequencies more and more,” he says.Impressive in scope as a freestanding work, TablesAre Turned also forms part of Lang’s Monadologie series, which he says takes the loops of Differenz/Wiederholung in a more mechanical direction. In addition to exploring concepts from Gilles Deleuze’s book Difference and Repetition, the Monadologies were inspired by Gottfried Leibniz’s 1714 text La Monadologie in which the mathematician put forward his theory of monads, summarised by Lang as “the image of the universe consisting of little cog-wheels, with God as the mechanic.” “With the beginning of the Monadologie pieces I stepped away from hand-written textures towards computer generated textures,” he says. “All of these loops are being generated by a certain set-up of the machine. The Difference/Repetition series are more or less simulating a machine. Here I devised a machine which can eat scores. I can put in a score and another one comes out of it.” Lang acknowledges the influence of John Cage upon this method of making music, which casts the composer less as someone guiding a piece from initial idea to completion, than as the person clever enough to ask the right questions at the start. He met Cage whilst the composer was in the middle of his Number Pieces, with an assistant charged with the job of making a computer generate the required data. “I really love this decision just to watch things evolve and work. The funny thing is that if you listen to the number pieces, they sound so organic, so open and free, and this is all being done by the machine. This must have been in the back of my mind, but I realised it later when I was doing the Monadologies.”Unsurprisingly the Monadologies present a challenge even for musicians used to deciphering notated contemporary music: “The computer is very often a musically stupid person, so I have to make this stuff playable,” Lang admits. “Most of them are very fast and rhythmically extremely challenging. In the beginning, musicians will often curse at this. The other thing is that, due to the techniques I use, these things create meta-rhythms, so often you will hear something completely different to what you play. This pulls the carpet out from beneath you, as you really have to concentrate on what you’re playing and not on what you hear, which is unusual for music. So the musicians are parts of a machine while they are playing.”Lang’s composition software is based upon Stephen Wolfram’s concept of cellular automata and John Conway’s Game of Life, systems derived from mathematical rules which show behaviour similar to simple organisms. “They all start with random seeds. I had this idea: why not use a musical seed? I made this discovery that when I put in a musical seed, suddenly the whole automaton starts behaving musically.” Monadologie XIVb uses the musical phrase “The Yankee feels that he’s in outer space” from Madame Butterfly as its seed. “It’s both a little bit funny and ironic, yet on the other hand, the thing is so rich that I managed to use one cell to evolve the next 15 minutes. Just a few bars of Puccini generated the whole piece.”It is, he says, something like being a gardener. “It’s all about surprising myself, watching how these things grow. I really strive for this kind of surprise and wonder while I’m composing.”Click here to buy tickets for TablesAreTurned with Philip Jeck and Alter Ego on Sunday 20 November, and for Nieuw Ensemble performing Monadologie XIVb: Puccini-Variation #2 on Tuesday 22 November Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:22:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/204 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/204 This half-term hcmf// is delivering a free one-off film music workshop for young people in Kirklees on Tuesday 25 October.The workshop will offer local participants aged 8 - 19 years old the exciting opportunity to work with professional musician Richard Sabey to compose an original soundtrack for a classic silent film - in a day!Participants will firstly take part in fun musical warm ups and games before learning about the use of music in film. The group will work together under the guidance of Richard to generate musical ideas in response to the projected film and take a leading role in composing and creating original music. Once composed, a performance of the new soundtrack will then be recorded and participants will receive a DVD of the film accompanied by the new soundtrack they have created together.The workshop will take place on Tuesday 25 October from 11am - 3pm at:Netherton Village HallMeltham RoadNethertonHuddersfieldHD4 7EXThe workshop is open to all young people regardless of ability or musical experience. You can bring your own musical instrument if you play one, or use one provided by hcmf//. For more information or to book a place please contact Heidi Johnson or Aaron Christie on 01484 471116 or at h.johnson@hud.ac.ukThis project is funded as part of Kirklees Council's Young People's Holiday Activity Programme.  Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:06:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/203 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/203 Tuningworlds is coming to this year's Festival...hcmf// will be the launch pad for this improvisation project, which runs until the summer of 2013. We will be asking you to join us and tune in to our fundamental tone (A-220Hz) with anything from an off-the-cuff 90-second improvisation to an ensemble mini-event to - well, whatever moves you. We'll also be asking ‘what tunes your world?'. We'll be present in the Creative Arts Building during the Festival and you may come across us as we roam the town, so be prepared to be accosted. We are composers Richard Povall and Hugh Nankivell, the joint artistic directors on the project.Everything we collect, from this point forward, will be gathered onto our website at http://www.tuningworlds.net, which will be the online nexus of the project with mashups, broadcasts, live networked improvs, and other things that grow from the project. The main thing is that there are no stylistic rules, no content rules, no length rules...just a sharing of a musical pitch as a starting point. A performance may be a single person humming in a field, a class of schoolchildren playing recorders, a solo dancer dancing with the pitch in her mind. It may be a full symphony orchestra or a massed group of singers. If you're inspired and would like to get involved, just email tuningworlds@auneheadarts.org.uk. We'll be back at hcmf// 2012, bigger, better, and louder (or softer...). Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:01:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/202 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/202 The piece is almost finished now and very soon I'll send it to the ensemble - the deadline is the end of this month. I have to admit that, similarly to what I read in last year's blogs, I've been feeling under increasing pressure, basically being expected (or should I say expecting myself...?) to produce the best possible piece for such an important opportunity in my career. I don't remember having spent so much time rewriting and refining the material when composing any of my previous pieces. Now that the piece is almost complete - well, I'll probably spend another ten days refining some bits and especially struggling with the parts - I'd like to write a few lines about it. The title I supikkjarìi means 'the abuses of power' in Sicilian, and is not so much referring to obvious and violent abuse (still, physical repression is becoming more and more fashionable in these days) as it is to a more subtle process of deterring potentially revolutionary instances by incorporating them into the ruling politico-economic system. This process is well described by such authors as Naomi Klein in No Logo or Slavoj Žižek in First as Tragedy, then as Farce. Klein shows how oppressed minorities gradually became the target of brands wanting to expand their market, so that the praise of diversity became part of the purchased commodity. Žižek goes a bit further and speaks about 'cultural capitalism': so, for instance, some groups come up with the claim that companies are responsible for innumerable ongoing atrocities at the expense of humankind and the environment, and then eventually manage to spread this consciousness to a quite large portion of the population? No worries, companies have got the solution: you pay an extra price and they promise they will take better care of the people and environment they exploit (or, at least, they'll do their best to make it look as though they're doing it). So what happens is that you, as a consumer, make up for the guilt inherent in the act of consumption by purchasing redemption as part of that very same act of consumption: 'It's all included in the price'. This is wonderfully explained in this video animation:This process is eventually one of the recipes for the inhibition of dissent, probably more powerful than any direct physical form of repression, and is not only influencing our behaviour as purchasers, as described above, but is also likely to condition our choices as voters, mass-media spectators, etc. So, for someone who's grown up in Italy, it's not hard to recall that, in the 90s and 2000s, anti-Berlusconi feelings were mainly exploited by Berlusconi's TV channels, that used to broadcast myriads of comedy shows with an openly satiric attitude towards him, thus attracting even the most radical parts of the public: while enjoying anti-regime satire we were thus creating profit for the ruler, basically making him and his allies more powerful and harder to overthrow (to give a better idea of the function of these TV shows, a parenthesis should be opened here about their farcical nature: according to the Russian philosopher Michail Bachtin, in fact, the carnivalesque derision of people in power is, in the end, an instrument of conservation of the power rather than an element of potential subversion). Similarly, it's not hard to think about puppet parties, eventually in coalition with the mainstream political forces, created on purpose to attract, and basically rob, the votes of particular protest groups: those who are familiar with the long history of the struggle of Sicily (and, similarly, Sardinia and the continental South of Italy) against the central Italian politico-economic powers in demand of greater autonomy and less economic and infrastructural isolation may know what I'm talking about.The piece is characterised by the alternation of moments of creation and moments of destruction by saturation/distorted replication etc. This alternation is facilitated by the co-existence, in the line-up, of electrical and acoustic instruments. In particular, I've used the sampler and various electric guitar and bass techniques, including an extensive recourse to the loop station, to create moments of sonic saturation that basically originate from the development of the material.Compared to other recent pieces of mine, often characterised by a high level of fragmentation, this one is characterised by a more fluid transition between different sections.Marcello Messina Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:02:35 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/45 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/45 Many of the performances at hcmf// contain music directly relevant to GCSE, AS / A Level and BTEC syllabi, and we've created a Curriculum Guidance document to highlight links to specific areas of study along with details of ticket discounts for school and college groups. At the bottom of the page you can find a link to download our Curriculum Guidance document.Visiting the Festival is a great way to introduce your students to new music and to enable them to experience exciting live performances by world-class musicians and ensembles, whilst also complementing your teaching. There are also free exhibitions, talks, masterclasses and a whole day of free events on Monday 21 November presented in bite-sized 20 minute performances. hcmf// offers discounted tickets to school and college groups (10% for groups of 5 or more, 20% for groups of 10 or more). Tickets can be booked via the Box Office on 01484 430528. hcmf// is also pleased to be an Arts Award Welcome organisation, so if your students are undertaking the award, please get in touch to discuss how a visit to hcmf// could contribute (more details of our Arts Award offer can be found at http://www.hcmf.co.uk/artsawardIf you'd like any assistance planning your hcmf// visit, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01484 471116 or by email at h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Download hcmf//'s 2011 Curriculum Guidance document: Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:12:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/200 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/200  The intense and uncompromising music of Richard Barrett has been a vital part of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in recent years, with the premieres of his works Opening of the Mouth in 2009 and Mesopotamia last year. Barrett has also performed at hcmf// as half of the long-running electronic duo FURT, with Paul Obermayer, which makes up part of the international ELISION ensemble, as well as the nucleus of the octet fORCH.At this year’s festival, hcmf// once again presents a Barrett world premiere, with ELISION giving the first performance of his sonically and conceptually wide-ranging new work CONSTRUCTION on Saturday 19 November, in a concert which will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Hear and Now’.Exploring centuries of thought about urban living, promised utopias and harsh realities, the monumental two-hour work once again shows Barrett to be one of contemporary music’s most politically engaged composers. Here Richard Barrett takes hcmf// through the genesis of CONSTRUCTION and reveals how its many concepts and influences are explored musically.hcmf//:You’ve said that the idea for CONSTRUCTION came to you whilst you were walking around Oslo...Richard Barrett: Originally this work was commissioned by the city of Liverpool for its year as European Capital of Culture in 2008, and thus was supposed to have a site-specific element. Since it would have been insincere of me to claim any close relationship with Liverpool myself, I immediately wanted to take it beyond that, to start thinking about cities and their history in a wider sense. The reason I was in Oslo was that ELISION and I were performing a previous work of mine, DARK MATTER. Having performed and recorded it there we were thinking about what could happen next now that that work was ‘in the can’.When I had a day off, suddenly the shape of this work came into being in its full two-hour form. This was in 2005, so it’s changed quite a lot in the meantime but it’s still recognisably based on the idea I started with: the relationship between idealised, utopian living conditions and actual cities with their upheavals and even destructions, to confront those two things and to draw out of this confrontation a practical vision for how we might improve our society. Which may seem awfully ambitious, and of course I’m not intending that a piece of music should improve society, but it’s a trace left by thoughts which go in that direction, and in fact I do think that music can offer a vision of creative collective action with wider resonances and implications.I thought there should be a constant intercutting between the utopias and the realities. The impossibility of getting from one to the other should be a theme which gradually comes into focus. And the ‘conclusion’ should be the responsibility of the musicians as a collective, freshly in each performance. So that the final twenty percent or so would be freely improvised, but obviously fundamentally affected by the experience of what has come before, both for the musicians and for the listeners.hcmf//: Can you describe the structure of the work for us?RB: There are 20 sections altogether, of between one and 15 minutes long. Sometimes they overlap or cross-fade with one other; sometimes there’s a silence in between or an abrupt cut from one to the next. Confrontation is a structural principle, so to speak. And these 20 movements are divided into four interleaved cycles of five movements each, like four interwoven narrative strands of a story which runs through the entire work. One of them uses as a text five excerpts from the tragedy The Trojan Women by Euripides. Each of these scenes is a portrait of one of the Trojan women, standing in front of the city which has been destroyed by the Greeks, trying to face her future of being taken back to Greece and sold into slavery with their husbands and children killed and their city burned down. These five movements constitute a kind of microscopic opera.Another cycle is a five-movement ‘violin concerto’, which also has a separate life under the title wound. Three movements were premiered at hcmf // in 2010. The violin acts as a soloist in a series of ‘laments’, which function as a more inward counterpart to the more dramatic episodes from the Trojan Women. Those two cycles are interwoven to the extent that a chorus from the Euripides play is incorporated into the accompanying ensemble for one movement of the ‘concerto’. The other two cycles embody or depict various kinds of utopian situations, one being primarily instrumental and vocal, the other primarily electronic, using the ‘sound-house’, although again these categories aren't completely exclusive.hcmf//: Can you explain more about the ‘sound-house’ cycle?RB: The sound-house takes its name from a description in Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis:We have also sound-houses, where we practise and demonstrate all sounds, and their generation. We have harmonies which you have not, of quarter-sounds, and lesser slides of sounds. Divers instruments of music likewise to you unknown, some sweeter than any you have, together with bells and rings that are dainty and sweet. We represent small sounds as great and deep; likewise great sounds extenuate and sharp; we make divers tremblings and warblings of sounds, which in their original are entire. We represent and imitate all articulate sounds and letters, and the voices and notes of beasts and birds. We have certain helps which set to the ear do further the hearing greatly. We have also divers strange and artificial echoes, reflecting the voice many times, and as it were tossing it: and some that give back the voice louder than it came, some shriller, and some deeper; yea, some rendering the voice differing in the letters or articulate sound from that they receive. We have also means to convey sounds in trunks and pipes, in strange lines and distances.[published in Latin in 1624 and in English in 1627]In this paragraph, Bacon makes a prophecy of almost everything that we now know of in terms of live electronics: spatialisation, reverb, time-stretching and so on. This is a kind of ‘utopia’ which we can actually realise. So by using the spatialisation system designed by the technicians and programmers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, we can in the truest sense perform complex movements and distributions of any sound, vocal, instrumental or electronic, through the space, using a system with a ring of eight speakers at floor level and another ring of eight speakers above the audience. The spatial elements are partly composed into the music – especially in the electronic elements of course – and partly improvised in interaction with the improvisation of the live performers.hcmf//: Which utopias served as inspiration for the fourth cycle and how are they explored musically?RB: The range is rather wide, including things you wouldn't necessarily class under the heading of utopian urban visions: Plato's Republic, Tommaso Campanella's City of the Sun, the empty cities of Giorgio de Chirico and Italo Calvino's Venetian dreams in Invisible Cities, Farid ud-Din Attar's mystical poem Conference of the Birds, Jakob Boehme's vision of cosmic unification, and others. So it's not a compilation of utopian ideas through the ages but a personal kind of constellation. The music isn't making a statement about the possible interconnections between these ideas, but asking whether they exist.Some of these pieces relate more obliquely to these ideas, while others do so in quite a concrete way. For me they aren't ‘extra-musical’ ideas. One piece is named after the William Morris novel News From Nowhere. In this book Morris imagines his main character waking up in a future version of London according to Morris’s own pre-Raphaelite vision of socialism. Technology has been abandoned completely and people have returned to a kind of medieval way of life but without the serfdom, the disease and the poverty. So I was thinking about early medieval music, and particularly that which consists of a single melodic line with no indication as to ornamentation, instrumentation and so on, functioning somewhat as the melodic material in Middle Eastern music still does, where the sophistication of the music is not to be found in harmony, but in the way that simultaneous variations on the same melody take place. In the News From Nowhere piece, four solo wind players are each asked to play at least three different instruments, if possible including early instruments and/or folk instruments. Their parts consist of suggestions on how to realise and ornament a single melodic strand which runs throughout. It attempts to relate to mediaeval music in an analogous way to that in which Morris's vision relates to mediaeval society, although my material leans more towards serial thinking than the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.Another piece is Island, which was actually premiered separately at hcmf// 2006. This title comes from the novel by Aldous Huxley, describing another rather idealised community, very clearly the converse of Brave New World, which can only retain its peace and equality by being cut off from the rest of the world. The composition is written for two soloists – in this performance, Tim O'Dwyer on saxophones and myself with electronics – who play almost completely improvised music, together with an instrumental octet which plays almost completely notated music: in other words, another musical utopia which is problematic to create in society, where the pre-planned and the spontaneous can coexist harmoniously.hcmf//: How do you engage with the problem that one person’s utopian ideal may not be shared by all?RB: Almost all of those utopian texts involve someone travelling in time or space to a place where the fully realised utopia is already there. None of them say anything about how to transform this society into that one. The unspoken implication is always that you would have to somehow start from a blank slate, and in order to do so you would have to destroy everything first. We see this clearly in various remarks Adolf Hitler made as the destruction of Berlin began, to the effect that the Allies were helping his vision for a new capital by carrying out the essential demolition work. There comes a point in CONSTRUCTION just before the final part where we hear a quotation in the text from the libretto of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos: “There is a land where everything is pure. That land has a name: the land of the dead.” I’ve taken that line completely out of context, but it seemed – especially with the knowledge of Strauss's music being used by the Third Reich to cover its inhumanity with a whitewash of high culture – somehow to sum up the danger of utopian thinking, the violence which it always implies. And at this point we move into the final part of CONSTRUCTION where all of this is replaced by an attempt – which can always fail – to draw a provisional conclusion with only the spontaneous collective imagination of the musical ensemble.hcmf//: Can you tell us more about the improvisatory elements of CONSTRUCTION?RB: As far as I’m concerned, improvisation is a method of composition. It’s not a style; it’s a method by which certain compositional aims can be realised, with a different character from putting something together on a computer or notating it. Maybe this sounds paradoxical, but what I’m trying to do by providing a compositional framework for improvisation is to encourage freedom and spontaneity. Various parts of CONSTRUCTION are made so that one or more performers have very intricately and fully notated short passages, which are then interspersed by empty holes. Between two fully notated passages lasting a few seconds each, you have to answer the question, ‘what happens in between?’ What’s quite beautiful for me about this idea is that the improvisation becomes part of the composition without me saying anything to the musicians about how they should improvise. All they have to do is think about creating something which, for them, makes sense in that context. hcmf//: CONSTRUCTION will be performed in Huddersfield Town Hall, which itself depicts a kind of Victorian utopia of industrial success and civic pride. How do you feel about that?RB: I have to say I’m generally more comfortable working in spaces which are so neutral or unfamiliar that the performance transforms them into something which seems to belong to that experience. Of course, Huddersfield Town Hall has a very strong character of its own. My feeling is that if you fight against that character, you’re going to lose. Somehow it will become drawn into the complex of associations around the music, but exactly how this will happen we'll have to wait and see. Improvised music is always intimately conditioned by the space in which it's played, of course.hcmf//: What do you plan to do next?RB: Without talking about specific projects, one thing I’m drawn to is that one of my ways of describing the musical experience is a heightened or intensified experience of the passage of time. I would quite like to think about examining that idea much more explicitly. Working with much more extended timescales is something I’m interested in, but I can’t really say what form that will take yet.Click here to buy tickets for CONSTRUCTION in Huddersfield Town Hall on Saturday 19 November. FURT also appear as part of Evan Parker’s Electroacoustic Ensemble on Friday 18 November: click here for tickets and to find out more. Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:17:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/199 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/199 PhD students from the Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield present their work in discussion with featured composers from this year's Festival. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:19:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/267 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/267 PhD students from the Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield present their work in discussion with featured composers from this year's Festival. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:15:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/266 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/266 James Saunders imperfections on the surface are occasionally apparentMichael Parsons Independent PulsesStefan Thut sieben, 1-4 World PremiereTim Parkinson new work World PremiereChristian Wolff Grete (microexercises 23-36)Jürg Frey Un champ de tendresse parsemé d'adieux World Premiereedges ensembleThe edges ensemble presents a response to Sunday's performance by the Basel Sinfonietta, revealing an alternative perspective upon the composers featured. An alternative orchestra, interdependent and inquisitive musicians, drawn equally to sonic detritus and so-called musical sounds. The edges ensemble is an inclusive collective committed to forging a musical identity through investigation, improvisation and listening, responding to the concerns of experimental composers, old and new.Produced by hcmf// Please note: this performance will be approximately 50 minutes in length Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/228 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/228 Stephen Pratt new workLarry Goves I Wear You On My SleeveHans Abrahamsen Two songs without words:HerbstliedLiebsliedGary Carpenter One Million Tiny Operas About BritainEnsemble 10/10Clark Rundell conductor Rebecca Lea sopranoLouise Ashcroft mezzo sopranoEnsemble 10/10's programme pitches the wide ranging talent of local composers against the established names of Europe. Danish maverick Hans Abrahamsen's music takes on epic qualities despite its brevity; Stephen Pratt and Larry Goves supply vividly contrasting textures and effortless forms and the group brings Gary Carpenter's outstanding music theatre piece based on Guardian columnist Craig Taylor's cult miniatures of British life to Huddersfield.Produced by hcmf// Please note: this performance will be approximately 60 minutes in length Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/232 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/232 One of the most successful Danish composers of his generation Simon Steen-Andersen discusses his unique portrait concert On&Off with BBC Radio 3 presenter Sara Mohr-Pietsch. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/265 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/265 Discover the noisy, melodic and atmospheric work of New York-based pianist and composer Annie Gosfield, in conversation here with BBC Radio 3 presenter Sara Mohr-Pietsch. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/264 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/264 Wilbert Bulsink Götterfunken UK PremiereRosa Ensemble:Stephanie Pan voiceJessica Slichter voiceLaurens de Boer keyboardsJeroen Kimman guitarPeter Jessen double bass / bass guitarDaniel Cross percussionThomas Koopmans technical production / soundLuuk Vierhout lightsWilbert Bulsink sound bitesGeert Glas drawingsWilbert Bulsink / Geert Glas / Esther Mugambi textMelle Kromhout dramaturgyLizzy Timmers additional directorFollowing its world premiere at Gaudeamus Music Week 2011, Utrecht's Rosa Ensemble present Wilbert Bulsink's brand new work about his bicycle trip through Europe. A musical multimedia performance centred on the theme of European spirit, Götterfunken is a piece about national identity, hatred of foreigners and international unity, with music and live animation. Produced by hcmf// in association with Gaudeamus Muziekweek; supported by the Performing Arts Fund NL Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/255 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/255 Draw, compose and perform your own music!hcmf// is delighted to host its second Family Morning, which this year is presented by Danish ensemble FIGURA. This workshop is about sounds, music and how to create music together with professional musicians and composers. Create your own piece of music by using your imagination and playing with rhythms and symbols, helped along by Danish composers Peter Bruun and Jesper Egelund and the musicians from the FIGURA Ensemble. The morning will end with a public performance of the music created in the workshop.Bring an item of your own choice that can create sounds: a plastic or paper bag, a pot lid, a rattle or the instrument that you play! No experience necessary.For children aged 9-12 years and their grown-upsAll children must be accompaniedn by an adult. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/254 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/254 Simon Steen-AndersenNext To Beside Besides #0+4Run Time Error v. 1 rerenderedStudy for String Instrument #2Self-reflecting Next To Beside Besides #5+8Study for String Instrument #3Run Time Error v. 2On And Off And To And FroHalf a Bit of Nothing IntegratedSelf-reflecting Next To Beside Besides #10Run Time Error v. 3All UK PremieresasamisimasaSimon Steen-Andersen joysticks / video camera / whammy pedal Still only in his mid-30s, Simon Steen-Andersen is one of the most successful Danish composers of his generation, with numerous portrait concert and commissions from around the world. In this performance, Norwegian Ensemble asamisimasa presents a fast-paced game full of wit, imagination and originality, combining brilliance with well-crafted ideas and an awareness of the visual element of music.‘[I am] trying to approach the human being behind the instrument, because then music can suddenly be about everything that is most important: communication, being, fragility and intimacy.'Simon Steen-AndersenProduced by hcmf// supported by The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes and SNYK Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/253 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/253 The National Youth Jazz Collective and South Asian Music Youth Orchestra premier their unique and exciting collaborative project Milan - 2011 featuring a bespoke, hand-picked ensemble of 20 of the country's most gifted and talented young Indian and jazz musicians co-led by NYJC and SAMYOs artistic directors Issie Barratt and Gaurav Mazumdar with supporting artist Mark Donlon. Thanks to funding from Youth Music, the Milan ensemble has been immersed in a summer series of creative workshops, rehearsals and development days - excitedly exploring composition and improvisation within the jazz and Indian traditions while collectively searching out new possibilities and generating a collaborative new sound they can now call their own.Produced by hcmf// in partnership with NYJC & SAMYO; supported by Youth Music  Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/252 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/252 Peter Bruun Miki Alone - a song cycle UK PremiereSteingrimur Rohloff Hit upon UK PremiereSteingrimur Rohloff new work UK PremiereNicolai Worsaae new work World PremiereAnders Brødsgaard new work UK PremiereFIGURA EnsembleSigne Asmussen mezzo sopranoFIGURA Ensemble presents a palette of young Danish composers as well as the Icelandic-German composer Steingrimur Rohloff, who is Composer in Residence with FIGURA in 2010 - 2011. New pieces for ensemble and mezzo soprano, an expressive solo for double bass and electronics and a song cycle from Peter Bruun's award winning work Miki Alone form this exciting programme.Produced by hcmf// supported by The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes and SNYK Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/251 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/251 Artists, participants and mentors from the ground breaking European Composers' Professional Development Programme involving the UK, Italy and The Netherlands discuss the challenges of trying to succeed as a composer in today's new music scene. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/262 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/262 Bernhard Lang explores his music and his new pieces for Alter Ego & Philip Jeck, and the Nieuw Ensemble, in conversation with BBC Radio 3 presenter Robert Worby. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/261 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/261 Klaus Lang der blauäugige fremde UK PremiereAnders Førisdal 10-string guitarNorwegian guitarist Anders Førisdal performs Austrian composer Klaus Lang's monumental work for 10-string guitar, drones and delay. der blauäugige fremde is an extended study in resonance, memory and microtonality.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Information Centre Norway and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/249 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/249 Sound and Music hosts a panel discussion about archival materials as resources for composers and musicians. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/260 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/260 Annie Gosfield Floating Messages and Fading FrequenciesKarsten Fundal Flame and CitroAnnie Gosfield EWA7Athelas SinfoniettaAnnie Gosfield TrioTeaming up with the Athelas Sinfonietta, Denmark's leading new music ensemble, Annie Gosfield's new work is inspired by secret communications between the European Resistance and British Intelligence during the Second World War. Electronic sounds inspired by radio static, shortwave oscillations and popular music of the time alternate with purely acoustic music. Karsten Fundal's new suite to the film Flame and Citro and Gosfield's own trio performing EWA7 complete the programme.Produced by Third Ear Music in association with hcmf// supported by Arts Council England through the National Lottery, The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, DaNYArts, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes, SNYK and Dartington Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/214 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/214 James Saunders, Jürg Frey, Michael Parsons and Tim Parkinson discuss the influence of the Scratch Orchestra on Europe and contemporary composers today with BBC Radio 3 presenter Robert Worby. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/259 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/259 Jennifer Walshe HYGIENEJennifer Walshe & ensemble]h[iatus improvisationJennifer Walshe Thelma MansfieldJennifer Walshe METTA (hcmf// co-commission) UK PremiereJennifer Walshe & ensemble]h[iatus improvisationensemble]h[iatusJennifer Walshe voiceA journey through both written and improvised music from Irish composer-performer Jennifer Walshe and international group ensemble]h[iatus, whose nine members work across a range of contemporary art practices including composition, sound art, installations, performance art and collaborations with theatre, dance and multimedia.‘The improviser has to master the art of listening - he or she must be able to adapt to and comprehend the compositions, which in turn allow them as performers to gain an organic understanding of the music and its innate movement.'ensemble]h[iatusProduced by hcmf// and November music; supported by Goethe-InstitutJennifer Walshe's METTA is commissioned by hcmf// and November Music  Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/247 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/247 Duncan Chapman Growing in the DarkDuncan Chapman electronicsGrowing in the dark (Duncan Chapman) uses a series of recordings of rhubarb collected as part of the Rhubarb Rhubarb Rhubarb project with Overthorpe Junior school (http://www.rhubarbrhubarbrhubarb.co.uk). One of the characteristics of the way in which the Rhubarb is forced in this part of Yorkshire is the distinct ‘popping' sound it makes as the growing buds expand. This piece is entirely composed of these sounds that have been manipulated to reveal a hidden world of organic sounds stemming from this characteristically local source.Produced by supported by hcmf// the Ernest Cook Trust and the Michael Tippet Musical Foundation Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/246 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/246 Evan Parker Tesserae World Premiere Evan Parker's Electroacoustic Ensemble:Evan Parker soprano saxophoneBarry Guy double bassPaul Lytton percussion / frameAgustí Fernández pianoPhilipp Wachsmann violinNed Rothenberg saxophonePeter Evans trumpetJohn Russell guitarPeter van Bergen clarinetsOkkyung Lee celloAleks Kolkowski stroh viola / saw / phonographWalter Prati processingLawrence Casserley processingJoel Ryan processingFURT: Richard Barrett & Paul Obermayer electronicsIkue Mori electronicsMarco Vecchi processing / main mix‘Although Tesserae is nominally my composition, the decisions about material content will be made by the performers; my work has been to think about how to best expose the brilliant improvising skills of the members of the Ensemble. Each of the musicians here has a developed, and often virtuosic, approach to their instrument.'Evan ParkerProduced by hcmf// supported by British Council Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/218 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/218 Fausto Romitelli Trash TV TranceFausto Romitelli Professor Bad TripIcarus EnsembleThe internationally acclaimed Icarus Ensemble returns to Huddersfield with a full programme of work by the late Fausto Romitelli. Written for Tom Pauwels, Trash TV Trance is a masterpiece for solo guitar, while Professor Bad Trip recreates a hallucinatory atmosphere inspired by Henri Michaux's writings under the influence of psychedelic drugs.‘[Fausto Romitelli was] one of the most promising of the young generation of Italian composers'IrcamProduced by hcmf// Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/245 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/245 Evan Parker & Matthew Wright Trance Map Evan Parker soprano saxophone / sample collectionMatthew Wright live sampling / turntables Playing saxophone, turntable, laptop and surround sound electronics, Evan Parker and Matthew Wright present a real-time reworking of their recent CD which blurs the experience of playing, mixing and editing.‘A shimmering mist of undulating and unbroken sonic textures [...] the result enthrals and soothes in equal measure.'Mike Hobart, Financial TimesProduced by hcmf// supported by British Council Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/220 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/220 Michael Parsons Paraphrase for Orchestra UK PremiereJames Saunders things whole and not whole UK PremiereTim Parkinson Orchestra Piece UK PremiereJürg Frey Louange de l'eau, louange de la lumière UK PremiereChristian Wolff Spring Two for 34 musicians UK Premierebasel sinfoniettaManuel Nawri conductorThe Swiss orchestra basel sinfonietta pays tribute to the legendary and radical Scratch Orchestra formed in London in 1969 by commissioning five new compositions, including one from the Orchestra's co-founder Michael Parsons and one from its collaborator Christian Wolff. Three younger composers add their interpretations of the Scratch Orchestra's meaning and legacy to the mix.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council, Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and Ernst von Siemens music foundation Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/221 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/221 Bernhard Lang TablesAre Turned (hcmf// co-commission) UK PremiereAlter EgoPhilip Jeck turntable / vinyl LPsAustria's Bernhard Lang can be counted among those artists who are genuinely able to transform an ensemble into a gigantic, vibrant turntable - as demonstrated by his series of works DW Differenz/Wiederholung (Difference/Repetition). Philip Jeck, meanwhile, is known for conducting phantom orchestras of old record players liberated from the junk shop. This project is part of a long-standing collaboration between the two which includes orchestral pieces and ensemble work.Produced by hcmf// supported by Réseau Varèse TablesAre Turned is co-commissioned by hcmf//, Maerzmusik, Wien Modern, November Music and Wundergrund Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/222 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/222 Juliana Hodkinson & Niels Rønsholdt Fish & Fowl UK PremiereEnsemble SCENATETIn Fish & Fowl, SCENATET made studio recordings of a number of chamber works by Niels Rønsholdt and Juliana Hodkinson, which were then transformed into one ‘super remix' woven together from thousands of edits. After corresponding with the musicians, Ursula Andkjær Olsen wrote a series of letters from Fowl to Fish and fashion photographer Anka Bardeleben created a visual story which has inspired the live audiovisual format. Produced by hcmf// supported by The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes and SNYKPlease note: latecomers will not be admitted into this performance  Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/223 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/223 Iannis Xenakis XasAlex Buess ATA9Naomi Sullivan soprano saxophoneDomonic Childs alto saxophonePaul McEachran tenor saxophoneNeil McGovern baritone saxophoneA virtuosic behemoth of the saxophone quartet repertoire, Xenakis' Xas towers above with ominous sonic radiance, followed by Alex Beuss' uncompromising ATA9.Produced by hcmf// supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/224 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/224 Lefteris PapadimitriouElectric Serpent World PremierePart1: Serpent in the edge of an abyssPart2: Electric currentsSarah Nicolls pianoLefteris Papadimitriou electronicsPre-recorded and synthesized sound layers are mixed with the sound of the live performer in order to create the illusion that the listener is transferred to a space where physically impossible forces become possible. The two parts of the piece explore different gestural attitudes of the performer, although the piano serves only as a timbral reference in a larger multi-layered electronic web. The title refers to symbolic presentations of the alchemical element of fire.Electric Serpent was written for Sarah NicollsProduced by hcmf// Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/225 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/225 Mary Bellamy:Abrasion World PremiereSemblance World PremiereNew work - untitled World PremiereGenevieve Lacey amplified contrabass recorderSéverine Ballon amplified cello Richard Craig amplified bass fluteThree internationally renowned virtuoso performers premiere new works specially composed for hcmf// by British composer Mary Bellamy. Each work has been realised in collaboration with the performers focused on a search for new sound structures. The pieces explore sound quality itself as the impetus behind the music.Produced by hcmf// supported by the University of HuddersfieldPlease note: this performance will be approximately 45 minutes in length Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/226 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/226 Stef Connor LeoÞsong World PremiereStef Conner's trio draws on the prosody of an Anglo Saxon poem, The Ruin, which is rooted in the intrinsically musical, oral tradition of newly literate Britain. In Old English, one word suffices for what are now considered to be two distinct art forms - ‘leoÞsong', meaning both poetry and song.LeoÞsong is commissioned by Mervyn Dawe, dedicated to Karen DaweProduced by hcmf// Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/227 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/227 Cecilie Ore EtapperDenis Smalley Spectral Lands (hcmf// co-commission) World PremiereRose Dodd mobius ii World PremiereAnders Vinjar new work World PremiereBritt Pernille Frøholm hardanger fiddleMonty Adkins, Rose Dodd & Denis Smalley diffusionCato Lagnes sound designThis concert of electroacoustic music marks the beginning of an exciting new collaboration between the Centre for Research in New Music at the University of Huddersfield and the NoTAM Studios in Oslo. Rose Dodd has worked closely with Hardanger fiddle player Britt Pernille Frøholm in the NoTAM studios and Anders Vinjar undertook a residency in the SPIRAL (Spatialisation and Interactive Research Laboratory) at the University of Huddersfield.Produced by hcmf//Spectral Lands is commissioned by hcmf// and CeReNeM  Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/242 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/242 Misato Mochizuki Intermezzi IIChikako Morishita new work World PremiereNobutaka Yoshizawa kotoNobutaka Yoshizawa performs two solo koto works which investigate spatiality in relation to Japanese aesthetics of space and time, in particular, the concept of 'ma'. Renowned Japanese composer Misato Mochizuki's Intermezzi II consists of a number of fragmented sections, each investigating the instrument and the function of space, whilst Chikako Morishita explores players' heightened sense of reality around the issue of crossing cultural boundaries.Produced by hcmf// Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/229 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/229 Quatuor Bozzini:Clemens Merkel violinMira Benjamin violinStephanie Bozzini violaIsabelle Bozzini cello André Cormier Petit quatuor Daryl Jamieson Monkish Fire Simon Martin Miniature pour quatuor à cordes Cassandra Miller Swainson's ThrushCléo Palacio-Quintin Archipel imaginaire II  This hcmf// short by Quatuor Bozzini features five of the 31 miniatures on the recently released album À chacun sa miniature. This album is the first disc by the quartet dedicated entirely to emerging artists, and is the thirteenth volume to be released by collection qb (Quatuor Bozzini's record label). The collection of 31 miniatures was written in 2011 to celebrate Quatuor Bozzini's studio-lab for the next generation, the Composer's Kitchen. Held annually in Montreal since 2005, the Composer's Kitchen is a combination workshop, laboratory, playground, and masterclass. With this disc, the Bozzini Quartet collaborates again in 2011 with 31 young composers, all alumni of the Composer's Kitchen between the years 2005 and 2010.Produced by hcmf// Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/230 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/230 Trond Reinholdtsen Faust, or The Decline of Western Music World PremiereMark Knoop pianoTrond Reinholdtsen continues his ongoing project The Norwegian Opra with a new work for Mark Knoop. Acknowledging the precedents of Marlowe, Goethe and Thomas Mann, Faust describes a Modernist-Faustian apocalypse leading to a decadent (but necessary) theatricalisation of the contemporary piano sonata. Only theory can help us now.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Information Centre Norway and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/244 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/244 Fausto Romitelli SeascapeEmanuelle Casalle Studio 2aLuciano Berio GestiChris Orton recorderChris Orton presents ‘the new recorder sound' as represented by three vital figures within Italian 20th and 21st-century music. Only one, Emanuele Casale, is still with us; his piece Studio 2a is accompanied by two powerful explorations of sound by renowned composers Fausto Romitelli and Luciano Berio.Produced by hcmf// Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/231 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/231 BBC Radio 3 presenter Robert Worby discusses James Dillon's new piece Oslo/Triptych with the composer. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/257 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/257 Sarah Jeffrey In the Workshopfused withNed McGowan WorkshopSarah Jeffrey recorderWorkshop is a conglomeration of industrial noises, chopped and looped into manic timbral contrasts and rhythmic interplays. Its jarring percussive aspects are mirrored in the unique juxtaposition with traditional English clog dance, developed here as a contemporary improvisational tool, to produce a unified theatrical work.Please note: there is no disabled access to the Photographic Studio Produced by hcmf// Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/233 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/233 Mauricio Kagel Prima VistaMariam Rezaei BrixChristian Marclay Graffiti CompositionApartment HouseApartment House light up your life and those dark November nights with three eclectic compositions: Christian Marclay's Graffiti Composition, made by the anonymous citizens of 90s Berlin, Kagel's rarely performed slideshow extravaganza Prima Vista and young turntablist-composer Mariam Rezaei's Brix, a score consisting entirely of illuminated boxes and ephemera.Produced by hcmf// Please note: this performance will be approximately 60 minutes in length Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/234 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/234 Einar Torfi Einarsson Non-vanishing vacuum state (hcmf// co-commission) UK PremiereSalvatore Sciarrino 6 Capricci (for solo violin)Timothy McCormack Glass Stratum UK PremiereTimothy McCormack Mirror Stratum UK PremiereDavid Brynjar Franzson on Types and Topographies (hcmf// co-commissioned) UK PremiereELISION:Paula Rae flutesRichard Haynes clarinetsTristram Williams trumpetsSéverine Ballon violoncelloDaryl Buckley electric guitarELISION is a collection of new music specialists from all over the globe. In partnership with hcmf//, TRANSIT Festival Van Vlanderen and Dark Days Music Festival Iceland, they premiere work from some of the hottest composers working in the northern hemisphere. Prepare yourself for the unique and original material of Iceland's Einar Torfi Einarsson and David Brynjar Franzson; and the subtle, atmospheric music of Timothy McCormack.Produced by hcmf// in partnership with Transit Festival and Dark Music DaysNon-vanishing vacuum state, on Types and Topographies and Paul Craenen's new work are commissioned by hcmf//, TRANSIT and Dark Music Days  Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/236 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/236 Matthew Shlomowitz Popular Contexts, Volume 3: The Music of Theatre Making World PremiereBernhard Lang Monadology XIVb: Puccini-Variation #2: ‘Im weiten Weltall fühlt sich der Yankee heimisch' (hcmf// co-commission) World PremiereMayke Nas Plons Plons (Splash)Nieuw EnsembleBas Wiegers conductorThe Nieuw Ensemble returns to hcmf// with a programme of work by today's most creative composers. Matthew Shlomowitz's exemplary The Music of Theatre Making sets the ensemble against a pre-recorded backdrop of sounds from every day life (ranging from telephone sex to rollercoasters to football), while Mayke Nas explores what could happen when music plunges into water, and much-talked about Austrian composer Bernhard Lang's new work receives its world premiere.Produced by hcmf//Monadology XIVb: Puccini-Variation #2: ‘Im weiten Weltall fühlt sich der Yankee heimisch' is commissioned by hcmf// and Nieuw Ensemble  Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/237 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/237 Zbigniew Karkowski Nerve Cell_o World PremiereAnton Lukoszevieze celloDeveloped during a residency at EMS Stockholm, Nerve Cell_o is a monumental duo for cello and a complex central ‘nervous system' (FitzHughNagumo) of interactive live electronics.Produced by hcmf// in partnership with and supported by Sound and MusicNerve Cell_o is commissioned by Sound and Music and EMS, Stockholm  Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/238 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/238 Giuseppe Califano new work World PremiereBernardo Sannino new work World PremiereMatthew Sergeant bet giyorgis World PremiereEmily Wright new work World PremiereNieuw EnsembleBas Wiegers conductorhcmf//presents twelve innovative voices from around Europe as part of the European Composers' Professional Development Programme. Over the past year, young composers studying in The Netherlands, Italy and the UK have participated in intensive workshops with some of Europe's finest new music ensembles; Nieuw Ensemble (NL), Ensemble 10/10 (UK) and Icarus Ensemble (IT), trying out new ideas and receiving advice and guidance from musicians and mentors.Produced by hcmf// and Nieuw Ensemble; supported by the European Commission Culture Programme and the Musicians Benevolent Fund, in partnership with the University of York Music Press Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/239 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/239 Hui Tak-Cheung new work World PremiereAlessio Ferrantenew work World PremiereGaetano Nenna new work World PremiereYu Oda new work World PremiereEnsemble 10/10hcmf// presents twelve innovative voices from around Europe as part of the European Composers' Professional Development Programme. Over the past year, young composers studying in The Netherlands, Italy and the UK have participated in intensive workshops with some of Europe's finest new music ensembles; Nieuw Ensemble (NL), Ensemble 10/10 (UK) and Icarus Ensemble (IT), trying out new ideas and receiving advice and guidance from musicians and mentors.Produced by hcmf// and Ensemble 10/10; supported by the European Commission Culture Programme and the Musicians Benevolent Fund  Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/240 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/240 Trevor Grahl new work World PremiereEmre Sihan Kaleli new work World PremiereMarcello Messina new work World PremiereFinola Merivale new work World PremiereIcarus Ensemblehcmf// presents twelve innovative voices from around Europe as part of the European Composers' Professional Development Programme. Over the past year, young composers studying in The Netherlands, Italy and the UK have participated in intensive workshops with some of Europe's finest new music ensembles; Nieuw Ensemble (NL), Ensemble 10/10 (UK) and Icarus Ensemble (IT), trying out new ideas and receiving advice and guidance from musicians and mentors.Produced by hcmf// and Icarus Ensemble in collaboration with Fondazione Prometeo and Casa della Musica di Parma; supported by the European Commission Culture Programme and the Musicians Benevolent Fund, in partnership with the University of York Music Press Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/241 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/241 Composer in Residence Bent Sørensen discusses his approach to composition and sound with hcmf// Artistic Director Graham McKenzie. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/258 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/258 Open daily throughout the Festival; 10am - 5pm plus just prior to concerts at Bates Mill. Bent Sørensen Snowbells‘In recent years I have worked increasingly in collaboration with other art forms. Through this, all the hidden stories and pictures - which have always been in my music - have become clearer, and the visual and narrative dimension suddenly became an important counterpoint to my music.Over a long period when I was writing the full-length opera, Under the Sky, it was not possible to write any other music - so I started to challenge the concert form by making concerts of my own music, which I now increasingly see as Concert Installations rather than as concert programmes. The step from these Concert Installations to a fully-fledged sound installation is very short and natural. The most important thing for me when I create a sound installation is that I change the sound installation genre to become my music - not the other way round.'Bent SørensenProduced by hcmf// supported by The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes and SNYK. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:50:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/217 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/217 Simon Limbrick & James Saunders surfaces World PremiereSimon Limbrick recycled surfacessurfaces is a collaboration between the performer Simon Limbrick and the composer James Saunders and is part of their ongoing work exploring the sonic properties of materials. This 24-hour performance is realised in a near-silent space, with sounds produced from actions on the surfaces of ecologically resourced materials, recycled at the end of the performance. A web-cam will permit access across global time-zones - please visit http://www.sonicsurfaces.co.uk for further details.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council; web design by Dave Morgan / crabcraft.com‘Pop-Up Art School', a temporary and exciting way to engage and participate in art and design, will pop up at this event on Saturday 19 November from 12pm - 3pm in the Creative Arts Building. Inspired by the music at hcmf//, creative art experiences will be offered alongside this performance, facilitated by PGCE Art and Design students from the School of Education, University of Huddersfield. All welcome - no experience necessary. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/219 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/219 8 - 12 August 2011hcmf// recently organised a successful and varied week of participatory workshops for young people with disabilities at Castle Hill School in Newsome, Huddersfield, funded by Kirklees Council's Holiday Activity Programme. The week began with sax and percussion musicians The Pasaos Duo who used a combination of performance and interactive musical activities to develop participants' musical skills. The highlight for most of the group was having the chance to explore a variety of instruments including various types of saxophones and percussion, some of which they had never encountered before. On the second day participants were taken on an exciting journey exploring music and sounds from around the world through the use of music technology. Robert Jaggar, Castle Hill School's Music Co-ordinator, used interactive technology that ensured even participants with the most complex needs could contribute to the group music making activities. Participants enjoyed performing and recording the composition they created which was later given to them on CD. You can listen to an excerpt of this by clicking on the sound file to the right of this article.Accessible Arts and Media delivered the third day of workshops and their signing and signing activities proved to be both incredibly fun and educational. The group learnt to sing and sign a range of songs across the musical spectrum and hugely enjoyed games that incorporated instruments, dancing and even a parachute!Music technology was also central to the workshops delivered by duo Two Jazz. Participants used cutting edge multi-coloured interactive instruments called Skoogs in order to create imaginary soundscapes and to explore percussive music from around the world. The most popular aspect of the workshops was the process of using a colour based graphical score to compose an original piece using the Skoogs.The final day of workshops continued with the hands-on approach that had engaged young people throughout the week. The Astrum Guitar Duo incorporated musical games to fire the imagination and adapted guitars to allow all participants to be able to learn and play simple songs. The satisfaction gained from independently playing guitar was evident throughout the group and this proved to be the perfect conclusion to what was a unique, fun and engaging week for all involved. Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:35:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/197 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/197 Iannis Xenakis:SermentA HeleneA ColoneMedea-SenecaeNew London Chamber ChoirClement Power directorNew Music PlayersNew London Chamber Choir and New Music Players present a concert exploring Xenakis' deep engagement with the ancient culture of his homeland, refined through the experience of revolution and exile. Starkly direct in expression, the works range from the stately, monumental A Colone to the searingly archaic sounds of the sea and rocks in Medea-Senecae.Produced by hcmf// supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/256 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/256 Exhibition runs until Sunday 27 NovemberOpen daily throughout the Festival;Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday & Sunday10am - 4pmTo accompany the focus upon Iannis Xenakis's music at hcmf// 2011 comes an exhibition telling the story of a man whose talents were too many to be confined to one sphere. Sixteen displays highlight aspects of Xenakis's life, from his turbulent youth in wartime Greece, to his achievements as an architect, composer, researcher, mathematician and thinker. At the same time, the exhibition reveals how his advances in areas such as spatialisation, stochastics and multimedia performance earned him the status of one of the 20th-century's most vital artistic figures.Produced by hcmf// supported by Réseau Varèse; Exhibition designed by the Centre de documentation de la musique contemporaine (Cdmc) in collaboration with Sharon Kanach, at the request of Les Amis de Xenakis. With the support of the Sacem and the Foundation Francis et Mica Salabert. Supplementary material provided by hcmf// archive.  Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/216 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/216 Iannis Xenakis HermaJohannes Kreidler Klavierstück 5Iannis Xenakis MistsStefan PrinsPiano Hero #1 UK PremierePiano Hero #2 (hcmf// commission) World PremierePeter Ablinger 6 Linien UK PremiereIannis Xenakis à r. (hommage à Maurice Ravel)Mark Knoop pianoXenakis produced four mature works for solo piano, three of which feature in this recital: the ‘symbolic' music of Herma, through the expansive, chaotic Mists, to his brief tribute to Ravel. Prins' new work for piano, MIDI-keyboard and video projection forces a rethink of reality, while Kreidler fills the hall with multiple transformed instruments and Ablinger's transparent lines define their own listening space.Produced by hcmf// supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/248 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/248 Nouritza Matossian, biographer and family friend of Iannis Xenakis published a seminal book on his life and work, Xenakis, Nouritza Matossian, Moufflon Publications, 2005, and co-produced Something Rich and Strange, a BBC 2 Documentary with his collaboration.She talks about the parallels between his wartime experiences in Greece and his compositional processes evaluating his profound influence on musicians today.  Nouritza MatossianNouritza Matossian published the first biography and critical study of the Greek composer Iannis Xenakis, the source book on his life, architecture and music based on ten years' collaboration with him. She later adapted it into a documentary for BBC2, entitled Something Rich and Strange. Matossian's 1998 book Black Angel, The Life of Arshile Gorky was written after twenty years' research. Ararat, the award-winning film by Atom Egoyan and Miramax, was partly inspired by Black Angel. She acted as consultant to Egoyan who modelled the female lead role Ani on her. Matossian also wrote and performs a solo show on Gorky's life from the viewpoint of his four beloved women with images and music. It has been produced worldwide over 80 times at venues including the Barbican, Tate Modern, London, New York, Los Angeles, the Edinburgh Festival, Cyprus, Paris, Lebanon, Iran, Romania and Georgia. In Armenia she performed it simultaneously in two languages. Matossian broadcasts on the BBC and contributes to several newspapers and magazines, including The Independent, The Guardian, The Economist, and The Observer. She was Honorary Cultural Attache for the Armenian Embassy in London from 1991-2000. She spent her childhood in Cyprus with her Armenian family. Educated in England, she graduated with Honours in Philosophy (B.Phil) from Bedford College, University of London, then studied music, theatre and mime in Dartington and Paris; she has a command of nine languages.   Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/263 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/263 Iannis Xenakis:Tetora for quartetEvryali for pianoST 4 for quartetAkea for piano quintetDikhthas for violin and pianoIkhoor for trioTetras for quartetArditti Quartet:Irvine Arditti violinAshot Sarkissjan violinRalf Ehlers violaLucas Fels celloIan Pace pianoGuaranteed to be one of the highlights of hcmf// 2011, the incomparable Arditti Quartet performs a full programme of work by Iannis Xenakis as part of the Festival's focus on the legendary composer and architect. The presence of the phenomenally virtuosic pianist Ian Pace makes this a truly unmissable meeting of musicians and masterpieces.Produced by hcmf// supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/212 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/212 Iannis Xenakis NOMOS ALPHARuben Sverre Gjertsen new work UK PremiereJames Dillon EOSIannis Xenakis KOTTOSArne Deforce celloArne Deforce performs two of Xenakis' classic works for solo cello - NOMOS ALPHA and KOTTOS - alongside James Dillon's EOS (the title of which refers to the Greek goddess of dawn) and the UK premiere of a brand new work by the recipient of the 2010 Arne Nordheim prize, Norwegian composer Ruben Sverre Gjertsen.Produced by hcmf// supported by Réseau VarèseClick here to listen to Arne Deforce performing Iannis Xenakis' complete works for cello Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/243 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/243 Tickets for more events at this year's Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival are now on sale, offering the chance to secure your seat at some of the festival's most spectacular performances at a special discounted price.hcmf//'s Xenakis focus kicks off the Festival on Friday 18 November with the launch of the documentary exhibition devoted to Xenakis at Huddersfield Art Gallery, Spherical Worlds. The exhibition is prepared by Sharon Kanach who worked very closely with Xenakis for two decades, as a translator of his works, as a scholar and as Vice-President of Centre Iannis Xenakis (formerly CCMIX) in France. The exhibition will be supplemented by material drawn from hcmf//'s own archive held by the University of Huddersfield. An overview of the life and work of Iannis Xenakis will also be presented on Friday 25 November as part of the hcmf// talks programme.Arne Deforce performs two of Xenakis' classic works for solo cello accompanied by James Dillon's EOS (Thursday 24 November) and Mark Knoop explores three of Xenakis' mature works for solo piano (Friday 25 November).The Arditti Quartet, without whose presence the Festival would hardly be complete, perform a concert of Xenakis works for strings and piano with pianist Ian Pace (Friday 25 November).And on the final day of the Festival New London Chamber Choir, under the direction of Clement Power, and the New Music Players present a concert devoted to Xenakis' rarely-performed large-scale choral works.-------------------------Iannis Xenakis: Spherical Worlds FREE EVENTFriday 18 November 2011, Huddersfield Art Gallery, 4pm Launch EventOpen daily throughout the Festival; Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday & Sunday 10am - 4pmFree Event-------------------------Arne DeforceBUY TICKETSThursday 24 November, St Paul's Hall, 12 noonFull Price £10 Concession £8Online: £6-------------------------hcmf// Talks: Iannis XenakisFREE EVENTFriday 25 November CAM G/01, University of Huddersfield, 11amFree Event-------------------------Mark KnoopBUY TICKETSFriday 25 November, St Paul's Hall, 1pmFull Price £10 Concession £8Online: £6-------------------------Arditti Quartet + Ian PaceBUY TICKETSFriday 25 November, St Paul's Hall, 7.30pmFull Price: £19 Concession: £17 Online: £15-------------------------Xenakis Choral Masterpieces: Classical / RadicalBUY TICKETSSunday 27 November, Town Hall, 4pmFull Price: £15Concession: £13 Online: £10------------------------- Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:41:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/196 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/196 The final notes of the 34th Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival have only just faded away, but the hcmf// team are already throwing themselves into organising next year’s event. In the meantime, here are some highlights to enjoy from hcmf// 2011’s ten days of concerts, talks and workshops, as seen by some of the audiences, critics and musicians who were there.The festival’s opening weekend had a strongly bittersweet flavour, courtesy of the music of hcmf// Composer in Residence Bent Sørensen. As well as the UK premiere of his mesmerising new piece It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall providing the climax of the first concert on Friday 18 November, audiences on their way to concerts at Bates Mill were halted in their tracks by the sounds of voices and church bells drifting from an unassuming corner of the warehouse complex’s yard, where Sørensen’s Snowbells featured as an installation throughout the festival. A silent documentary film showing the composer both working and avoiding work at home in Denmark intrigued the Huddersfield Examiner, meanwhile, when it accompanied Ensemble SCENATET’s performance of his music during Dokumentary Koncert #1 on Saturday 19 November. Our photographers were out capturing images of both performers and audiences at hcmf// and you can see day-by-day albums of the festival on our Facebook page. On the audio side, representatives of the music publisher Edition S were at hcmf// to support many of this year’s strong Danish contingent and you can hear their impressions and short interviews with a variety of artists on their Soundcloud page. And if you missed Growing in the Dark, Duncan Chapman’s performance of music composed from recordings of forced rhubarb collected as part of hcmf// Learning and Participation workshops with Overthorpe Junior School, visit the Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb site to find out more about the project.The range of concerts presented during the week at hcmf// had Twitter alive with comments and conversation: audience member @elsie33 tweeted, “Watched 3 excellent concerts featuring some of Europe's best up & coming composers – what variety, and what a privilege”. Mark Knoop’s recital of Trond Reinholdtsen’s Faust, or The Decline of Western Music on Thursday 24 November prompted @CathrynJane to tweet, “Opera for solo piano @HCMFUK was amazing! Completely not what I expected! Brilliant!” And Carl Rosman (@carlrosman) found time between playing with ELISION and musikFabrik to turn a wry eye upon proceedings: “I have to confess, when ensemble)h(iatus threw buckets of feathers at the audience I couldn't help feeling a little down.”The closing weekend of hcmf// kept up the pace, with St Paul’s Hall packed for a sold-out performance of Xenakis by the Arditti Quartet and Ian Pace on the evening of Friday 25 November, before a late-night appearance by Annie Gosfield Trio and Athelas Sinfonietta for Gosfield’s Floating Messages and Fading Frequencies. The concert was rounded off by a performance of Gosfield’s Combustion Chamber / EWA7 that brought Chris Cutler’s drumming skills to the fore. Watch it here on YouTube:The first British performance of James Dillon’s sixth string quartet by Quatuor Diotima on Saturday 26 November impressed critics from both the Telegraph’s Ian Hewett, who described it as “delightfully new-minted” and “truly original” and the Guardian’s Andrew Clements, who praised it for “bold, striking gestures and not a note wasted”. Clements was also among those who enjoyed the long-overdue UK premiere of Brian Ferneyhough’s Chronos Aion in Ensemble Linea’s concert the same day. You can watch the entire concert, which also includes music by Fabien Levy and Francesco Filidei, on the ensemble’s YouTube channel.Don’t forget to visit the hcmf// Facebook page or follow @hcmfuk on Twitter as well as this website for more clips, photos and for the first news about hcmf// 2012. Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:42:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/230 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/230 Please note: this concert will be broadcast live by BBC Radio 3, audience members must be seated by 10.15pm Richard Barrett Construction World Premiere ELISIONEugene Ughetti conductorDeborah Kayser voiceUte Wassermann voiceCarl Rosman voiceCommissioned by Liverpool Capital of Culture but never performed, don't miss the opportunity to hear the world premiere of Richard Barrett's epic two-hour work CONSTRUCTION in the unique setting of Huddersfield Town Hall. This momentous piece is based on the confrontation between ‘utopian' cities, in their envisioned perfection, and real ones with histories of upheaval and destruction.Produced by hcmf// supported by Sound and Music and ELISION with the friendly support of Ernst von Siemens music foundation; also supported by British CouncilCONSTRUCTION is a commission of the Liverpool City Council for the 2008 European Capital of Culture Programme. Research and creative development for CONSTRUCTION has also been assisted through the SIAL Sound Studios of the School of Architecture and Design, RMIT University, Melbourne with funds from the Australian Research Council. Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:18:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/208 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/208 Jexper Holmen new workLefteris Papadimitriou new work World PremiereAgatha Zubel new workCesary Duchnowski new workLarry Goves Things that are blue, things that are white and things that are black London SinfoniettaAndré de Ridder conductorSarah Nicolls pianoRNCM String EnsembleSound IntermediaFestival favourites London Sinfonietta return to this year's hcmf// with a selection of treats in store. New works from radical Danish composer Jexper Holmen and the Greek composer, performer and former Gaudeamus prize winner Lefteris Papadimitriou are followed by the second performance of Larry Goves' exceptional piano concerto, played by the vivacious Sarah Nicolls.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council, The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes, SNYK and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Polska Music programme Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:10:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/207 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/207 Fabien Levy Qwerwüchsig - first performance of revised version UK PremiereFrancesco Filidei Finito ogni gesto UK PremiereBrian Ferneyhough Chronos Aion UK Premiere                             Ensemble LineaEnsemble Linea makes its debut UK performance at this year's Festival with the eagerly anticipated and long overdue UK premiere of Ferneyhough's Chronos Aion. The ensemble, founded in 1998 in Strasbourg, France, also presents works by the French composer Fabien Lévy and the Italian composer Francesco Filidei.Produced by hcmf// supported by Diaphonique, Ministère de la Culture et Communication, Institut Français, SPEDIDAM, SACEM and Ville de Strasbourg Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:47:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/215 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/215 Oscar Bianchi Adesso (hcmf// co-comimission) World Premiere Thomas Simaku String Quartet No 4 World Premiere James Dillon String Quartet No 6 UK Premiere      Quatuor Diotima:Yun-Peng Zhao violinVanessa Szigeti violinFranck Chevalier violaPierre Morlet celloDemonstrating their ongoing enthusiasm for performing new commissions, Quatuor Diotima present a trio of fresh pieces. Dillon's association with hcmf// stretches right back to the first festival in 1978, whilst Diotima brought Thomas Simaku's Radius - String Quartet No 2 to hcmf// two years ago. Oscar Bianchi, meanwhile, is a former Gaudeamus prize winner whose densely textured music is rich with dramatic tension.Produced by hcmf// Adesso was commissioned by hcmf// Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, Deutschlandradio Kultur and Archipel Festival des Musiques d'aujourd'hui, Geneva. Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:37:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/213 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/213 Jonathan Harvey Climbing FrameRebecca Saunders DialogueHarrison Birtwistle Cortege, a ceremony for fourteen musicians in memory of Michael VynerRebecca Saunders new work UK PremieremusikFabrikThis concert performed by musikFabrik combines three British composers, all leading figures of contemporary music. Without fixed instrumentation or duration, Jonathan Harvey's Climbing Frame - commissioned by CoMA and first performed at hcmf// in 2004 - leaves great freedom to musicians as well as conductor. Harrison Birtwistle's Cortege reveals a ritualistic ceremony uncovering the semi-dramatic aspects of making music, and two new pieces by Rebecca Saunders demonstrate her imaginative and poetic use of space and colour in music.Produced by hcmf// supported by Goethe Institut Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:31:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/211 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/211 Steven Daverson Escher's Pharmacy World PremiereHèctor Parra Early Life UK PremiereHarrisbon Birtwistle Oboe QuartetFausto Romitelli Domeniche alla periferia dell'imperoPrima domenicaSeconda domenicaFausto Romitelli Nell'alto di giorni immobiliensemble rechercheThe internationally acclaimed ensemble recherche performs a stunning programme that includes a world premiere by rising British star Steven Daverson and the UK premiere of Hèctor Parra's Early Life for solo oboe, string trio and piano: both are recent winners of the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. Birtwistle's Oboe Quartet and works by hcmf// featured composer Fausto Romitelli complete the programme. Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council and Goethe-Institut Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:26:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/210 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/210 James Weeks String Quartet (to Alberto Caeiro) World PremiereRichard Glover Seventh Inversions UK PremiereRozalie Hirs Zenit UK PremiereQuatuor Bozzini:Clemens Merkel violinMira Benjamin violinStéphanie Bozzini violaIsabelle Bozzini celloThe Bozzini Quartet bring their uncompromising austerity and generous sensitivity to hmcf// for the fourth time with a programme that explores the outermost bounds of the practice we once called minimalism. Two UK premieres and one world premiere explore uncharted regions of a warmly human, ineffable space of unknown possibilities.‘The Bozzini Quartet puts a silent, calmly precise, thoughtful and highly intense argumentation against a noisy world.'Nordwest-Zeitung (Germany)Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council and Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:21:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/209 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/209 We're approaching the end of July, it's been almost a month since the second and last workshop in Reggio Emilia with Icarus ensemble, and my piece is now due at the end of September. First, a quick word about my background: my name is Marcello Messina, I'm a Sicilian composer based in Leeds, at present I'm doing a PhD in composition at the University of Leeds, but I have a past as a student of modern languages, literatures and philology (mainly Russian and other Slavonic languages).The two workshops were really good, and that's why I decided to start this blog: in the next entries I'll post details about the musicians involved in the programme and about the piece I'm writing for them.Marcello Messina Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:58:27 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/44 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/44 NYJC & SAMYO Music Improvisation CourseTuesday 23 August - Thursday 25 AugustCreative Arts Building, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH10am - 5pmThe National Youth Jazz Collective and South Asian Youth Music Orchestra are delighted to be leading a new collaborative project offering unique workshops for local instrumentalists of all abilities aged 14-18 years old. The 3 day project will be led by expert musicians and music leaders and with their support participants will explore improvisation within both jazz and Indian music traditions. Workshops will include rehearsals, master classes and developing an understanding of both jazz and classical Indian music repertoire. Participants will work both in large groups and small ensembles to develop and compose new music. The project will culminate with an amazing opportunity for participants to perform at hcmf// on Saturday 26 November 2011.Participants are asked to commit to all days of the workshops including the performance date at hcmf//.Fee for the course is £35. NYJC are delighted to be able to offer fee and travel bursaries for the course thanks to funding from Youth Music.For more details or to book a place please contact Heidi Johnson at h.johnson@hud.ac.uk, call 01484 471116, or simply download the Booking Form from the link below and return to hcmf//. Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:39:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/194 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/194 Covers admission to all numbered events during the Festival and a free Festival Programme BookPlease note: the Full Festival Saver no longer includes admission to Events 3 and 5 due to these events being sold out   Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:21:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/204 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/204 Bent Sørensen and Anna Berit Asp Christensen Saudades Inocentes UK PremiereGeorg Friedrich Haas Schweigen (Movement I and II) UK PremiereLuigi Nono ¿Dónde Estás Hermano?Luigi Nono La fabbrica illuminata Gert Henning-Jensen tenorOscar Henning-Jensen boy sopranoGuido Paevatalu baritoneFrederik Munk Larsen guitarAndreas Borregaard accordionNeue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart The title Saudades Inocentes is probably best translated to mean ‘Innocent Yearnings', but the Portuguese word ‘Saudade' indicates something far stronger than a ‘common' longing after something or someone. It is often a desperate longing after that which cannot be reached, either because it is not to be found or because it has been lost forever. The work is written for three male voices - boy, young man and older man. From a landscape of loudspeakers, a feminine universe of women's voices and steps flows as a mist beneath and around these three. Through the work's six movements all the voices - the boy, the little girl, women and men - sing against and with one another. Music by Georg Friedrich Haas and Luigi Nono forms a haunting complement to Saudades Inocentes. Luigi Nono's ¿Dónde Estás Hermano? (Brother Where Art Thou?) for two soprani, mezzo-soprano, and contralto was written in 1982 in honour of the disappeared in Argentina and the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo movement. La fabbrica illuminata (The Illuminated Factory), for voice and magnetic tape, is a commentary on social injustice and contains fragmented political chants accompanied by steel-on-steel sounds of machinery. Two movements from Georg Friedrich Haas' Schweigen complete the programme - the first of which, a response to current world issues, is about the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Produced by hcmf// supported by The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes, SNYK and Goethe InstitutSaudades Inocentes is commissioned and produced by hcmf// and SPOR festival Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:21:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/203 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/203 Bent Sørensen Shadowplay UK Premiere Cikada EnsembleEnsemble SCENATETTrio Aristos'In a period of five years I wrote three trios all in five movements - Phantasmagoria for piano trio (Ensemble SCENATET), Schattenlinie for clarinet, viola and piano (Cikada Ensemble) and Gondole for string trio (Trio Aristos). At the same time I always felt they were part of the same piece. A tapestry of trios where the 15 movements together are part of the same story, mirroring each other in the different trios. A Shadowplay'Bent Sørensen Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Information Centre Norway, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes and SNYK Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:18:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/202 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/202 Improvisations on Bent Sørensen's Funeral Processions UK PremiereCikada Point 4:Kenneth Karlsson piano / indian harmoniumBjørn Rabben percussionJon Balke piano / syntheziserIngar Zach percussionThis collaboration is an improvisation based on fragments and ideas from Sørensen's Funeral Processions. Two virtuoso duos, Balke / Zach from jazz and improvised music, and Rabben / Karlsson from contemporary classical music unite to produce a rich and explosive soundscapeas the music, spun from small cells, grows into larger forms of energetic, organic sound.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Information Centre Norway, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes and SNYK Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:13:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/201 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/201 Eivind Buene Possible Cities UK PremiereEivind Buene Landscape With Ruins UK PremiereLaurence Crane RiisLaurence Crane Estonia Laurence Crane Four Miniatures Cikada EnsembleBritish composer Laurence Crane is celebrating his 50th birthday year, and with a string of European ensembles lining up to perform his work, we thought we'd join in the celebrations. Innovative Norwegian ensemble Cikada complement three deceptively understated works by Crane with two UK premieres by Norwegian composer Eivind Buene. Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council, Music Information Centre Norway and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs  Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:07:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/200 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/200 Lene Grenager Nachts UK PremiereRobin de Raaff Ennea's Domein James Dillon Oslo/Triptych UK PremiereCikada EnsembleOslo-based supergroup Cikada perform the UK premiere and only planned UK performance of a brand new piece by James Dillon alongside a UK premiere by talented Norwegian composer, cellist and conductor Lene Grenager and Robin de Raaff's septet, Ennea's Domein. The Oslo/Triptych (for flute, clarinet, percussion, piano and string quartet) is the second work in a set of three triptychs - the first of which, The Leuven Triptych, received its UK premiere at hcmf// 2009. The titles refer on the one hand simply to the source of the commission and on the other to the etymological origin of the word ‘triptych' whereby ‘tri' and ‘ptychÄ' mean ‘three' and ‘folds' in ancient Greek.‘[James Dillon is] unquestionably one of Britain's leading composers' The GuardianProduced by hcmf// and November Music; supported by British Council, Music Information Centre Norway, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Welcome to Yorkshire Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/199 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/199 Bent Sørensen Dokumentary Koncert #1 UK Premiere Ensemble ScenatetAnna Berit Asp Christensen curatorMichael Madsen directorErik Molberg film photographerEva Frost film producerEnsemble SCENATET presents a portrait of Danish composer (and hcmf// 2011 Composer in Residence) Bent Sørensen which includes a silent documentary film following the composer in his home. From making coffee to composing, SCENATET accompanies footage of Sørensen's daily routine with live performances of some of his most important works so that the still-life reality of the composer turns into a magical meeting of pictures and sound, reality and abstraction.Produced by hcmf// supported by The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Aarhus Kommune/The City of Aarhus, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes, SNYK and Sonning Fonden.  Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:51:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/198 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/198 Arne Nordheim NachrufAaron Jay Kernis Musica CelestisBent Sørensen It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall UK Premiere Nils Henrik Asheim ChaseTrondheim SoloistsFrode Haltli accordion‘It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall - the sentence - the title - was given to me by a Hungarian women in August 2008. She put a note with the sentence in my hand after a festival and told me that my music reminded her of the sentence, written by a Hungarian poet. It is music full of slow motion - full of sorrow - full of tangos with no dancers. Maybe I imagined the tears of an accordion player flowing down slowly on the bellow of the instrument.'Bent SørensenProduced by hcmf// supported by Music Information Centre Norway, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Danish Arts Council, The Danish Arts Foundation, Danish Composers Society's Production Pool / KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes and SNYKIt is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall is commissioned by and dedicated to Frode Haltli       Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:39:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/197 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/197 Covers admission to all numbered events on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November   Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:54:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/206 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/206 Covers admission to all numbered events on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November Please note: the Weekend 1 Saver no longer includes admission to Events 3 and 5 due to these events being sold out  Fri, 22 Jul 2011 13:23:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/205 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/205 Norwegian accordionist Frode Haltli will be a familiar face to anyone who has enjoyed Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in recent years. Most recently he collaborated with Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart to perform Naomi Pinnock’s Oscillare in 2010; previously he has been featured both as a soloist and as part of the group Poing. At hcmf// 2011 he appears with the Trondheim Soloists in the opening concert on Friday 18 November, playing a new work by hcmf// Composer in Residence Bent Sørensen.Born in 1975, Haltli studied at the Norwegian State Academy of Music, then at the Royal Danish Music Conservatory. With his fellow Poing members Rolf-Erik Nystrøm and Håkon Thelin, he is an artistic director of this year’s Ultima contemporary music festival, which takes place in Oslo in September. His other current projects include recording the first CD compilation of Arne Nordheim’s accordion music.hcmf//: How did you start playing accordion?Frode Haltli: I started to play when I was six years old. I don’t know why. I just wanted an accordion for Christmas. I grew up in quite a small place, but I had two brothers who were also into music, so there was a lot of music in our home. But no-one else was really interested in what I was interested in, so I had to go to the music library an hour away to find classical and jazz music.I won a competition when I was 15 or 16 years old, it was called Talentiaden, a talent competition. In the finals I played a Russian neo-romantic piece. This was on national TV and there was only one channel at the time, so I got a lot of attention from it. I had already started to play contemporary music then, mainly Nordic contemporary music such as Arne Nordheim. My little brother is a jazz trumpet player so we played together almost every day and I also became interested in traditional Nordic folk music.Then I started to study music in Oslo and then in Copenhagen. I studied in the classical music department, although the accordion is not a classical instrument. I played transcriptions; I still play Bach almost every day. I play classical music because it’s good for me; but I mainly played contemporary music when I started to study. For my final exam, which was a public concert, I had a commission from Bent Sørensen, his only piece for accordion so far before this new one, a solo piece called Looking On Darkness. That was an important piece for me. It was something new in accordion music and it also inspired me in my improvisation and my way of playing.Did people find it unusual for you to be studying accordion in a classical music department?In the village where I grew up people accepted what I was doing. I did a lot of concerts locally and around Norway. It was only when I started to study that I realised that my instrument wasn’t totally accepted in the classical world. I met all these violin and piano players from well educated homes, who were born into this central European classical tradition, and this was a totally strange world to me. The only classical music I listened to in my childhood was what I found in the music library; there was no system to it, so I lacked a lot of knowledge about classical music. But that also made me really keen on finding out things.So yes, I noticed that I was a strange bird. But I never really cared much. I played with the jazz department and I played chamber music with strings, percussion, guitar and wind players. I’m very aware that my instrument is outside the classical tradition. But I have no problems with that. I think it’s a good position to have.Is it hard to find suitable repertoire for accordion in contemporary music?I wouldn’t say so. Firstly, I’m very interested in lots of different music, so to me there is always new music to explore – traditional music, Indian music, electronic music, everything. But I would also say there’s a lot of repertoire in contemporary music. I still have a lot of pieces that I want to play and haven’t yet, that have been written for other accordion players. Accordion is a very popular instrument among contemporary composers in certain countries: maybe not so much in Britain, but in Scandinavia there’s a lot and in Germany there’s a huge amount. I’ve just realised that Wolfgang Rihm has more pieces for accordion than I knew of, and I’m still discovering new works.Are there any accordionists whose playing has influenced you?I’m more inspired by other musicians in general. Maybe what inspired me most from accordion players is the way bandoneón players play. I discovered Ástor Piazzolla many years ago, and later Dino Saluzzi, and from them I learned a lot about phrasing and how to make the instrument breathe more. Too many accordionists just play on the keys and forget about the bellows and the actual soul of the instrument. When I work with a composer, I always try to make him or her understand what the instrument is about, that it’s a wind instrument and a key instrument. Part of the problem is that the key system of the accordion is very virtuosic; it’s easy to play fast. That has led to a culture where a lot of accordionists play very fast all the time but they forget the bellows and the dynamics; there’s no phrasing.At hcmf// in 2007 you performed music from the album Passing Images. Can you explain how you approached combining folk music with more contemporary styles?I started to play newer folk music, dances like waltzes and polkas, when I was about ten years old. A little later I became interested in the older folk music, the dances, songs, instrumental music and also music for specific uses such as getting the children to bed or bringing home the cattle. What I wanted to do on Passing Images was to treat this music with respect, but also take it somewhere I felt it hadn’t been yet. There’s a big wave of young folk musicians in Norway and they’re also trying to modernise this music. But very often to me it sounds quite dull. On Passing Images, in most of the tracks you can hear the original clearly for a while, but it goes in and out and into quite free improvisations. I consider this a CD of re-compositions, in a way.What was actually a little bit difficult was to convince the other musicians to go fully into this contrast that appears, going from a very tonal, familiar music to something far-out in just a few seconds. Not many improvising musicians do it this way. I had Arve Henriksen and Maja Ratkje on the record and as performers they mainly work with improvisation, so I think it was very strange for them in the beginning.What is the story behind Wach Auf!, the most recent album from your group Poing?Poing has always been like a laboratory, trying out new things. In the first years, we only worked with very young composers, students like us. In the past five years we’ve worked with more established composers but we also have side projects all the time. We’ve had this Wach Auf! project for ten years. It started out that the night before each Labour Day, we would do a concert in a really ‘brown’ pub –an old, traditional pub that people have been sitting in for many years. I guess there’s more of these pubs in England than in Norway, actually.It started out with Weill/Brecht and we made our own versions of these sounds, but then we expanded to include other working songs, different revolutionary music. It’s just a huge source of interesting music and lyrics. We reached a lot of new audiences in Norway with this CD, because some of the songs are quite well known there among people who are interested in politics and the labour movement. We don’t do the songs as they did them in the ‘70s, but even the old hippies, they seem to like the way we do them. A lot of the songs have a really strong message but it’s not like we’re trying to convince people. Our attitude has always been more to ask questions than to give answers.What can you tell us about the new Bent Sørensen piece that you’ll be playing at hcmf// 2011, It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall?What I’m really looking forward to with this piece is playing with the strings. We play a lot in the same register and I think it will sound really interesting together. Bent is not a very theoretical composer. In some ways he’s like a traditional composer in the sense that he writes by hand. A lot of composers today cut and paste a lot, but I don’t think he does. It’s more intuition.I think he creates this slightly scary atmosphere. There will be something there that you think you might have heard before, but surrounded by something more blurry. He really knows how to write for strings, so to me it looks like the strings will surround the accordion, in a way. It’s not like a normal concerto with the soloist in the front and the orchestra making the accompaniment. I think it will sound more like a huge, strange accordion with string sounds!Click here to buy tickets for Frode Haltli performing with the Trondheim soloists at hcmf// 2011 on Friday 18 November. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/192 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/192 The first tickets are now on sale for this year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, with special discounted prices for online booking available for a limited time (until 7 October).The events represent some of the varied highlights of the 34th festival, which takes place from Friday 18 November to Sunday 27 November 2011, including concerts devoted to the leading Danish composer Bent Sørensen, who is the hcmf// 2011 Composer in Residence.The opening concert of hcmf// 2011, on Friday 18 November, sees the UK premiere of Sørensen’s piece It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall performed by Norwegian accordionist Frode Haltli and string ensemble the Trondheim Soloists, in a concert which also includes work by the late Norwegian master Arne Nordheim and by Aaron Jay Kernis and Nils Henrik Asheim Chase.Forming part of a wider survey at this year’s festival of the current wealth of talent found in the Danish contemporary music scene, the Sørensen programme includes the substantial piece Dokumentary Koncert #1 on Saturday 19 November and a concert on Tuesday 22 November featuring two Danish ensembles, Scenatet and Trio Aristos, and musicians from Oslo-based supergroup Cikada, performing three works previously unheard in the UK.The closing concert of hcmf// 2011 on Sunday 27 November also features Sørensen, in collaboration with Anna Berit Asp Christensen. Saudades Inocentes draws upon the voices of three generations of male vocalists – son, father and grandfather – set amidst a female choir and loudspeakers. It forms a pair with Quando stanno morendo, Luigi Nono’s haunting tribute to Polish friends silenced by political repression.Elsewhere, hcmf// 2011 welcomes back composer James Dillon for the UK premiere of his Oslo/Triptych on Saturday 19 November in a concert also featuring work by Norway’s Lene Grenager and Dutch composer Robin de Raaff, performed by Cikada. The ensemble also leads a celebration of composer Laurence Crane’s 50th birthday year on Sunday 20 November, complemented by a free late-evening concert on Monday 21 November.Other highlights of hcmf// 2011 that will soon be on sale include a major focus upon Iannis Xenakis, including large-scale choral works and the return of the Arditti Quartet; premieres of new work by last year’s Composer in Residence, Rebecca Saunders, and by Richard Barrett, and portrait concerts devoted to Jennifer Walshe and Mary Bellamy. Keep visiting http://www.hcmf.co.uk for the latest news about tickets for this year’s festival.The online prices for the events listed below are only available for a limited time, so book now to take advantage of the discounts. Tickets can be booked by clicking the links to each event or by calling the Festival Box Office on 01484 430528.----------------------------------------------------------------------Trondheim Soloists + Frode Haltli BUY TICKETSFriday 18 November 2011, St Paul’s Hall, 7pmFull Price: £19Concession: £17Online: £15---------------------------------------Dokumentary Koncert #1: Bent Sørensen BUY TICKETSSaturday 19 November 2011, Phipps Hall, 12 noonFull Price: £10Concession: £8Online: £6---------------------------------------Oslo Triptych BUY TICKETSSaturday 19 November 2011, St Paul’s Hall, 3pmFull Price: £19Concession: £17Online: £15---------------------------------------Cikada: Laurence Crane @ 50 BUY TICKETSSunday 20 November 2011, St Paul’s Hall, 12 noonFull Price: £15Concession: £13Online: £10---------------------------------------Cikada Point 4  BUY TICKETSMonday 21 November 2011, Phipps Hall, 10.30pmFree Event---------------------------------------Shadowplay BUY TICKETSTuesday 22 November 2011, Town Hall, 3pmFull Price: £10Concession: £8Online: £6---------------------------------------Saudades Inocentes BUY TICKETSSunday 27 November 2011, St Paul’s Hall, 6pmFull Price: £15Concession: £13Online: £10---------------------------------------------------------------------- Fri, 22 Jul 2011 09:07:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/191 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/191 Learning & Participation Officer Salary up to £21,850 pro rataPart-time - Job Share, 3 days per weekFixed term contract until 29 February 2012Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (hcmf//) requires a part-time Learning & Participation Officer with a minimum of 3 years experience of working in music outreach settings to jointly run our varied programme of creative learning projects. You will develop links between the Festival, participant groups and partner organisations, build upon existing and create new projects with participants, and maximise opportunities for wider engagement with the local community. You will also liaise with a wide range of music leaders and participants, deliver workshop activity and outcome events, as well as carry out monitoring and evaluation. You will need good communication and organisational skills, experience in fundraising, an interest in new and experimental music and tons of creative energy. The post is a 3 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) job share post from August 2011 - February 2012, with increased hours during the festival period in November (18 - 27 November 2011). For further information about the Festival and our Learning & Participation programme please visit http://www.hcmf.co.uk hcmf// is an equal opportunities employer. Criminal Records Bureau clearance will be required, application on appointment.An application pack can requested by emailing r.hughes@hud.ac.uk To apply please send a CV and a letter of application by post to:Nikki Cassidy, hcmf//, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DHFor more information please contact Nikki Cassidy on 01484 472103 or e-mail n.cassidy@hud.ac.ukClosing date for completed applications: 5pm Thursday 28 July 2011Interviews: w/c Monday 1 August 2011  Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/190 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/190 Twelve talented young composers are set to launch their international careers by collaborating with Europe's most prestigious new music ensembles thanks to hcmf//'s new European Composers' Professional Development Programme. The composers, who have been selected from universities and conservatoires in the U.K, Italy and The Netherlands, will be spending two intensive weekends visiting and working with either the Nieuw Ensemble (NL), Ensemble 10/10 (UK) or Icarus Ensemble, before having their works premiered at hcmf// 2011. Developed as a result of the pioneering hcmf// and Nieuw Ensemble Composers' Professional Development Programme, the European Composers' Professional Development Programme is funded by European Commission Culture Programme and the Musicians Benevolent Fund and will benefit twenty-four composers from the three partner countries during 2011 and 2012. The initiative aims to offer rising talents the chance to collaborate with a leading ensemble in a country other than their own, and to offer composers the space to experiment and try out new ideas which are not normally possible in time-pressured or public workshop contexts. Central to the programme's ethos is a commitment to helping composers work alongside world-class musicians, ensuring that their work receives high quality, professional performances, as well as a guaranteed second performance and CD recording. It also provides participants with opportunities to develop particular skills in scoring for larger ensembles and more unusual combinations of instruments through the different ensembles' line-ups. The selected composers for 2011 are:Composers selected to work with Icarus Ensemble:• Finola Merivale (UK, University of Leeds)• Marcello Messina (UK, University of Leeds)• Emre Kaleli (NL, Conservatorium van Amsterdam)• Trevor Grahl (NL, Conservatorium van Amsterdam)Composers selected to work with Nieuw Ensemble:• Emily Wright (UK, Royal Northern College of Music)• Matthew Sergeant (UK, University of Huddersfield)• Giuseppe Califano (IT, Accademia di Imola) • Bernardo Sannino (IT, Conservatorio di Napoli)Composers selected to work with Ensemble 10/10:• Yu Oda (NL, Conservatorium van Amsterdam)• Hui-Tak Cheung (NL, Conservatorium van Amsterdam)• Gaetano Nenna (IT, Reggio Emilia Conservatory)• Alessio Ferrante (IT, Conservatorio ‘C. Monteverdi' di Bolzano)Some of the composers on this year's programme will be blogging about their experiences during the year, so please check the blogs section over the coming weeks to read about their progress.    Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:35:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/189 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/189 West Yorkshire's proud history of rhubarb-growing provided inspiration for a recent hcmf// Learning & Participation initiative, and a new mini-website has just been launched to document the project. Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb involved sound artist, musician and educator Duncan Chapman working with Year 5 pupils from Overthorpe Junior, Infant and Early Years School in Thornhill, Dewsbury to explore the sonic (and other) properties of rhubarb!Yorkshire's famous ‘Rhubarb Triangle' is an area between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell known for producing forced rhubarb. This technique for growing rhubarb, which is originally native to Siberia, became popular in the 19th century. The plants are grown outside for two years then transferred indoors to sheds that are heated and kept in complete darkness, prompting the sprouting of new stems with a prized tenderness and sweet flavour. In 2010 Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb was awarded European Protected Designation of Origin status, putting it in the same category as champagne, gorgonzola and Swaledale cheese.Funded by The Ernest Cook Trust and The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation, Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb drew upon timelapse photography of the plants' growth at a David Westwood & Son's farm near Wakefield, along with audio recordings of the distinctive ‘pop' made as new buds burst open. Pupils made recordings of rhubarb being ‘played' in a variety of ways (invoking fond memories of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra!), before using Soundplant editing and performance software to create their own sound pieces. The project also included other rhubarb-related activities such as tasting sessions and sharing rhubarb recipes, as well as learning about other foods holding PDO status across Europe. The Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb project culminated in a ‘Rhubarb-B-Q' showcase event for the pupils and their families at the school on 11 April, featuring performances of work and chance to sample new rhubarb recipes. The project is documented at http://www.rhubarbrhubarbrhubarb.co.uk; the site includes rhubarb recipes collected by participants during the project, rhubarb video and sound samples as well as photos from the workshop and Rhubarb-B-Q; please take a look and have a listen!  Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:54:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/188 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/188 Tickets for more events at this year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival are now on sale, offering the chance to secure your seat at some of the festival’s most spectacular performances at a special discounted price.Once again, a world-class programme of performers and composers are booked for this year’s hcmf//, which takes place from Friday 18 November to Sunday 27 November, with the 2011 programme promising a particularly strong line-up of international ensembles. Some of the names heading for Huddersfield for the 34th festival, such as Richard Barrett, Quatuor Bozzini and ensemble recherche, are already favourites among festivalgoers on the basis of their previous appearances. Others, such as Ensemble Linea, will be making a highly anticipated UK debut at the festival.The concerts now on sale include the return of London Sinfonietta on Saturday 19 November, with a programme that includes new work by Danish composer Jexper Holmen and a performance of Larry Goves’ piano concerto with soloist Sarah Nicolls. Also on the Saturday, hcmf// welcomes back both the international ensemble ELISION and composer Richard Barrett, for the world premiere of CONSTRUCTION, a monumental two-hour work commissioned for Liverpool Capital of Culture but never yet performed.On Sunday 20 November, the Montreal-based Quatuor Bozzini’s concert includes the premiere of a new string quartet by James Weeks, whilst Freiburg’s ensemble recherche present works by Steven Daverson, Héctor Parra, Harrison Birtwistle and Fausto Romitelli. Birtwistle’s music also features in musikFabrik’s concert on Thursday 24 November, where his Cortege will be performed alongside Jonathan Harvey’s Climbing Frame – a piece first unveiled at hcmf// in 2004 – and new work with longtime musikFabrik collaborator and last year’s hcmf// Composer in Residence, Rebecca Saunders.Two of France’s top contemporary ensembles complete the list of concerts now on sale: on Saturday 26 November, Quatuor Diotima will present James Dillon’s sixth string quartet alongside world premieres by Thomas Simaku and Oscar Bianchi, whilst Ensemble Linea will mark their first British appearance with the long-awaited UK premiere of Brian Ferneyhough’s Chronos Aion.Concerts already on sale for hcmf// 2011 and featuring other top international ensembles include the Trondheim Soloists with Frode Haltli and Norway’s Cikada. Click here for more details and to access special online ticket discounts (available until 7 October).-------------------------London SinfoniettaBUY TICKETSSaturday 19 November, Lawrence Batley Theatre, 7.30pmFull Price: £19Concession: £17Online: £15-------------------------ConstructionBUY TICKETSSaturday 19 November, Town Hall, 10.15pmFull Price: £19Concession: £17Online: £15-------------------------Quatuor BozziniBUY TICKETSSunday 20 November, St Peter’s Church, 2pmFull Price: £15Concession: £13Online: £10-------------------------ensemble rechercheBUY TICKETSSunday 20 November, St Paul’s Hall, 5pmFull Price: £19Concession: £17Online: £15-------------------------musikFabrikBUY TICKETSThursday 24 November, Town Hall, 6pmFull Price: £19Concession: £17Online: £15-------------------------Quatuor DiotimaBUY TICKETSSaturday 26 November, St Paul’s Hall, 12 noonFull Price: £15Concession: £13Online: £10-------------------------Ensemble LineaBUY TICKETSSaturday 26 November, Town Hall, 7.30pmFull Price: £19Concession: £17Online: £15 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:19:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/195 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/195 Visit Bent Sørensen’s official website to read his biography, listen to his music, browse through the gallery and find out about up and coming projects: Learn why Bent Sørensen is considered “without doubt the leading Danish composer of his generation” in this article on the Edition Wilhelm Hansen website. Listen to Bent Sørensen music and ‘Radio’ on Last.fmListen to full length versions of two of Sørensen’s pieces: ‘The Deserted Churchyards’ and ‘The Shadows of Silence’. Wed, 25 May 2011 15:46:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/193 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/193 The Danish composer Bent Sørensen is to be Composer-in-Residence at hcmf// 2011, taking place this year from Friday 18 November - Sunday 27 November.A wide-ranging programme of recent work by Bent Sørensen, revealing elements of the composer's work hitherto unfamiliar to UK audiences, extends throughout the ten-day festival. The Sørensen programme is complemented by concerts, premieres and events featuring a spectrum of younger composers on the vibrant Danish new music scene. In the first year of his three-year association with hcmf// Jexper Holmen will write a new work for London Sinfonietta Chamber Players. The Festival also welcomes some of Denmark's liveliest new music ensembles and performers, including Athelas - Denmark's leading contemporary chamber ensemble - FIGURA Ensemble with mezzo soprano Signe Asmussen and Ensemble Scenatet.This major survey of trends in Danish new music is one of the key elements in hcmf// 2011. It is made possible by generous funding and close co-operation with SNYK, Wundergrund Festival, The Danish Arts Council, the Danish Composers Society and the Danish Arts Foundation.The announcement was made by Festival Director Graham McKenzie at a reception on 16 May at the residence of the Danish Ambassador, Birger Riis-Jørgensen at which Bent Sørensen was also present. Bent Sørensen programme Bent Sørensen is one of Denmark's leading composers. Now in his 50s, he studied with Ib Nørholm at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and with Per Nørgård at the Jutland Music Academy. His music for chamber and orchestral forces is widely admired in Britain - he won the prestigious Nordic Music Prize in 1996 for his violin concerto, Sterbende Gärten - and he is Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music.'But there's a more experimental and conceptual side to Bent Sørensen's recent work which I wanted to present during this year's Festival', said Graham McKenzie, adding: 'My interest in Sørensen's work led me to discover other, younger Danish composers who are at the centre of Denmark's current vibrant music scene - many of whom are influenced by Sørensen's work - and so I decided to incorporate a more thoroughgoing Danish focus to this year's Festival.'The opening concert of the Festival (Friday 18 November) is devoted to the UK Premiere of Bent Sørensen's It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall, written for the Trondheim Soloists and accordionist Frode Haltli. The World Premiere takes place just weeks beforehand at Oslo's Ultima Festival. There are five further concerts showcasing Sørensen's work, including Documentary Concert #1 (Saturday 19 November), a composer portrait performed by Ensemble Scenatet which includes a silent documentary film of the composer. The final concert of the Festival, (on Sunday 27 November) will include the UK premiere of Saudades Inocentes, a new work by Bent Sørensen and Anna Berit Asp Christensen for three generations of male singers - grandfather, father and son - guitar and accordion and a landscape of loudspeakers. This new work is commissioned and produced by SPOR Festival and hcmf//.Cikada Point 4 (Norway) perform Processions Variations - improvisations around Sørensen's Funeral Processions in a late night concert on Monday 21 November, and there's another Sørensen UK Premiere from Cikada and Scenatet, joining forces for a spatial performance of Shadowplay (Tuesday 22 November), a tapestry of three trios.hcmf// is also seeking ways to represent The White Forest, an extraordinary site-specific installation created by the composer and stage director Katrine Wiedemann in which eight vocal pieces by Sørensen were relayed through speakers hidden in a white-painted woodland setting.  Complementary elements of hcmf//'s Danish programme A younger generation of Danish composers also takes its place in this year's hcmf//.London Sinfonietta Chamber Players will premiere a new work for clarinet, viola, violin, cello and electronics by Jexper Holmen (Saturday 19 November).The Norwegian Ensemble Asamisimasa presents On and Off (Saturday 26 November), a portrait concert of Simon Steen-Andersen, a former pupil of Bent Sørensen. Steen-Andersen combines wit and imagination with well-crafted ideas and an awareness of the visual element of music.Ensemble Scenatet presents the UK Premiere of Fish and Fowl (Monday 21 November), a ‘super remix' of chamber works by Juliana Hodkinson and Niels Rønsholdt presented in the form of a live audio-visual story. Denmark's leading new music ensemble, Athelas, presents Floating Messages and Fading Frequencies, a new work with strong Danish resonances by New York downtown star Annie Gosfield (Friday 25 November). The work is inspired by signal communications between the Danish Resistance and British SOE during the Second World War.FIGURA Ensemble presents a spectrum of work by young Danish composers Peter Bruun, Anders Brodsgaard and Nicolai Worsaae, as well as the Icelandic-German composer Steingrimur Rohloff, who is composer in residence with FIGURA in 2010-2011 (Saturday 26 November). There are new pieces for ensemble and mezzo soprano, an expressive solo for double bass and electronics as well as a song cycle from Peter Bruun's award-winning work Miki Alone. FIGURA members will also lead a composition workshop (Sunday 27 November) for children aged 9-12 as part of hcmf//'s imaginative Family Programme.Further details of hcmf// 2011 will be announced in due course. Fri, 20 May 2011 10:21:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/187 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/187 hcmf// shorts is a series of short informal performances which this year will take place all day on Monday 21 November 2011 in various venues in Huddersfield. They provide up-and-coming musicians with a valuable platform to perform for members of the public, media and key music industry representatives at the UK's leading new music Festival. Proposals are welcomed from all types of performers, and works can be especially composed or existing pieces. There are no age limits. Proposed programmes should be no longer than 20 minutes in duration.hcmf// will provide:• Music stands, chairs and microphones (on request)• Piano (cannot be prepared)• PA: 16 channel desk, 4 speakers, CD play backHow to apply:To apply for hcmf// shorts please download the application form from http://www.hcmf.co.uk or request one from the hcmf// office by calling 01484 471116 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            01484 471116      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or e-mailing h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Post your completed application form along with a separate proposal (which should be no longer than one side of A4) and supporting audio material to: Heidi Johnson, hcmf// shorts, Room TC/09, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK. Please only submit one proposal per ensemble / performer and ensure that any audio material is directly relevant to your proposal. Deadline for proposals: 10.00am, Monday 16 May 2011 After you've submitted your proposal, hcmf//'s Artistic Director, Graham McKenzie, will select a number of performers/ensembles to take part in hcmf// shorts 2011. You will be notified by Friday 27 May if your proposal has been chosen to feature in hcmf// shorts. ‘Thanks for this great opportunity, and for giving our careers a giant push forward!'‘A very, very useful experience for any young performer. I would highly recommend applying for it' Past hcmf// shorts performers   Mon, 09 May 2011 11:15:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/186 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/186 Tue, 03 May 2011 12:18:27 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/84 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/84 hcmf// InternshipsPlease note that applications for these roles are now closed. Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is inviting applications from outstanding individuals for the voluntary worker roles of Events Intern and Learning & Participation Intern. These posts are an excellent opportunity for two people to gain invaluable experience working within the field of arts management at the UK's premier festival of new music. The ideal candidates will have an enthusiasm for new music and will be committed to bringing the best of their skills and abilities to the organisation. Excellent communication and organisational skills, good IT skills and the ability to prioritise and work to meet deadlines are essential for these roles. The Events Intern will be responsible for providing administrative support to the Festival Manger in organising the 2011 Festival, including assisting with artist contracts, organising travel and accommodation, coordinating steward volunteers, providing marketing support as well as gaining an unique insight into all aspects of International Festival and Events Management.The Learning & Participation Intern will be responsible for assisting with planning projects as part of the hcmf// Learning & Participation programme, liaising with a wide range of music leaders and participants, assisting with workshop activity and outcome events as well as monitoring and evaluation. This post is subject to obtaining a CRB Enhanced Disclosure certificate. Both positions are part-time and flexible (Events Intern 3 days a week; Learning & Participation Intern 2 days a week for 6 months from June - November 2011), with increased hours in the run up to and during the festival in November. Both internships are unpaid. To apply please send your CV to Heidi Johnson at h.johnson@hud.ac.uk with a covering letter outlining the reasons you believe you would be suitable for the position. Please indicate clearly whether you are applying for either the Events Internship or Learning & Participation Internship. Deadline for applications: 5.00pm, Thursday 19 May 2011Interviews will be held on Friday 27 May, with posts starting w/c 6 June. hcmf// 2011: Friday 18 - Sunday 27 November   Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:06:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/185 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/185 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 15:09:03 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/83 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/83 Call for hcmf// shorts proposalsPlease note that the call for hcmf// shorts proposals has now closed. hcmf// shorts is a series of short informal performances which this year will take place all day on Monday 21 November 2011 in various venues in Huddersfield. They provide up-and-coming musicians with a valuable platform to perform for members of the public, media and key music industry representatives at the UK's leading new music Festival. Proposals are welcomed from all types of performers, and works can be especially composed or existing pieces. There are no age limits. Proposed programmes should be no longer than 20 minutes in duration.hcmf// will provide:• Music stands, chairs and microphones (on request)• Piano (cannot be prepared)• PA: 16 channel desk, 4 speakers, CD play backHow to apply:To apply for hcmf// shorts please download the application form below (under 'Related Attachments') or request one from the hcmf// office by calling +44 (0) 1484 471116 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            +44 (0) 1484 471116      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or e-mailing h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Post your completed application form along with a separate proposal (which should be no longer than one side of A4) and supporting audio material to: Heidi Johnson, hcmf// shorts, Room TC/09, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK. Please only submit one proposal per ensemble / performer and ensure that any audio material is directly relevant to your proposal. Deadline for proposals: 10.00am, Monday 16 May 2011 After you've submitted your proposal, hcmf//'s Artistic Director, Graham McKenzie, will select a number of performers/ensembles to take part in hcmf// shorts 2011. You will be notified by Friday 27 May if your proposal has been chosen to feature in hcmf// shorts. ‘Thanks for this great opportunity, and for giving our careers a giant push forward!'‘A very, very useful experience for any young performer. I would highly recommend applying for it'Past hcmf// shorts performers   Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:50:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/184 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/184 The full programme for the 34th Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is now on sale with booking open on all tickets. Taking place from Friday 18 November to Sunday 27 November, this year’s festival once again brings the best in international new music to Huddersfield, with more than 60 concerts, talks, exhibitions, installations and participatory events.This year’s hcmf// Composer in Residence is Denmark’s Bent Sørensen and the festival is bookended by two concerts presenting his work. The opening concert on Friday 18 November includes the UK premiere of It is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall, written for and performed by the Norwegian accordionist Frode Haltli, accompanied by the Trondheim Soloists. Sørensen’s music features throughout the festival, until the closing concert on Sunday 27 November, which pairs Sørensen’s Saudades Inocentes, featuring three generations of male vocalists, music by Luigi Nono and Georg Friedrich Haas.The festival’s commitment to staging the most exciting and challenging new music is apparent with the world premiere on Saturday 19 November of CONSTRUCTION, Richard Barrett’s monumental new work exploring different visions of utopia set against less perfect realities. Performed by the cross-continental ensemble ELISION, it’s one of many concerts at hcmf// 2011 by leading large-scale new-music ensembles.Among the others are the Swiss basel sinfonietta, whose concert from Scratch on Sunday 20 November pays tribute to the radical and influential Scratch Orchestra. Elsewhere during the festival, concerts by Norway’s Cikada Ensemble present new work by James Dillon and Lene Grenager, and celebrate the 50th birthday this year of Lawrence Crane. Cologne’s musikFabrik premiere a new work by longtime collaborator Rebecca Saunders; ensemble recherche present a world premiere by Steven Daverson and work by Fausto Romitelli, whilst festival regulars London Sinfonietta and Sarah Nicolls return to Huddersfield on Saturday 19 November.Iannis Xenakis is the subject of a special hcmf// focus this year, with the opening of Spherical Worlds, an exhibition revealing his life and work, at Huddersfield Art Gallery on Friday 18 November and further concerts from the Arditti Quartet, New London Chamber Choir, cellist Arne Deforce and pianist Mark Knoop.Other highlights of a packed programme include new electroacoustic music courtesy of NoTAM on Thursday 25 November; the unmatchable Evan Parker, who leads his Electroacoustic Ensemble on Friday 18 November and teams up with Matthew Wright for Trance Map the following day, and the UK premiere of TablesAre Turned, composed by Austria’s Bernhard Lang for AlterEgo and turntablist Philip Jeck.Once again, hcmf// opens its doors for free on Monday 21 November with a wealth of concerts and events, including a chance to see rising new talents and bite-sized work in hcmf// shorts. This year also brings the fruits of the European Composers’ Professional Development Programme, with up-and-coming composers having their works performed by Nieuw Ensemble, Ensemble 10/10 and Icarus Ensemble on Wednesday 23 November.Tickets for all the festival events can be booked through the hcmf// website: click here to see programme details and to buy online (online discounts are available until 7 October). You can also book by ringing the festival box office on 01484 430528. Sat, 02 Apr 2011 12:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/198 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/198 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is delighted to announce news received this morning from Arts Council England that it will be part of the National Portfolio of organisations and will continue to be funded up to 2015.The amount of funding represents a significant up-lift on the Festival’s current level of core funding and is welcomed by the hcmf// team as a huge vote of confidence in the local, national and international programme of work presented in Huddersfield each year.hcmf// would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the team who have worked to put the bid together and Arts Council England for enabling us to continue to create and present the most exciting new music from Britain, Europe and beyond in Huddersfield – especially in the current climate of cuts and uncertainty.It’s also fitting for us to thank our other funders and partners whose support is vital to making hcmf// a reality, including: Kirklees Council, the University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire Grants, the British Council, the PRSF Foundation and Welcome to Yorkshire.Artistic Director, Graham McKenzie says: “This is fantastic news for hcmf// this morning – and a great testament to the hard work and commitment of the hcmf// team, our Board and our partners. We now hope to hear that our many partner organisations in the UK will be similarly successful.” Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:17:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/183 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/183 West Yorkshire’s proud history of rhubarb-growing is providing inspiration for a new Learning and Participation project created by Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb involves sound artist, musician and educator Duncan Chapman working with pupils from Overthorpe Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Thornhill, Dewsbury to create an interactive online installation using audio and visuals from the farming of local rhubarb.Yorkshire’s famous ‘Rhubarb Triangle’ is an area between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell known for producing forced rhubarb. This technique for growing rhubarb, which is originally native to Siberia, became popular in the 19th century. The plants are grown outside for two years then transferred indoors to sheds that are heated and kept in complete darkness, prompting the sprouting of new stems with a prized tenderness and sweet flavour. In 2010 Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb was awarded European Protected Designation of Origin status, putting it in the same category as champagne, gorgonzola and Swaledale cheese.Funded by The Ernest Cook Trust and The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation, Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb draws upon timelapse photography of the plants’ growth at a West Yorkshire farm, along with audio recordings of the distinctive ‘pop’ made as new buds burst open and sounds from the harvesting of the crop. Pupils will use creative and ICT skills, such as sound editing with Audacity, to produce the multimedia piece. The project also includes other rhubarb-related musical activities and education about its history and growing techniques, as well as about foods holding PDO status across Europe. The Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb workshops are taking place until 8 April and culminate in a ‘Rhubar-B-Q’  showcase for the pupils and their families at the school on 11 April. Duncan Chapman has previously collaborated with hcmf// on the projects Sonic Postcards (2006), AudioMunch (2007) and The Music of Electricity (2009) – look out for the Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb project website, launched soon. Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:53:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/182 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/182 Young jazz musicians aged between 14 and 18 have the chance to be picked for the annual summer school held by the National Youth Jazz Collective, with auditions taking place in Huddersfield on Sunday 10 April.The NYJC exists to develop and support gifted young artists through outreach projects and the National Youth Jazz Summer School. Funded by Youth Music, this year’s summer school will be held at the University of East Anglia from 14–21 August 2011 and includes a free public performance on 20 August. The 30 selected participants will be able to draw upon the expertise of a number of jazz educators, including NYJC founder Issie Barratt, Nic France, Nikki Iles, Mark Lockheart and Martin Speake, whilst honing their improvisatory and interactive skills in small groups.Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is one of the NYJC’s regional partners and hosted a series of Jazz Weekends offering workshops, seminars and performances to young musicians in 2008–9. The NYJC audition day, one of several being held around England, takes place in the University of Huddersfield’s Creative Arts Building.For more information about the NYJC National Youth Summer School, visit http://www.nyjc.co.uk/summerschool.htm Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:40:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/181 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/181 German radio station SWR 2 is broadcasting a performance of Naomi Pinnock’s Oscillare on 16 March which will also be available for online listening for another week. Oscillare, for six voices and accordion, was commissioned by Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and premiered at hcmf// 2010 by Frode Haltli and Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart. They also performed the piece in Stuttgart in February, where it was recorded for SWR 2’s Jetzt Musik programme. Jetzt Musik is broadcast at 10.03pm (GMT) and can be heard online here.Naomi Pinnock was born in West Yorkshire and currently lives in Germany. Her new work Words, produced as part of the London Sinfonietta’s Blue Touch Paper scheme for talented young composers was also featured on BBC Radio 3’s Hear and Now on 12 March and can be listened to for a limited time here.Click here to read an interview with Naomi Pinnock Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/180 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/180 Monica Germino will be performing pieces from DEVIATION, which received its UK premiere at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival last November, at the Rumor festival in Utrecht, the Netherlands on 24 March.Now in its 64th edition, Rumor takes the format of a ‘festival night’, with three venues each hosting music in one evening. Germino is appearing at EKKO, where her programme will include works by Julia Wolfe, David Dramm, Donnacha Dennehy and others. DEVIATION involves the interplay of violin, electric violin, voice and sound manipulation and Germino will be joined for the performance by sound engineer Frank van der Weij.Watch Monica Germino perform David Dramm’s Fuzzbox Logic from DEVIATION at Gaudeamus Music Week in September 2010 here: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:28:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/179 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/179 Composer and saxophonist Lotte Anker has followed up her appearance at 2010’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival by being shortlisted for this year’s Nordisk Musikpris or Nordic Council Music Prize. The leading music prize in Nordic countries, the award carries prize money of 350,000 Danish krone (€47,000).Established in 1965, the annual Nordic Council Music Prize is given in alternate years to a composer or an artist working in any of the Nordic countries or autonomous territories. Nominees must have produced significant work over the last 12 months, making Anker’s appearance at hcmf// 2010 a factor in her success. Her piece What river is this, a co-commission between hcmf// and Copenhagen’s Wundergrund festival, received its UK premiere at November’s festival. Mixing composed music and structured improvisation, it was performed by an ensemble featuring Anker, Phil Minton, Anna Klett, Garth Knox, Jesper Egelund, Fred Frith, Chris Cutler and Ikue Mori.The winner of last year’s Nordic Council Music Prize was Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen and previous victors include Natasha Barrett (2006), Rolf Wallin (1998) and Björk (1997). The 2011 prize focuses on music with improvised elements: the 11 other nominees include recorder player Bolette Roed, also from Denmark, Sweden’s Mats Gustafsson, Norwegian singer Sidsel Endresen and musicians from Finland, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.The overall winner is chosen by a panel of music experts with representatives from each of the Nordic countries and will be announced on 1 June.Nordisk Musikpris website Fri, 18 Mar 2011 15:10:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/177 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/177 Talks and discussions involving many of the composers and musicians from the 33rd Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival last November can now be listened to and downloaded as free MP3s from the hcmf// website. The talks complemented concerts in the festival programme, giving audience members the chance to hear more about the inspirations and processes involved in creating contemporary music, and to ask their own questions – hot topics this time ranged from the relationship between colour and sound in Rebecca Saunders’ work to the effect of an Italian cycling holiday upon Graham Fitkin’s composing style.Click on the links to the right to listen to or download each talk. You can also download transcripts using the links at the bottom of the page.Mapping Music 20.11.10The work of John Cage as artist and composer, his notation and visual art, creativity and legacy are discussed by a panel featuring Laura Kuhn from the John Cage Trust, musician/composer Alvin Curran, Sam Belinfante from the Hayward Gallery, Philip Thomas from the University of Huddersfield and chaired by Robert Worby, presenter of BBC Radio 3’s Hear and Now.Rebecca Saunders and Graham McKenzie 20.11.10 Rebecca Saunders, Composer in Residence for hcmf// 2010, talks to the festival’s Artistic Director Graham McKenzie about her musical development, being a British composer in Berlin and the evolution of her work Chroma.Graham Fitkin and Robert Worby 21.11.10 Graham Fitkin tells Robert Worby about the two-wheeled genesis of his piece Twenty-Six Days – which was premiered at the festival by Ensemble 10/10 – and the challenges of keeping music interesting in the 21st century.Entropic Song Meditations 23.11.10Anton Lukoszevieze from Apartment House and Graham McKenzie speak to Robert Worby about collapsing time and the allure of decay in the new work Schumann: Entropic Song Meditations.Sculpting Sounds in Space 24.11.10Composers Denis Smalley and Jonty Harrison, Jean-François Denis, founder of the Montreal-based CD label empreintes DIGITALes, and Monty Adkins from the University of Huddersfield exchange views on the future of electroacoustic music.Rebecca Saunders and Sara Mohr-Pietsch 27.11.10Hear and Now presenter Sara Mohr-Pietsch speaks to Rebecca Saunders, who offers further insights into the Chroma experience and where her music will go in the future.Rolf Wallin and Sara Mohr-Pietsch 27.11.10 Composer Rolf Wallin tells Sara Mohr-Pietsch about the broad stylistic range covered by his work and the creation of his own musical curiosity cabinets.Oslo–Warsaw 25.11.10Musician/composer Mats Claesson and Asbjørn Flø from NOTAM, the Norwegian Centre for Technology in Music and the Arts, pay tribute to leading Norwegian composer Arne Nordheim, who died in June 2010.Sound file Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:11:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/176 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/176 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is over for 2010, and whilst the festival team busy themselves with preparing an even more spectacular programme for 2011, we’re looking back on some of the highlights from this year’s instalment of the award-winning celebration of new and experimental music. For a start, Brian Slater photographed many of the events at hcmf// 2010 and you can enjoy his images here on Facebook.The festival began in typically unpredictable style on Friday 19 November with Alvin Curran’s Ear Training, in which musicians descended upon Huddersfield Station for a site-specific performance on instruments ranging from saxophone and violin to basketball and ram’s horn. Read how the Huddersfield Examiner covered the event here. Curran and the Edges Ensemble will return to the station for a repeat performance at 12pm on Saturday 8 January.The same day, Enno Poppe conducted ensemble mosaik and Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart in the first UK performance of his work Interzone. The Telegraph described the event as “powerfully affecting” and a “hugely impressive” technical feat; you can see photos from the event in Bates Mill here. Later, Quatuor Bozzini took on the theatrical challenges of string quartets by Mauricio Kagel and Jennifer Walshe, which included playing their instruments with knitting needles and cellist Isabelle Bozzini pointing a gun at violinist Clemens Merkel.Other highlights of the opening weekend included ensemble recherche giving the UK premieres of Hans Abrahamsen’s Schnee and Murmurs by Rebecca Saunders, hcmf//’s Composer in Residence, two pieces exploring quiet, contemplative and fragmented soundworlds. Read what the Guardian thought of the concert here.The first Monday of hcmf// is now established as a day for rising talents, innovative experiments and discovering new music with the help of free events. After an afternoon devoted to a variety of bite-sized performances from the hcmf// shorts programme, Alvin Curran oversaw another musical surprise, this time with Big Squeeze, Long Stretch, in which massed accordionists lined the balconies of the historic Byram Arcade. Watch a short video clip of the performance here. In the evening, Bates Mill played host to a collaboration between improvising duo Oceans of Silver and Blood, violin and harp trio The New String Theory and composer Claudia Molitor, which included the sight of the musicians all playing Rhodri Davies’ harp by pulling long threads attached to it. You can view photos of the concert and other hcmf// events in Bates Mill here.John Cage’s pioneering work with chance and indeterminacy was a theme running throughout hcmf// 2010. A constantly changing display of Cage’s visual art in the Every Day is a Good Day exhibition at Huddersfield Art Gallery provided the backdrop for several events, including Philip Thomas’s 12-hour performance of the composer’s Electronic Music for Piano, during which he only took a 15-minute break. Double bassist Joëlle Léandre performed her own personal tribute at Lawrence Batley Theatre, which included riding a bicycle across the stage, dancer Dominique Boivin’s bendy-limbed movements and a performance of Cage’s Ryoanji with precise, disciplined accompaniment from the University of Huddersfield’s Edges Ensemble. The ensemble and Alvin Curran also hopped on board the Cage Train from Huddersfield to Stalybridge for a performance inspired by Cage’s 1978 happening. Find out what happened by watching this video: The festival also featured a strong representation from the Norwegian new music scene. On Thursday 25 November, a concert presented by NOTAM, the Norwegian centre for technology in music and art, commemorated the achievements of the late composer Arne Nordheim, with a selection of his groundbreaking electronic works and pieces featuring soloists Eldbjørg Hemsing (violin) and Einar Steen-Nøkleberg (piano). Illness prevented the composer Ole-Henrik Moe from taking the stage with the Arditti Quartet for his works Vent, Litt and Lenger on Saturday 27 November, but former Arditti violinist Graeme Jennings heroically stepped in at a day’s notice and rose to the challenge of Moe’s technically arduous but austerely beautiful work. London Sinfonietta rounded off the Norwegian strand with a concert in Bates Mill that included Rolf Wallin’s Curiosity Cabinet.Families and young people got involved with the festival thanks to events such as the Family Morning on Sunday 28 November, where kids could help the Pound Shop Boys prepare music for their radio show on K-Oss.FM: hear the results on the duo’s YouTube channel here. Meanwhile, Claudia Molitor and hcmf// teamed up with local web broadcaster Two Valleys Radio for Playback, a workshop producing an interactive composition which can be heard here.The festival’s final weekend was as successful as its first, with concertgoers braving freezing weather to experience a unique performance of Rebecca Saunders’ Chroma. Huddersfield Town Hall was transformed into an unearthly and dreamlike space, with musikFabrik’s musicians and more than 100 music boxes arranged around the hall’s floor, stage, balconies and side rooms – and even in the lift – whilst the audience wandered around freely during the two consecutive performances of the 45-minute work.After all that, we hope you’re looking forward to the 2011 festival as much as we are. Keep up to date with all the hcmf// news on this site, or by becoming a fan of the festival on Facebook or following us on Twitter. Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/175 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/175 This year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival may be over, but the events connecting hcmf// with the John Cage art exhibition Every Day is a Good Day continue. On Friday 10 December, the exhibition venue, Huddersfield Art Gallery, is hosting performances of Cage’s music by students from the University of Huddersfield’s departments of Music and Drama and Art and Design. Taking place from 11.15am to 1.45pm and 2.15pm to 4pm, the free event will be framed by Cage’s 1970 collection of works Song Books and features other pieces including Variations II, Living Room Music, Speech and Suite for Toy Piano. Chance processes will decide the exact times and combinations of these pieces.Every Day is a Good Day, which opened at the same time as hcmf// 2010 in November, contains prints, drawings and paintings created by Cage between the late 1960s and his death in 1992. In tribute to the his pioneering and controversial use of chance operations in both his composition and visual art, the exhibition has been changing over the weeks, with between 10 and 15 pictures being added and removed each time according to a random number system. The changes will happen every Wednesday until 5 January 2011.On Saturday 8 January 2011, the end of the exhibition will be marked with two events. At 12 noon, Alvin Curran and Edges Ensemble will descend upon Huddersfield Rail Station for a repeat performance of Ear Training, which opened hcmf// 2010. Then from 1pm to 3pm, the art gallery provides the backdrop for Every Day is a Good Dance, an improvising dance workshop led by Gerry Turvey, a Leeds-based choreographer and educator whose previous dance pieces include Fallen Angels in Leeds’ Holy Trinity Church. She has also performed in an allotment polytunnel, outside a shopping centre and by the side of the Leeds-Liverpool canal.Aimed at adults and open to anyone regardless of experience, Every Day is a Good Dance takes Cage’s ideas as inspiration for creative play and spontaneous images, with reference to his visual scores and unique notation for music and visual work. The workshop costs £7 per person (£5 concessions) and advance booking before 5pm on Wednesday 5 January is essential. Participants should wear loose, warm, comfortable clothing and be prepared to go barefoot. To book, contact Gerry Turvey by emailing turveyworld2@yahoo.com. Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:56:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/174 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/174 Just? Janulyt?, a Lithuanian composer now living in Milan, Italy, first came into public view in 2004 to win the nomination of the year's best chamber composition at the competition of the Lithuanian Composers' Union (with White Music for 15 strings). She has studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (graduating in 2006), as well as at the Milan Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory.Her music was performed in Europe, USA and Canada, by Teatro La Fenice Symphony and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestras, French Flute Orchestra, Riga Sinfonietta, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Ensemble Bit20 (Norway), Estonian Philharmonic and Danish Radio choirs, Quasar (Montreal) and Xasax (Paris) saxophone quartets, cellists Anton Lukoszevieze (England) and Francesco Dillon (Italy), and others. Her list of achievements includes two more prizes at the competition of the Lithuanian Composers' Union (in 2008 and 2010), and the first prize at the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris, in the category of young composers (in 2009, for Aquarelle for mixed choir).The closing concert of hcmf// 2010 (on Sunday 28 November) presents Janulyt?'s most recent opus - Sandglasses for cello quartet, live electronics and the installation of video, lights and tulle, created together with the Italian video artist Luca Scarzella.Your life spans between two cultures. Born and bred in Vilnius, you now call Milan your home. To which musical space, Lithuanian or Italian, you feel tied more closely as a composer?Moving to Milan appeared to be almost fatal to me and it took several years. It started with a dream of studying at the Verdi Conservatory which I wanted to join initially because Giacomo Puccini, the first composer which I consciously became fond of, studied there and later because I got acquainted to its school of composition, now quite powerful, through different creative workshops. Eventually, it was not because of professional matters why this country has become my home. I realised, after having moved to this city, that the concept of ‘home', or a geographic dependence in general, effectively does not change much in me as a composer because it neither gives me something nor takes anything from me. At first, I was worried about losing the source of vital energy to keep my identity staying away from my native Vilnius where I had spent 25 years living in the same street. However, now I see that a certain cultural and mental genetics is pretty well safeguarded from any influences, it even becomes stronger, tempered and more conscious in a new environment. The constant feeling of being on a trip and far from home makes responsiveness more subtle and sometimes opens up entirely new channels susceptive to creative impulses.What are your experiences in Milan? Are Italians open enough to allow foreigners into their musical space?The studies at the Milan Conservatory were useful in terms of developing my craft. A considerable attention was paid to the traditions of composition and the possibilities of their transformation pointing to the significance of their continuity which has helped to quench the euphoria of the ‘invention of a bicycle'. The cult of a particular precision in the score is prevailing, which means that the aleatoric attitude towards the notation, quite common among Lithuanian composers, is far from welcome here. Chances of haphazardness allowed by a composer are treated as ill-realised ideas, primitivism or a kind of score-weed that grows uncontrolled on a ground which has not been cultivated to the required extent. I would not say, however, that I found a hospitable atmosphere to ripen the aesthetic values which I stand for, such as statics or different forms of minimalism, close even to a radical purism, which are so beloved in the Baltic countries. I felt disquieted about the premiere of my symphonic piece, Textile, during the Venice Biennale in 2008 knowing that it was quite common among the Italian audiences to boo the premieres they found not satisfying. Textile, performed by the Teatro La Fenice Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Eliahu Inbal, is a single metamorphosis of registers, timbres and harmonies which lasts for nine minutes and thus hardly meets the standards of a decent symphonic piece. Despite that, and in some instances exactly because of that, the composition has received excellent reviews as well as listeners' compliments. I am glad that Mr Eliahu Inbal, the artistic director of the La Fenice theatre, liked the piece and included it in the theatre's repertoire for symphonic concerts. Eventually, this composition won the first prize as the best symphonic piece at the annual competition by the Lithuanian Composers' Union in 2008.Staying between the two countries opens up more professional opportunities, doesn't it?Individualistic origin of composer's work, especially of the one who does not write for theatre and cinema and, in other words, does not work for a troupe or an institution, turns his or her belonging to this or that community more into a psychological state of mind rather than into real career prospects.It is difficult to determine the factors that create composer's identity. I believe these days everything is mixed and merged in arts to the extent that national identity often becomes a speculation comparable to the attempts of describing differences between the masculine and feminine creativity. I suppose I am creating the musical visions which, leaving aside the inevitable temperament of my nature, are not connected directly either to a place or to its national traditions. Despite that, it is no less important to me to call myself a Lithuanian composer or, to be more precise, a composer from Vilnius.To what extent is the originality of your creation important to you?Originality is important but not because of my wish to show up externally or to create new aesthetics. It is rather the way of searching for a certain innermost genetic originality and authenticity in the language of music. I strive at creating and managing musical expression from the smallest details, the initial DNA of the piece, to grow the entire composition up as a coral from one single gesture rather than by drawing the dramatic scheme of the piece and later filling it with more or less occasional materials or certain techniques, already used by other people or by myself. Differently from a sculptor, who already has the substance of his creation and whose task, in a primitive way of thinking, lays merely in bestowing the form to it, a composer must create both the substance and the form of its placement in space. In other words, he has to create water, glass and a cup from scratch. Perhaps the true and the fairest creation is electronic, when a composer generates the timbre of sound himself instead of using the already existing instruments of a symphony orchestra with their limited technical capabilities and traditions of handling.Many of your pieces are written for ‘monochromatic' ensembles (15 strings, 2 pianos, 4 or even 24 flutes, etc). Why is this?Monochromatic ensembles, which I keep choosing from my early pieces, have already become an integral quality of my musical aesthetics, related not only to the timbral sound of my music, but also to the use of some particular textures, the density and at the same time coherence of which couldn't be obtained by ensembles or orchestras consisting of different instruments. Single instruments in my pieces are not being individualised, but the whole ensemble is rather handled as a utopian solo instrument with extended ranges, textural ant other potentialities, like e.g. would have a 24-voiced flute or a 60-string cello.The titles of some of your works resemble excerpts from poetic texts. What is their function and relationship with the music itself? Is it possible that they are not really titles in their traditional sense, but rather an additional layer of meaning that extends music instead of just naming it?The titles of my pieces, eveng though they do indeed sound poetic, usually reflect the constructive idea realised in the composition. For example, in White Music the idea of the formation of white colour in nature is unfolded, in Let's Talk About Shadows certain textural, dynamic and harmonic metaphors of shadows are developed, while Breathing Music imitates the periodic rhythm of breathing, and so forth. Titles are important and inseparable from the music, they verbalise its intentions, as subjective and open to interpretations as they could be.One of your pieces has a very long title - Who has traced the abyss of July night, how many miles does it take to dart downwards to the hollow, where nothing else happens...? Is it perhaps worth keeping silence at all rather than creating music ‘about' silence?Absolute silence, as a utopia, is probably the perfect example of ‘stylistic purity'. Paradoxically, there are no silences or rests in my music. I like creating the textures which sound as if holding a pedal pressed down or a percussion resonating after being hit. This means I am still trapped inside the ‘phobia of empty spaces' which one professor of the Milan Conservatory has diagnosed in me as if in reproach but in fact just in the form of a joke. The notion that music could be ‘about something' is a little bit faulty or uncongenial, at least to me. A piece of music is a certain organism, mechanism or, even more precisely, a phenomenon with an inner structure which can act like a dawn, breathing, growing, echoing, falling, drowning, ramification of roads, or formation of waves as wind gains force. However, it will never become a pastoral scenery, as it was common during the past epochs. I am trying to explain what was well-said by John Cage: ‘The function of art is not to communicate one's personal ideas or feelings but rather to imitate nature in her manner of operation.'Breathing Music for string quartet, live electronics and kinetic sculptures; Eclipses for violin, viola, cello, double bass, live electronics and soundproof glass installation; and the new piece, Sandglasses, for four cellos, live electronics and installation of video and lights - they reveal your attraction to interdisciplinary projects. In what aspects are they interesting to you?I am interested in the visual aspect of musical ideas, the visualisation of sound producing and in the musical composition as a certain mechanism or phenomenon possessing a visual charge. This is what my musical ideas are like: throwing a little stone into water with ripples spreading around it, the pass by of two trains, the approaching and receding siren with change of its sound frequency, etc. Sometimes the ideas of this kind can be brought to life not only using the inner structures of music but cal also be relocated to surface, to the level of sound producing and presenting, a certain situation of performance by creating an installation, positioning sources of sound (i.e. performers) in space and so on.In my first experiment of this kind, Breathing Music, the musicians perform inside kinetic sculptures (air bubbles) made of transparent materials. Through the use of the air compression they gradually shrink and get filled with air again, thus constantly changing their form. Each of them slowly ‘inhales' and ‘exhales' in its own tempo, this way gowerning the dynamics of the quartet's (musical) gestures. The breathing sculptures serve not only as a visualisation and materialisation of pulsating music, but also as giant mutes (as one of live-electronic tools) that inhibit the sound of the strings and transform their timbres.Eclipses was conceived as a slow harmonic, textural and timbral metamorphosis of one single chord. Here musicians perform in a plexiglass installation - a sort of a magic ‘soundproof music box' which is illuminated by changing light from its inside that creates the effect of a shadow theater of the musicians' motion. Audible sound (which is picked to be amplified by the computer) does not necessarily correspond to the bow gestures that are being followed by the audience and vice versa. Speaking metaphorically, these silent, barely audible pulsations can remind white dwarfs - the stars in the last phase of their existence, which are the object of study of my father, astronomer Rimas Janulis.And finally, the inspiration of my new piece is a simultaneous launch of several sandglasses of different capacity and duration. The metaphoric sand which comes out from the sandglasses as sediment of passing time, accumulates and submerges the individuals imprisoned, the currently produced sounds are drowned out by their own resonance, the bow movements get slower and completely immobilize, until the reinless running of the chronometers stops, everything freezes and the reverse process of purification starts.Apart from being a composer, you're also a musicologist. You received your Bachelor degree in the music theory in 2004 and have been teaching the language of contemporary music at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre since 2006. You are also active as a music critic. Does a musicological point of view to music make any impact on your creative work?Theoretically, composition and the science of music should not contradict each other because both areas, in the broader view, are the same as long as they deal with contemplation over music or exploration of its phenomena. However, one normally employs different attitudes when analysing the musical language of other composers and writing his or her own music. If you are seriously analysing the musical language of a certain composition, you try to explain and rationalise every single sound, you try to identify the common system and you get irritable if one or other note does not fit into it. Writing myself, I can't avoid starting with certain systems of musical parameters but I get rid of them at a certain stage of creative process and ascend over schemes, orderly drafts and all kinds of Fibonacci proportions. I start interpreting them freely and intuitively as if improvising with the material I have just created. The match of systematism and intuitivism, I believe, is just what creates the so called ‘musicality' which is a certain taboo for a serious analyst of music who can not allow herself search for it and to name it because it is barely perceivable and hardly explicable.You have studied at the Verdi Conservatory, you have admired Puccini's music and now you live in Milan. It may seem that all of your ways lead to opera. Where are they actually leading you to now?The things that I am nourishing in my music hardly lead to opera because that genre requires, apart from other things, verbal articulation of text and more or less narrative illustration of content while I am more fond of vocal which produces mormorando or vowels. However, opera or the synthetic aspect of stage genres as a whole, including stage setting, lights and other visual elements, attracts me and could inspire innovative visions of musical theatre some day. Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:43:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/173 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/173 The 33rd Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival has drawn to a close, but contemporary music lovers and critics alike agree that this has been another vintage year for the award winning Festival.Our thoughts immediately turn to 2011, and the planning begins here. Follow us us Twitter to get the inside story and instant updates as next year's hcmf// comes together.And fan us on Facebook to see the stunning event photography from hcmf// 2010 (all by Brian Slater) - feel free to add your own pictures, comments, questions or memories. Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:42:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/171 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/171 Shane from Radio Kootwijk sent us a terrifically fun teaser ahead of their performance at Bates Mill on Monday 22nd at 2.40pm.Click this link, click the images and make sure your sound is switched on.Thanks Shane! Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/172 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/172 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is proud to once again be the recipient of funding from the PRS for Music Foundation (PRSF). Marking both the 10th anniversary of PRSF and its 10th year of supporting hcmf//, this year’s festival sees the arrival of a three-year commitment which will ensure that hcmf// continues to be UK’s leading celebration of new and experimental music. The PRSF is an independent charitable foundation which grew out of the rights management and collecting society PRS for Music. Its initiatives include the annual New Music Award, which this year awarded £50,000 to the composer/architect duo liminal to assist with the realisation of their work The Organ of Corti. Other schemes include British Music Abroad, for artists hoping to increase their profiles overseas, and Take Five, which offers professional development for jazz musicians. Recently, proposals were invited for New Music 20x12, where 20 pieces each of 12 minutes’ length will be created as part of the Cultural Olympiad in 2012.The PRSF support for hcmf// contributes towards both the day-to-day operations of the festival and specific new commissions. In 2009 sound artist Bill Thompson’s Shifting Currents was supported; this year the foundation has made possible a new collaboration between Oceans of Silver and Blood, The New String Theory and composer Claudia Molitor. Co-commissioned by hcmf//, Le Weekend festival in Stirling and Bangor New Music Festival, the free performance takes place on Monday 22 November. Click here for more details of the concert.PRS for Music Foundation’s website Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:04:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/170 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/170 Rhodri Davies will be a familiar face to anyone attending Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in recent years. The experimental harpist led a massed gathering of 20 harps in 2007, performed for 12 hours with his group Cranc in 2008 and lent his sound to Richard Barrett’s fORCH in 2009. At this year’s festival he continues to challenge expectations of what a harp can do in several concerts. First, Davies teams up with pianist John Tilbury and double bassist Michael Duch for a mixture of improvisation and new works by composers including Christian Wolff and Fluxus artist Ben Patterson. Next, he appears with two violinists – Lina Lapelyte and his sister Angharad Davies – as The New String Theory, one third of a unique collaborative performance with Oceans of Silver and Blood and composer Claudia Molitor. Finally, he appears as a member of Apartment House for Schumann: Entropic Song Meditations and for a performance of John Cage’s music in Huddersfield Art Gallery.Classically trained, Davies took a Masters degree at Huddersfield before moving to London, where he studied with Sioned Williams and immersed himself in the capital’s vibrant improvisation community, establishing long-running collaborations with musicians such as John Butcher and Mark Wastell. His other activities range from pop session work to sound art projects such as the three harps he built for Bangor New Music Festival in 2007 that were ‘played’ by the elements. He talks to hcmf// about how improvisation is no place for heroics, why people are scared to write for his instrument and the sound a harp makes when you set fire to it.hcmf//: What first attracted you to contemporary and improvised music?Rhodri Davies: In the early Nineties I was looking for something that was missing from a lot of music I’d experienced before that. And I found a visceral, exciting quality to free improvisation and free jazz when I first heard it. There was a directness and an immediacy to the music that I liked as well as a social awareness and critique of how certain kinds of music were being made and consumed. In the late Nineties some of the improvising groups I played with used semi-structured pieces or scores that incorporated improvisation. So I was looking at the problem from two angles, really, as an improviser working with scores, and interpreting scores that were composed in more open-ended ways.Did exploring this kind of music require you to ‘unlearn’ any of your classical training?No, I just found improvisation the most attractive way of making music, really. I suppose it was akin to how I made art when I was younger in the way I could lose myself in drawing or painting and that I had a tactile immediacy to what I was doing. I used to like working with acrylic because it is fast-drying and the results are instant. I viewed working with sound in a similar way.Over the years you’ve commissioned and performed several new works for harp. Is expanding the contemporary repertoire something that is important to you?I was frustrated by the conservative aspects of programming for a harp concert. Even though there were a few interesting composers writing for the harp like Takemitsu, Bussotti, Ton Tan Tiet and Bancquart, it seemed that very few harpists would play these pieces. And still today, the majority of harp recitals will only include one contemporary music piece – and by ‘contemporary’, they usually mean from the last century. To find an alternative to this staid conservatism I started looking elsewhere. I asked improvisers, visual artists, sound poets and people who would not generally be thought of as composers to write pieces for the harp. I also asked composers that had a more open approach to composition, that didn’t reinforce the hierarchy of composer-performer.Tell us about the new Christian Wolff piece that you’ll be performing, for harp player, consisting of 12 short parts:There’s one part in particular which is very interesting to me as it is scored in three staves, and I work my way through the notes, and I only play the next note as soon as one of the previous notes has died out. It will sound slightly different every time I play it as the higher notes on the harp resonate for a shorter length of time than the bass notes. As well as this, the dynamics are free, so if I play one note very loud then it’s going to last much longer than the one I play very quietly. So the pitches are set but the way one moves through them depends on that certain harp in that particular room, with specific acoustics, and on that exact person playing it. That epitomises what I’m interested in in a score.Why do you think composers haven’t really embraced the harp as an instrument full of possibility?In a way, the harp has many similarities to the inside of a piano but it is the pedal system that scares composers off, and this makes writing for the harp a challenge. But really, the best way of understanding the pedal system is to work closely with a harpist and to get to know the instrument.Do you agree that the instrument carries a lot of cultural baggage, a kind of expectation that it has to sound ‘beautiful’?Yes, it suffers a lot from stereotyping, partly because of the representation in literature and poetry, going back to King David in the Bible, and before that. The harp you find in an orchestra, the standard pedal harp, was invented by Sébastien Érard during the French Revolution. He was a royalist sympathiser and escaped to London. His harps were opulent, gold-encrusted, very romantic images, which served as the prototype for many harps today. Of course, there are many other different types of harps, like the folk harp or lever harp and you have harps in different guises in many other cultures: Africa, South America, Burma etc. I’m interested in all these other approaches too as an alternative to the dominance of the Western harp trajectory.Can you explain some of the playing techniques you’ll be using at hcmf//?For the Christian Wolff piece, for one, two or three people, that I’ll be playing with John Tilbury and Michael Duch, I imagine that I’ll prepare the harp to a certain extent, either by attaching crocodile clips on to some of the strings, playing the strings with a beater or I’ll use a cello bow. Basically I’m finding alternative ways of activating the stings. Maybe I’ll use an EBow, but as I’ve become quite dependent on the EBow, I’ve made a conscious effort to put them in a drawer and give them to friends so that I stop using them. The Ben Patterson piece is called Give Me a Break and is based on hip-hop culture, so I’m intrigued to see how the three of us cope with that. The piece involves fingerboarding, where we are asked to do tricks on miniature skateboards and there will be a ‘Battle of the Sand Rails’ and a Monkey Claque. I don’t want to give too much away but it will be anarchic.Do you have total control over the sounds that you produce using these techniques, or is there always an element of uncertainty?I’m more interested in the aspects of technique that are beyond my control. I don’t believe that I can be in complete control of every aspect of my performance, even if I think I am, it’s usually not the case. So I am interested in elements that disrupt the binary between technique and anti-technique. That’s partially why I’m interested in getting other things to activate the strings, other than my own fingers.Does the harp still hold mysteries for you in terms of the sounds it can make?Over the last fifteen years I’ve systematically explored the harp for as many possible sounds as I could. If I’m surprised by something now, it’s more a particular characteristic of a specific harp or string that interests me, something that’s non-standardised, that comes about because the string has a wolf tone, or a particular soundboard has a crack in it and gives the quality of sound a different warmth. So it’s more the acoustic phenomena that I’m drawn to.On the subject of cracks and imperfections, can you tell us what happened when you exhibited the harps that were played by the elements?The water harp event involved lowering a harp from a pier into the Menai Straits with a hydrophone inside the soundboard. It was a first experiment and it didn’t really work, as all the strings were in the water, and they need air to activate them and produce sound. I’m going to do more experiments with semi-immersing a harp in water in the future. The wind harp came about because my harp developed a crack in the soundboard and I had to have it taken out and replaced. I kept that soundboard and that’s what I strung up outside the University of Bangor with piano wire and cable. The fire harp was made up of three old harp parts that Alun Thomas, the harp-maker in south Wales, had in his workshop which were completely defunct and riddled with woodworm. I assembled the harp and set fire to it. It was a remarkable image, really. All the strings melted into one another producing this ‘scrroch’ sound.How do you negotiate the relationship between composition and improvisation and working with them both?When I’m improvising, I’m composing in real time. I see improvising as a compositional tool. I think the difference between a composer and an improviser is how the establishment seems to place a composer’s worth over that of an improviser. That’s a very real difference in my mind, even though in the end we conspire to make sounds that are happening in real time in front of people. So that’s why I’m very interested in exploring pieces that question what composition and improvisation are, and I don’t see them as very different things. The improviser will be coming to a situation with a vast array of experience and prior knowledge, just like the composer.When you improvise, what kind of balance is there in your mind between listening to yourself and being detached, and just being in the moment?Again, I come back to the immediacy of what happens when someone improvises. I don’t like it when people talk about improvisation as if it’s this heroic, creative, cutting-edge event. It can be very considered, slow-paced and sparse. The majority of the improvisation could be silent. I’m interested in looking at different ways of improvising, as well as this fast, on the edge of your seat, dynamic conversational improvisation.From the audience’s perspective there’s sometimes the impression that group improvisation can be prone to a kind of one-upmanship...Yes, and competitiveness in music is something that I try and avoid, whether it’s in a compositional context, where people try and play a piece as fast and as technically accurate as possible, or whether it’s in improvised music, where somebody dominates somebody else, either by playing loud and fast or even by playing very little.What do you admire about John Tilbury and Michael Duch as musicians?They both have an incredible depth and the quality of sound on their instruments is very attractive. Both have a robust, beautiful sound and approach and it’s a privilege to work with them. We’ve just brought out a CD of Cardew’s works, called Works 1960-1970, and the majority of the music comes from a live concert. It’s always difficult to replicate a live concert on a recording, but I think they did a good job. There’s a tenacity and intensity to John’s playing, as well as profound concentration and focus, which I really admire. And the two of them are very open in their playing; they don’t seek to territorialise the space that they inhabit.Having improvised with so many different musicians, have you drawn any conclusions about the different ways in which it can work?It’s not necessarily about making things work. If anything, it’s about finding a way of being together and sharing ideas; that’s all it is, really. It’s not about making this product, this perfect music and repeating it. It’s about sharing a space, sharing ideas, and even disagreeing in the music. It’s finding alternative modes and other ways of being together.Rhodri Davies events at hcmf// 2010:Rhodri Davies, Michael Duch & John Tilbury (Sat 20 Nov, 1pm)Oceans of Silver and Blood & The New String Theory & Claudia Molitor (Mon 22 Nov, 10pm)Schumann: Entropic Song Meditations (Tue 23 Nov, 7.30pm)Apartment House (Wed 24 Nov, 2.15pm) Fri, 19 Nov 2010 09:14:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/169 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/169 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:06:38 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/80 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/80 Click here to view an e-book of the hcmf// 2010 brochure Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:41:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/156 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/156 Read all about it! See what the media have been saying about hcmf//:Wall Street Journal suggests some pre-Festival reading.The Guardian thinks Enno Poppe and Rebecca Saunders have benefitted from their high profile at hcmf// 2010.A preview by Ivan Hewett in The Telegraph concluded that, for all its quirky northern character, hcmf// is "wonderfully improbable and exotic".Highlighting some of the not-to-miss performances Leeds Guide runs through their top choices.Huddersfield Examiner's wonderful piece reflects on the cultural and economic value of hcmf// to the town and region. The Guardian returns to the subject of hcmf// to highlight the women composers in this year's programme.Writing in The Telegraph, Ivan Hewett gave four stars to Enno Poppe's Interzone, describing it as "hugely impressive".Four stars also for Ensemble Recherche and Jakob Kullberg from Guy Dammann writing in The Guardian. Thanks Guy. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:33:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/167 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/167 Two new recordings by the international ensemble ELISION are being launched on Tuesday 23 November as part of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. The CDs, titled transference and strange forces, are releases on Huddersfield Contemporary Records, the label run jointly by hcmf// and the University of Huddersfield’s Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM), and will be available to buy during the festival.ELISION was Ensemble-in-Residence in the university’s Music department during 2009–10, as part of a project funded by a University Research Grant. Made in partnership with German radio station Radio Bremen, the recordings feature works by University of Huddersfield staff members and by composers associated with hcmf//. Music by Mary Bellamy, Bryn Harrison, Aaron Cassidy and Liza Lim features on transference (HCR02), whilst strange forces (HCR01) contains the work of Cassidy, Lim, Richard Barrett, Evan Johnson, Klaus K. Hübler and Timothy McCormack. Some of the pieces were premiered by ELISION at last year’s festival, with others first performed during the ensemble’s concert series at King’s Place in London. The CDs’ liner notes are by musicologist Tim Rutherford-Johnson.The CD launch takes place as part of the ELISION concert at hcmf//, where the programme includes the world premieres of Richard Barrett’s wound parts I and II and Timothy McCormack’s One flat thing reproduced, alongside work by Dmitri Kourliandski, Klaus K Hübler, Enno Poppe and Evan Johnson.Huddersfield Contemporary Records was set up last year to release work by artists working within and associated with CeReNeM; its debut release was Extended Piano by Sebastian Berweck. The next planned releases are Nothing but the hours (HCRDVD01) – a DVD profiling the work of composer and film-maker Geoffrey Cox, featuring piano performances by Philip Thomas and documentary films made in collaboration with Keith Marley – followed by a CD of electroacoustic music by Huddersfield staff and postgraduates.Click here for more details of the ELISION CDs.ELISION appear on Tuesday 23 November at 1pm in St Paul’s Hall. Click here for more information and to buy tickets. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:01:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/166 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/166 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival has teamed up with composer Claudia Molitor and locally based internet station Two Valleys Radio to offer young people the chance to create a unique piece of music. Playback is a new workshop-based project for instrumentalists aged between 13 and 18 in which games and web interactivity will be used to shape a composition, to be broadcast live by Two Valleys Radio.It’s free to take part in Playback and instrumentalists of any level are welcome. Participants need to be able to attend two workshops during hcmf// 2010, on Saturday 20th November from 11am–4pm and on Sunday 21st November from 3pm–7pm, both in the Creative Arts Building at the University of Huddersfield. Part of hcmf//’s Learning and Participation strand, the project is funded by the Community Media Association working with the Arts Council of England, under the Connect programme.The workshops promise both experimentation and fun in the course of music-making. Brighton-based Claudia uses not only sound, but video, visual art and social networking in her work. She plans for the composing process to include games and unconventional sound sources such as paper. The piece may also be shaped by its audience, with comments from listeners on the Two Valleys Radio website affecting how the music unfolds as it is broadcast live at the conclusion of the second workshop, at 6.30pm on Sunday 21st November.Two Valleys Radio is run by volunteers and grew out of Colne Valley Radio, which broadcast during the Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival in 2009. Since then the station has covered a range of stories and events in the Colne and Holme valley areas, including Marsden Jazz Festival, and will be broadcasting reports and interviews from hcmf// 2010 during the festival. To listen online, visit http://www.twovalleysradio.co.uk.To take part in Playback contact either Heidi Johnson at hcmf// on 01484 471116 or h.johnson@hud.ac.uk, or Taru Sinclair at Two Valleys Radio on 07826 516474 or taru@headstogether.org.Claudia Molitor will also be appearing in a free concert alongside Oceans of Silver and Blood and The New String Theory on Monday 22 November. Click here for more information about the event. Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/165 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/165 Postgraduate composers studying at institutions across the country will soon receive expert feedback on their music from a trio of celebrated composers featured at this year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. On Thursday 18 and Friday 19 November, the Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield is hosting three composition masterclasses, in association with the Institute of Musical Research at the University of London, with guests Jennifer Walshe, Howard Skempton and hcmf// Composer in Residence Rebecca Saunders.At each masterclass three selected PhD and MPhil students will present recordings and scores of their work before discussing it with the visiting composer. The events are open to the public and free to attend, providing a valuable opportunity to see today’s leading contemporary composers offer insights into the creative process and to hear music by a range of new talents.The first masterclass, on Thursday 18 November, features composer, improviser and vocalist Jennifer Walshe, whose pieces blurt: and Marlowe S. will be performed by Quatuor Bozzini on Friday 19 November. Walshe will be discussing work by Colin Tucker of the University of Huddersfield’s CeReNeM, Jose Puelloe from the University of Manchester and Luke Styles from Trinity College.The following day, Howard Skempton casts his eye over music by Pedro Alvarez from the University of London, Jac McKeigue of the University of Sheffield and Emma-Ruth Richards from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Skempton will be appearing at hcmf// in collaboration with the ensemble Noszferatu XL on Sunday 21 November.Also on Friday 19 November, Rebecca Saunders is the guest composer, with Matthew Sergeant from the University of Huddersfield, Ross Whyte from the University of Aberdeen and Carolina Noguera-Palau of Birmingham Conservatoire presenting their work. As Composer in Residence at hcmf//, Saunders’ music features throughout the festival: visit this site’s Composer in Residence section to find out more.http://www.cerenem.orgHuddersfield Autumn Composers’ Symposium masterclassesThursday 18 November, 1pm–3.30pm: Jennifer Walshe CAM G/03, Creative Arts Building, University of HuddersfieldFriday 19 November, 9am–11.30am: Howard Skempton Castle Hill Suite, University of HuddersfieldFriday 19 November, 1pm–3.30pm: Rebecca Saunders Castle Hill Suite, University of Huddersfield Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:18:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/163 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/163 If you use music technology in your creative work then drop in to one of these free practical sessions at the Media Centre to get free information, advice and guidance on the latest cutting-edge music software / hardware trends from some of the leading artists at this year’s Festival. Please bring your laptop! The Media Centre, 7 Northumberland Street, Huddersfield, HD1 1RL10am – 12noonMonday 22 November: Daniel Schorno (Creative Project Advisor, STEIM)Daniel Schorno studied composition in London with Melanie Daiken and electronic and computer music in The Hague/Netherlands, with Joel Ryan and Clarence Barlow.Invited by Michel Waisvisz he led STEIM - the renowned Dutch Studio for Electro Instrumental Music, and home of 'New Instruments' - as Artistic Director until 2005. There he collaborated with musicians and artists such as Frank van de Ven, Frances-Marie Uitti, Netochka Nezvanova, Laetitia Sonami, Francisco Lopez, Jon Rose, Anne Laberge, Steina Vasulka, and numerous Dutch New Music Ensembles and organisations like the FNM/Stuttgart and the Theremin Institute/Moscow. He is currently STEIM's composer-in-research and creative project advisor.Recent works also include the ongoing 'KAIROS Project', where he invites instrumental virtuosi to play along with his new sensor instruments. His concerts and workshops have taken him all over Europe and as far afield as Johannesburg's Soweto, Iceland, Shanghai and the street artists & kids of Guatemala City.Tuesday 23 November: Monty AdkinsMonty Adkins is a composer, performer, and lecturer of experimental electronic music and audio art. He has created installations, concert and audio-visual works, and a number of collaborations with contemporary dance. His works have been commissioned by Ina-GRM, IRCAM, BBC Radio 3, hcmf//, SpACE-Net and Sonic Arts Network (SAN), among others. For his works he has been awarded over 20 international prizes including the Stockholm Electronic Arts Award (Sweden), Grand Prize at Musica Nova (Prague, Czech Republic), and five prizes at the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (France). Having read music at Pembroke College (Cambridge, England, UK) Adkins then studied electronic music with Jonty Harrison at the University of Birmingham where he performed across Europe with the Birmingham ElectroAcoustic Sound Theatre (BEAST), and Simon Waters at the University of East Anglia (Norwich, England, UK). Thursday 25 November: Adam Linson (Low Frequency Orchestra)Adam Linson is a double bassist, improvisor, composer, and developer of real-time interactive systems for live performance. Born in Los Angeles, he has been active on the double bass and with computer technology since age 11. For the past decade, he has been based in Berlin, Germany, performing and recording on both sides of the Atlantic, acoustically and with electronics, as a soloist and with groups of all sizes. He has released a solo album on Evan Parker's psi label, as well as a duet album with live-electronics pioneer Lawrence Casserley, which they followed with a performance at the London Jazz Festival (2009). At the Total Music Meeting 40th anniversary in Berlin (2008), he performed in a quartet with Evan Parker, trumpeter Peter Evans, and composer-performer Richard Barrett, as well as in an acoustic quintet led by pianist Fred van Hove. Other work includes performances with the Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble and recording with them for ECM, and a guest performance with the Alexander von Schlippenbach Trio (Schlippenbach / Parker / Lovens). His latest performance at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (2008) was with the John Butcher Group, premiering a commissioned octet work by Butcher, who has released the performance on his Weight of Wax label. In addition to these and other on-going collaborations, Linson has composed and performed music for international contemporary dance productions. His current projects include Systems Quartet, an electro-acoustic group with Axel Dörner, Paul Lytton, and Rudi Mahall, as well as work designing and implementing his own interactive computer compositions and installations. Past projects include developing custom hardware controllers during residencies at STEIM, Amsterdam, in 2004 and 2008. Before moving to Berlin, he earned a BA in Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego, where he also studied music with George Lewis and Bertram Turetzky and performed regularly with the local symphony orchestra. Currently, he divides his time between Berlin, Germany and Halifax, Nova Scotia.Free event; no booking required.Part of hcmf//’s Learning and Participation programmeProduced by hcmf// Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/149 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/149 This year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is nearly here and now you can find out even more about the artists and events featured in the hcmf// programme by following us on Twitter. Visit http://twitter.com/hcmfuk to hear the latest 140-character news and share our excitement as the festival draws closer.We’ll be tweeting regularly during the festival, from Friday 19–Sunday 28 November: become a follower of hcmf// and receive daily Twitter tidbits of behind-the-scenes info, illuminating links and clips from artists appearing at the festival.Don’t forget, you can also become a fan of hcmf// on Facebook and listen to what the festival has in store on our Spotify page. Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:41:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/162 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/162 And now a piece of non-music news that is making the hcmf// team very excited: for the first time in its history Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival has its own ale!Created by Mallinsons of Lindley, and named hcmf//ale, the brew will be served at the on-board bar during the 'Take the Cage Train' event on Wednesday 24th November and will also be available from many of Mallinsons' regular outlets during hcmf//.We think it’s fitting that hcmf// - a Festival that is famous for pushing the boundaries of music – should now be talking its experimentation into the field of alcoholic beverages. Expect an hcmf// cake in 2011. Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:48:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/161 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/161 Rolf Wallin's music has a striking combination of clarity and richness in detail. His sound worlds unfold with elasticity. At the same time, a versatile and rich material counterbalances the flow, keeping the listener curious and retaining an edge of poetry and mystery.On a formal level, the music encompasses a wide range of structures: from open forms to more controlled processes, from stage music to large symphonic architectures. One source for this flexibility might be the improvisational spine Wallin developed in his early years as a performer in the fields of jazz and rock. He subsequently moved on to study composition at the Norwegian Academy of Music with Finn Mortensen and Olav Anton Thommessen.‘There was a vital musical environment in Oslo in this period that was a great source of inspiration to me,’ the composer recalls. ‘Collaborations and ensembles were established which were to form the basis of today's vibrant contemporary music scene.’A year at the University of California, San Diego opened Wallin's eyes to the computer as a musical tool, both for composing scores, for live electronics and for use in mixed media works such as Yo (1994) where the composer plays his own body through a specially tailored control suit.Open form has also found its way into Wallin's instrumental music. Several of his chamber pieces require performers to actively choose between alternative routes or make individual selections within interchangeable material, as for example the series of works called Phonotope, the first of them written for the Arditti Quartet. Strings have been central to Wallin's chamber music since the early 90s. Another force of gravity that has run parallel to this is the manifold sound world offered by percussion instruments. Several of Wallin's works for percussion have entered an international repertoire.Music for stage has been another main field of inspiration for Rolf Wallin. He has collaborated closely with leading Norwegian performance artists and choreographers, in particular choreographer Ingun Bjørnsgaard.‘Writing music for the stage undoubtedly influences my concert music,’ says the composer. ‘Very often I have worked on a stage project and a concert music project simultaneously, and the cross-fertilisation between the two ways of thinking has been very important for me. I find the exchange with other art forms that takes place on stage, and the experience as a composer of having to adapt my musical ideas to another artist's work, extremely interesting.’ The piano cycle Seven Imperatives was written for the Bergen based dance company Carte Blanche. The titles of the seven movements are verbal imperatives, the music indicating and sometimes mimicking different types of motion. Their expression spans from meditative, impressionistic miniatures to intense dynamic outbursts. The version for accordion is made in close collaboration with accordion player Frode Haltli.Some of Rolf Wallin's works touch upon political themes. In the string quartet Concerning King, musicians play the frequencies of a Martin Luther King speech from 1967 about the Vietnam war, accompanied by the recording of King's voice. The orchestra piece Strange News attempts to tear down the walls of the concert hall and expose the symphony orchestra to other realities in the society surrounding it, by involving a young African actor and footage of child soldiers in DR Congo. Birmingham critic Christopher Morley concluded that this work ‘could so easily have wallowed in voyeuristic sensationalism, but avoided that trap.’Parallel to this narrative strain, Rolf Wallin's instrumental music has developed from a more controlled to a more playful language. The recent chamber work Curiosity Cabinet is made by combining small units that gradually grows into a larger musical architecture. Compared to earlier pieces where an overall form is defined and then filled in with material, Curiosity Cabinet develops in smaller steps, from the inside and outwards.A series of orchestra concertos could be an interesting prisma towards Wallin's development as a composer. Together, these works form a path from development from a relatively explicit expressionism in the Timpani Concerto (1986-88) bursting with energy, via the virtuoso, more objective modernist elegance of the clarinet concerto which brought him several prizes, to a lighter, more elastic and strikingly playful language in his very last piece for orchestra, Manyworlds. Here, breathing spheres of music with different sets of rules move around in a large orchestra.A number of works scored for large sinfonietta bridges Wallin's orchestral and chamber music worlds. The one to be performed at hcmf// is called Appearances. Its material was, according to the composer, initially conceived rather intuitively. ‘I let the different musical entities in the piece evolve relatively freely, instead of by a preconceived principle’ says Rolf Wallin. ‘The piece has grown from the tension between the wills and needs of the different musical entities, and my own urge as a composer to read a meaningful pattern in it.’This ability to both detect and construct musical patterns and processes in a way that almost makes them stand out to us as instantly visible, is among the attractive qualities that could explain why Rolf Wallin's music is a recurrent and most welcome encounter on the international music scene.Profile © Hild Borchgrevink Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:04:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/160 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/160 Norwegian composer Arne Nordheim (1931-2010) made his international breakthrough at the beginning of the 60s, and since then his works have been played by the world's leading orchestras and performers. He is regarded as the contemporary Norwegian composer who has achieved the greatest recognition beyond the borders of his own country.Nordheim's name is inextricably linked to the arrival of musical modernism in Norway. In his roles as composer, music critic and champion of composers' rights, he ensured that international trends gained a foothold during a period when Norwegian music was still influenced by national romanticism, as was the rest of the Norwegian art world in the wake of World War II.The young composers growing up during the war knew from personal experience what it was like to be isolated from the rest of the world. As soon as the war was over, many of them left the country for studies abroad. They had a pressing need to gain new inspiration through contact with people in other countries who shared their interests.Much of the music composed by Nordheim's generation in the 50s had links with international trends. Before, it had not been difficult to hear the Norwegian sound in music; now it was impossible to hear whether a composer came from Norway or from somewhere else in Europe. The struggle to break out of isolation came to play a major role in Nordheim's works. The underlying motifs of his compositions are almost always communication and international understanding.As Nordheim studied at the Music Conservatory in Oslo there were few possibilities to hear and study contemporary music. Together with a small group of fellow students he tried to comprehend contemporary music by studying expensive musical scores and recordings.Nordheim financed his studies by working on the docks, as a telegraph messenger and as a choir conductor. During his studies in Copenhagen, composer Vagn Holmboe introduced him to the music of Béla Bartók, and in Paris in 1955 he became aware of electronic music, musique concréte, which was based on recordings of music and sounds that were processed electronically. Then Nordheim became a pioneer in the field of electronic music in Norway after further studies in Warsaw and Stockholm.Nordic Music Days and the Young Nordic Music Festival were inspiring venues for young Nordic composers. Nordheim's meeting with the Swedish avant-garde and the Hungarian composer Györgi Ligeti, at the time a guest lecturer in Stockholm, had a decisive impact on his development.Nordheim had his breakthrough as a composer with the song cycle Aftonland (Evening Land) in 1956, and in the course of a few years he had written Canzona (1960) and Epitaffio (1963), works that attracted attention far beyond the borders of his own country.In the 60s, avant-garde music swept over Norway like a tidal wave.  At that time Norway had still not managed to catch up with international music trends after the isolation of the war years. Consequently, it is not difficult to imagine how unprepared audiences and performers were for electronic music and other radical musical genres.In retrospect one must stand in awe of the strength he had then.  When both musicians and audiences were vociferous in their dislike and mistrust of the music he composed, it must have taken an enormous amount of self-confidence to carry on. Perhaps the answer is easy: he gained his confidence abroad.  Epitaffio and Eco were first performed in Stockholm, Greening was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and its conductor Zubin Mehta, Spur saw the light of day in Baden-Baden, Ariadne in the Netherlands, the ballet The Tempest in Schwetzingen, and Tenebrae in Washington. Magma was commissioned by the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Tractatus was planned to premiere in Toronto, Canada.Moreover, it was not only leading orchestras that commissioned and played Nordheim’s works. The fact that musicians such as Dorothy Dorow, Peter Pears and Mstislav Rostropovitch first performed many of his compositions for solo instruments also attracted attention. With support from these world-famous figures, Nordheim could face the Norwegian music community with his head held high, and the turning point and breakthrough for his position at home came when his and Glen Tetley’s ballet The Tempest was presented at the Norwegian National Opera in 1980.During the following 25 years Nordheim composed many of his best compositions. Among them are Partita für Paul for violin with electronic delay (1985), Magic Island for soprano, baritone and chamber orchestra (1992), the violin concerto, the oratorio Nidaros for 6 voices, boy's voice, mixed choir, children's choir, orchestra (1997). Arne Nordheim's latest large-scale work was Fono for trombone and orchestra (2005). Nordheim's musical journey through the past and present is related to his awe for human existence. It is almost as though he wants to free himself from his own place in time. Many of his works concern life and death, the dead (Epitaffio, Aftonland (Evening Land), loneliness, Earth, peace and human rights (Pace). His music is like waves on the sea of life, carrying with it memories of the past, while he tries to use it to interpret the future. Where do I come from? What am I doing here? Where am I going? These are words and phrases that often inspired his musical imagination, not only because of the world of sound they represent or are shaped into, but also because it is challenging to let music express deeply-felt thoughts. Arne Nordheim died on 5 June 2010. He has finally got an answer on his questions. In the poem And everything will sing the poet Stein Mehren set word on what was Nordheim’s primary concern: "We are waiting for  signs of what is to come – a song that can open the mirrors - We call it origin and end -  Then everything shall all sing ..." Profile © Harald HerresthalProfessor, Norwegian State Academy of Music Thu, 04 Nov 2010 11:32:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/159 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/159 One way to discover more about the Norwegian artists featured at this year’s hcmf// is to visit Music Information Centre Norway’s website, http://www.listento.no, for news, biographies and catalogue information.The website includes all seven episodes of ‘99 Minutes’, a webcast series curated by DJ 99, aka DJ and music journalist Guttorm Andreasen and featuring interviews and music across all facets of the country’s musical culture.Guttorn recorded a special programme dedicated to Norwegian artists associated with hcmf// 2010. It's fantastic - listen to it here: http://soundcloud.com/mic-norway/99-minutes-program-7-101101-Huddersfield Wed, 03 Nov 2010 15:19:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/158 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/158 This year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival marks the arrival of a three-year initiative to present the best sounds from across the North Sea. Music from Norway has been a strong presence at hcmf// in previous years, but in 2010 the festival welcomes further links with the country’s composers and musicians, through a project funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with liaison support from Music Information Centre Norway.The quality and variety of Norwegian contemporary music is reflected throughout the programme at hcmf// 2010. On Thursday 25 November the festival pays tribute to the revered composer Arne Nordheim, who died aged 78 in June. Following an afternoon talk about Nordheim’s life and work, an evening concert showcases both his pioneering tape works of the late 1960s and early 1970s and pieces combining live instruments with the possibilities of electronic processing. The concert is presented by NOTAM, the Norwegian centre for technology in music and art, who have close links with the University of Huddersfield’s own music and music technology departments.Saturday 27 November sees the acclaimed Arditti Quartet joined by violinist and composer Ole-Henrik Moe for a performance of his pieces Vent, Litt and Lenger (Wait, a Little, Longer), meditations upon perception and memory which demand technical brilliance in pursuit of the extremes of string playing. The same day also brings London Sinfonietta’s performance of three contrasting works, Stream, Curiosity Cabinet and Appearances by Rolf Wallin. Wallin’s music often incorporates scientific approaches such as fractal geometry and crystal structures and has drawn comparisons with Ligeti and Xenakis, whose Rebonds features at the same concert.Norwegian instrumentalists make a notable contribution to many hcmf// events. Accordionist Frode Haltli has been a regular face at hcmf// in recent years and on Saturday 20 November he plays a vital role in the premiere of Naomi Pinnock’s Oscillare. Also on 20 November, the double bassist Michael Duch displays his skills in a trio with pianist John Tilbury and harpist Rhodri Davies, performing both composed and improvised music by Norwegian composer Lene Grenager as well as by Christian Wolff, Mariam Rezaei and Fluxus artist Ben Patterson. The boundary between composer and performer is tested, meanwhile, by Trond Reinholdtsen, who appears with ensemble Plus Minus to present his Concert Music Piece and 13 Music Theatre Pieces on Friday 26 November.The partnership between hcmf// and Norway developed thanks to hcmf// Artistic Director Graham McKenzie’s awareness of the ever-increasing strength of the country’s music scene and his wish to present it to the international audience that hcmf// attracts. He says, “For me, Norwegian music in the 21st century represents a freedom for the artist to work across musical genres and to draw on the music traditions of the past to provide a contemporary soundscape. What seems unique to Norway is that within a single piece each musical idiom co-exists alongside the other, without compromise, and retaining its purity of form. This is what interests me about Norwegian music at this moment and is what I hope we can capture across the next three festivals and beyond.”One way to discover more about the Norwegian artists featured at this year’s hcmf// is to visit Music Information Centre Norway’s website, http://www.listento.no, for news, biographies and catalogue information. The website includes all seven episodes of ‘99 Minutes’, a webcast series curated by DJ 99, aka DJ and music journalist Guttorm Andreasen and featuring interviews and music across all facets of the country’s musical culture. Listen to his brilliant hcmf// special here: http://soundcloud.com/mic-norway/99-minutes-program-7-101101-HuddersfieldNorway at hcmf//Rhodri Davies, Michael Duch and John Tilbury (Sat 20 Nov, 1pm)Oscillare (Sat 20 Nov,5pm)A tribute to Arne Nordheim (Thu 25 Nov, 10pm)Plus Minus (Fri 26 Nov, 4pm)Arditti Quartet: Ole-Henrik Moe (Sat 27 Nov, 3pm)London Sinfonietta (Sat 27 Nov, 7.30pm)Click here to listen to a Spotify playlist of Norwegian music at hcmf// 2010 Wed, 03 Nov 2010 14:59:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/157 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/157 hcmf// is seeking 10-15 accordionists to perform in Big Squeeze, Long Stretch, a live performance directed by leading experimental music composer Alvin Curran in Huddersfield’s newest contemporary art and design gallery, worksetting. This is an exciting opportunity to perform in a large accordion ensemble as part of an internationally renowned festival. Participants should be able to read music notation and ideally have some experience of structured improvisation. Participants will be required for rehearsals on: Sunday 21 November, 2pm - 5pm                                  Monday 22 November, 4pm - 5.30pm Performance: 6pm - 6.30pm, Monday 22 November, worksetting Gallery, 21-22 Byram Arcade, Huddersfield, HD1 1NDThe performance is inspired by a seating system which will be installed as part of the Worksetting Gallery’s second exhibition, In Every Dream Home, A Heartache, which has been developed with the support of Amanda Levete Architects and DuPont™ Corian® in the UK, and will spill across the three balconies of the magnificent Victorian-era Byram Arcade. 'In Big Squeeze, Long Stretch an ensemble of massed accordionists will create a structured ‘choreography' of motion and sound with these portable man-made bellows as if they were a form of living breath and breathing. Hence, there will be exaggeratedly slow motion leading to a gradual exhaustion of slowness and suspension, arriving at a density of speed and event as to induce a collective state of sonic instability, whose conclusion could be taken to represent an everyday sing-a-long.' Alvin CurranIf you would like to take part in this event or would some further information, please contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk as soon as possible. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:33:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/144 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/144 Welcome to Yorkshire, the county’s official tourism agency, is to support hcmf//, enabling the Festival to present new works by contemporary composers such as Naomi Pinnock, who was raised in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. Her piece Oscillare, featuring Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart and accordionist Frode Haltli, was commissioned by hcmf// and receives its world premiere on Saturday 20 November.Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, says: “hcmf// is a highly respected international event in the music calendar and we are proud that Yorkshire is at the heart of it. We are delighted to be involved with the Festival, are actively promoting it on our website and through our new iphone application and we look forward to welcoming visitors from across the world to our wonderful county for this wonderful Festival.”As part of a partnership between hcmf// and the British Council, the festival will also play host to 25 overseas delegates during its opening weekend, with representatives from European cultural events, the media and musical ensembles arriving in the town to experience both the artistic talent at hcmf// and the Yorkshire surroundings.Festival attendees will be able to make the most of their stay by visiting Welcome to Yorkshire’s award winning website, http://www.yorkshire.com.  It provides inspirational ideas to make the most of any spare time they have, from countywide event listings, days out ideas, online bookable accommodation and hundreds of reasons to return to the UK’s most exciting county.hcmf// draws audiences from far and wide, with two thirds coming from beyond the local area and 21 per cent travelling more than 50 miles. A fifth of concert-goers have journeyed more than 200 miles to attend the Festival, many making the most of their time at hcmf// with Festival saver passes and weekend tickets. Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/155 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/155 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:20:37 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/79 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/79 On Saturday 9 October hcmf// and Marsden Jazz Festival joined forces to present an improvisation workshop for all abilities at the Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre, led by musicians Ben McCabe and Matt Robinson.Participants from ages 12 upwards came along on the day with a variety of instruments including guitar, bass, voice and even a home-made one-stringed violin and spent two hours getting to grips with the various improvisation rules of John Zorn’s piece Cobra – with much laughter! Workshop leader Matt Robinson said:"Cobra is probably the most celebrated of John Zorn’s Game Pieces having been developed in 1984 and played with numerous ensembles throughout the world; from small quintets to classical symphony orchestras. It was conceived as a system to structure freely improvised music with very detailed rules and no pre-conceived sequence of events for a group of musical improvisors and a prompter."The workshop went fantastically well; the entire group was enthusiastic and willing to learn and experiment - a tremendous amount of listening and sensitive playing went on with a very diverse and unusual selection of instruments. It was really interesting and very productive in the fairly short amount of time!"You can listen to one of the Cobra improvisations from the workshop by clicking the player on the right. If you’d like to be kept informed of previous workshop opportunities, please email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Fri, 22 Oct 2010 12:42:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/154 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/154 This year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival contains several events dedicated to John Cage (1912–1992), the American composer whose innovations changed the direction of 20th-century music and whose ideas continue to both inspire and provoke, a decade into the 21st.In 2008 the festival featured John Cage: Concert Reclaimed, both a retrospective and a forward-facing response to the composer’s controversial 1958 New York Town Hall concert. This year hcmf// takes a new angle on Cage, exploring the links between his music and the artworks on show in Every Day is a Good Day, an exhibition which is the first major UK survey of Cage’s visual art and which launches simultaneously with hcmf// on Friday 19 November. With concerts taking place both amongst the prints and paintings in Huddersfield Art Gallery and elsewhere at hcmf//, the events shed light upon how Cage’s output in both fields was the result of a radical questioning of how, and why, art should be made.Every Day is a Good Day was conceived by Jeremy Millar, an artist living in Kent who also teaches at the Royal College of Art. He recalls how, when he was younger, he became aware of Cage as a cultural icon whose concepts reached far beyond the concert hall. “It was almost as much the idea of Cage and the possibilities that he opened up for people – knowing that he was friends with Duchamp and Jasper Johns and Rauschenberg and all these other figures – so it was him as a complete phenomenon as much as the specific things. I found his interviews and writings incredibly inspiring and influential,” he says.Produced by the touring arm of the Hayward Gallery, the exhibition opened in June at the BALTIC centre in Gateshead before travelling on to Cambridge; after Huddersfield it will visit Glasgow and Bexhill on Sea. Every incarnation will be noticeably different, not only in terms of the wide variety of host venues and the distinct events attached to each setting but at the level of the show itself.Millar’s aim was to create a touring exhibition that wouldn’t lose impetus as it went on: “I was thinking about whether an exhibition could be more like a performance in some way,” he explains. So each gallery features a unique selection and hanging arrangement of Cage’s art, chosen using methods similar to those Cage employed to produce the works themselves.Although the young John Cage was a keen painter and was at one point apprenticed to the architect Ern? Goldfinger (whose buildings include London’s brutalist Trellick Tower), in his 20s he laid the creation of visual art to one side in order to concentrate on composition. Approaching Arnold Schoenberg to enquire about possible tuition, the 12-tone pioneer asked Cage whether he was prepare to devote his whole life to music; when Cage said yes, Schoenberg offered to teach him for free. Yet he maintained connections to the visual art world, teaching at Chicago’s School of Design and enjoying friendships with artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, whose ‘White paintings’ featured at one of Cage’s early multimedia ‘happenings’ and can be seen as a conceptual predecessor to Cage’s notorious 4’33”.Cage resumed making visual art in 1969, when he was asked to create a response to the death of Marcel Duchamp and produced the prints (silkscreen on Plexiglass and lithographs) Not Wanting to Say Anything About Marcel in collaboration with Calvin Sumsion. He went on to make further prints at Crown Point Press in San Francisco before exploring his ideas in the media of watercolour and drawing.“A lot of the work would be seen as being very elegant, very beautiful and rather unexpected in some ways in terms of the formal juxtapositions,” Millar says. “If people don’t know Cage’s visual arts but they do know his music, then when they see the visual art then they will go, ‘Of course – what else would it look like?’ There’s a strong relationship between the two and I think that’s because they were often generated using very similar mechanisms.”“My work became an exploration of non-intention. To carry it out faithfully I have developed a complicated composing means using I Ching chance operations, making my responsibility that of asking questions instead of making choices.” ‘An Autobiographical Statement’, part of a speech Cage delivered upon receiving the Kyoto Prize in 1989.Leaving creation to chance involves a lot of effort. Cage’s first major work composed using chance operations was the solo piano piece Music Of Changes (1951). Every single aspect of each musical note – pitch, duration, dynamics and so on – was determined by tossing coins and converting the heads/tails outcomes into hexagrams, stacks of six lines in every combination of solid and broken patterns. These could then be matched with those in the I Ching, the ancient Chinese text also known as the Book of Changes, where each hexagram carries a meaning for divination.“It was incredibly long-winded: he spent two years tossing coins, literally, to write this music,” says Philip Thomas of the University of Huddersfield’s Centre for Research in New Music. “It was very, very hard work, to then compose what is a fixed piece of music, one which he said you can read like Beethoven.”By the time he was making the artworks in Every Day is a Good Day, Cage had developed slightly faster techniques than repeated coin-tossing, but he still maintained the approach of handing every formal decision over to chance, as Millar explains:“With some of the paintings he would collect a number of rocks from a river, and then each rock was numbered, and then using chance operations, a certain rock would be selected, and then its position on the paper would be determined using chance operations; the instrument used to paint round it would be determined using chance operations – so it might be a certain thickness of brush, it might be a feather – and then the colour used to paint around would also be determined using chance operations.” The printmaking process at Crown Point Press was even more complex, with up to 300 distinct procedures to be defined then executed for each artwork.Staying true to Cage’s aesthetic, the way the pictures are chosen and hung in Every Day is a Good Day also derives from chance. During the planning of the exhibition, every work was numbered, whilst each host venue indicated a range for the number of works they wanted to display. They then received a chance-generated list of numbers corresponding to which works would appear in their exhibition. In addition, imaginary grids on the gallery walls determined the placement of the pictures according to chance outcomes.“You might walk in and see works jumbled around all over the place, and your first thought would be, ‘gosh, that’s completely random.’ But then you start seeing that there’s a structure underlying it, because certain things are lined up. I think this is one of the things that Cage suffers from: people equate chance operations with randomness,” Millar says.As curator of the hcmf// events tying in with Every Day is a Good Day, Philip Thomas has selected music which complements the pictures. “I’ve tried to put in pieces that have either obvious or implicit links with visual art and the techniques used,” he says. Some of the concerts feature works with graphic scores stemming from visual sources, such as the dawn performance at Yorkshire Sculpture Park of Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 parts.“There Cage has taken little doodles by Thoreau, ones which amplify his diaries, and imposed them onto a grid, a timeline, which can then be interpreted by musicians according to instructions. Ryoanji [which will be performed by Joëlle Léandre in hcmf//’s Cage tribute concert] is a piece that’s similar in some ways; the score for the soloist is a tracing around stones, again put onto a grid to make it time-based notation. So again we have visual art being transplanted onto a time-based grid and used as the basis for musical sounds.”The music in other concerts taking place in Huddersfield Art Gallery may have less obvious links to Cage’s visual art, but it was created using the same chance processes. Apartment House are performing Winter Music and Atlas Eclipticalis, which were composed using patterns from astronomical charts, whilst Thomas will play a new, 12-hour interpretation of Electronic Music for Piano. “After Music of Changes, Cage looked at other ways of using chance that might be quicker for him, and that also involved indeterminacy, which is where not all aspects of the notation are clearly detailed; the musicians have to make choices as to how to interpret the piece,” he explains. “There’s a difference between chance and indeterminacy, and Cage used both.“His first attempt at doing something with more of a shorthand way of using chance was in a set of pieces called Music For Piano, which I used as the basis for my interpretation of Electronic Music For Piano. For these pieces, he had a single sheet of paper and he would use the I Ching to decide how long he had to do this task, and the task was to write little dots where there were any imperfections in the page. And sometimes chance would have given him quite a long time to do it, and sometimes it would be quite a short time, or the paper may not have had many imperfections – there’s one page with only one dot.“Then he would then superimpose musical staves upon it and determine what musical note that dot was, using the I Ching to decide whether it was a treble clef or bass clef note. The other thing he determined was whether the note was played normally on the keyboard or by plucking the strings, or by muting them. It’s left to the performer to decide how long the note might last, how long the page might last and what dynamics to play.”Thomas’s performance of Electronic Music for Piano is a unique new reimagining of the work. “The score – if you can call it a score – of Electronic Music for Piano is just suggestions or possibilities for a performance. The kind of things it suggests are that you use Music For Piano, so I’ve used all 84 pieces, and that you use electronics: an oscillator, friction, feedback. What I’ve done is make two prerecorded 12-hour versions and then I’m doing a live 12-hour version, and then there will be microphones around the place picking up sounds and creating feedback.He continues: “Every decision that I’ve made about the details of the piece – about the amplitude and the frequencies of the recorded sound and the live, amplified sound; which pages I play and in what order – I’ve used chance to determine. And what I hope to do is to retranslate the score of Music for Piano into dots on the page, simply by taking measurements with a ruler and assigning values to them. I’ve reconverted the score back into dots so that I can make further measurements to make all my decisions and interpretations regarding the piece.”Why take on the challenge of a 12-hour performance, however, when Cage’s original score doesn’t demand it? “In Cage’s later music, he talked about it being like the weather, it just exists, in this changing state. That’s why I’ve decided to do this 12-hour piece, because I’m not interested in a 10-minute statement for a piece; I’m going to do music for 12 hours, simply because I like making sounds. I love the piano, and here’s the opportunity to do this in the middle of Cage’s lovely visual artwork.”Thomas admits that although the audience will free to come and go during the performance, for him it will be an unprecedented test of endurance. “I’ve not done anything like this before, although I am fairly used to playing long pieces. Last year at the festival I played a section of Michael Pisaro’s pi (1-2594) for piano and one page of that lasted an hour on a single note. And I’ve played Morton Feldman’s late piano works, which go up to about an hour and a half. But 12 hours is something else. There’s a lot of space for not playing, and for hearing the prerecorded sounds, the amplified sounds. It really depends how kind chance is to me on whether or not I’m going to get a lunch break!”Six decades after Cage started exploring ‘non-intention’, the motivation behind his chance-based and indeterminate work can still seem puzzling. By letting probability take over, was he trying to uncover some greater pattern to the universe? Thomas argues that this wasn’t the case: “I don’t think there’s any kind of wider spiritual intent, other than that he was interested in aspects of Zen. He was vaguely interested in Zen Buddhism and ancient Chinese philosophies and thought, and some aspects of Christianity. All these things affected who he was, his sensibilities.“Really the purpose of this music is just purposelessness: it doesn’t go anywhere, there’s no climaxes, no great statements. It’s purely sound. That’s not to say it’s not expressive; I find Cage’s music incredibly expressive, it’s just that the sounds are expressive without having to try to order them in any particular way. So his use here of imperfections on the page is just his own way of making no particular connection between the sounds. They’re connected because they’re on the piano and they’re being played one after another within a timespace.”Millar suggests that Cage’s interest in Buddhism led him to try and withdraw his artistic ego from the work. “He was prepared to accept the results of a procedure that he put in place,” he says. “When I came across that as a youngish artist, I felt it was incredibly important. There’s a lot of talk about individuality, and I suppose I felt slightly uncomfortable with that but hadn’t really the conceptual wherewithal to come up with a different way of dealing with it. Cage provided that. When you have someone who was one of the most important artistic figures of the 20th century talking about not being interested in expressing himself, that was hugely liberating.”One of the major misunderstandings about Cage, says Millar, is that he didn’t care about the outcomes of his chance-based processes. “I think it’s about where one lets go of the process. We all use different processes and he probably exerted a lot of control at the beginning of it in order then that the process would be sustainable, that it could live by itself. It’s almost like making a garden. If you’re starting from scratch, you have to make to make sure that the soil is the right sort for the plans that you want. You can’t just put it all in and hope it sorts itself out; you have to prepare it properly in order that the effect you want is possible.”Even though many aspects of his music and visual art stem are the results of common aims and processes, John Cage the painter and printmaker is still an unfamiliar figure to many fans of his music, and vice versa. The collaboration between hcmf// and Every Day is a Good Day is one of many possible future events that could shed new light upon Cage’s creativity and cultural legacy. “Despite the fact that he is unquestionably one of the most important and influential people from the 20th century artistically, it’s almost as though he’s still underrated,” Millar says, “because I don’t think anyone has really brought together all of the things that he did. I’m generalising here, but most people in the music world don’t know anything about the visual art side. If that was brought together with the music, some of the theatre pieces, the films, interviews and writings...there’s such a massive body of work, and I don’t think anyone’s really got to grips with that yet. In some ways it feels as though his time is still yet to come.”John Cage events at hcmf// 2010:Ear Training (Fri 19 Nov, 12noon) Edges Ensemble (Fri 19 Nov, 5pm)Philip Thomas (Sat 20 Nov, 12 noon)Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 parts… (Sun 21 Nov, 7.30am)Apartment House (Mon 22 Nov, hcmf// shorts)Apartment House (Wed 24 Nov, 2.15pm)Take the Cage Train (Wed 24 Nov, 7.30pm) Joelle Leandre… (Thu 25 Nov, 7.30pm)Text Messages (Fri 26 Nov, 11am) Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:54:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/153 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/153 hcmf// is delighted to announce that Yorkshire’s largest independent hotel collection are the Festival’s accommodation partner for the second year running.The popular four star Cedar Court Huddersfield/Halifax will be hosting hcmf//’s VIP guests, composers, and artists for the duration of the Festival. This includes Composer in Residence Rebecca Saunders, international guests from countries such as Norway, Holland and Germany and representatives from the British Council.Cedar Court Huddersfield/Halifax’s General Manager, Maria Florou, said:“We’re proud to be supporting this important international event for a second year running. Like the Festival, Cedar Court Hotels work hard to promote the county to the UK and beyond, and we know what a significant contribution the Festival makes to the regional economy. We are looking forward to welcoming both the participants and audience members to the hotel this year.”Cedar Court Hotels have five properties in the county. Wakefield, Leeds/Bradford, Harrogate and Huddersfield/Halifax are amongst the highest rated four star hotels in Yorkshire, and the newly opened Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa in York is hoping to become the city’s first five star property.Find out more at http://www.cedarcourthotels.co.uk/ Tue, 12 Oct 2010 15:03:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/152 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/152 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:49:53 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/78 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/78 Violinist Clemens Merkel is a member of Montréal string quartet Quatuor Bozzini, whose concert at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival on Friday 19 November includes two early quartets by Mauricio Kagel. These rarely heard pieces present a challenge even to the most adept musician, for their pages contain a host of directions for extra movements and gestures to be performed whilst playing. Here Merkel explains the attraction of tackling Kagel’s theatrically demanding score.hcmf//: When did you first encounter Kagel’s string quartets I and II?Clemens Merkel: We'd known the first and second quartets of Kagel for a long time. They were, however, always some kind of phantom, because even a CD recording can give you only the sounding part of the piece and it really needs the visual part, too. Reading the scores as well listening, I always found the quartets daring, weird, fresh – and funny.How do they fit into his body of work and his development as a composer?In the early sixties Kagel started to write pieces which include extramusical elements, developing his own language which today we commonly know as ‘musical theatre’. This would be the neutral description. Another description would be that he radically questioned the format and ritual of concerts, a subject we are still – or again – working on these days and redefined (or undefined) the role of the performer (and the audience). Through this he was putting his music on a political level and in a social context where it hadn't been before.It is certainly no coincidence that these were years of radical political changes and, for many people, the time of a new consciousness as social and political individuals. Other artists had been working on similar topics at the same time: John Cage, Christian Wolff and Cornelius Cardew come instantly to my mind. But no one else did it with the same sense of humour.What do you find most interesting about these pieces?It is always interesting when composers go beyond the usual boundaries of an art form. In this case the concert ritual of the usually so-serious string quartet is part of the performance. The musicians and their role in the quartet are questioned and somewhat turned upside down. What’s surprising is the freshness and the radicality of these pieces even after more than 30 years.What challenges do they present to the instrumentalists, both in the written music and in the performing directions?The instrumentalist has to be an actor and, while we often might think of ourselves as some kind of actor, these quartets are on a very different level. The instrumental playing is only one tool amongst others.Differently than (spoken) theatre, Kagel notates everything on a fixed timeline, but sometimes you might need a moment more or less to get, let's say, from point A to B. The ensemble has to be able to follow the timeline closely and be flexible at the same time.What differences are there between the two pieces?Written two years apart, the quartets do form a pair. Kagel specifies: "The two movements of this piece form a single unit – even when they are presented in reverse order. However one should avoid playing them one after another." So Kagel sees them as two movements of the same piece, which can be played in any order but not back to back. This means that they will always define the frame of a concert programme.Why do you think the quartets are not heard very often today?They require a very special engagement of any quartet who wants to play them. The scores are very complex, as Kagel had to develop a way of expressing all the visual and physical actions while the music is going on. At the time, there was certainly no other score, other than by himself, that attempted to notate music and action so precisely. An ensemble playing these Kagel quartets has to go far out of its usual way of playing, rehearsing and appearing on stage.Click here to buy tickets for Quatuor Bozzini on Friday 19 November Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:24:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/151 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/151 Well, everything has been finished and sent to Amsterdam.The work on the piece, now entitled Equivalents, has been important for me this year acting as a counterbalance for the other increasingly less traditional ‘compositional’ work I’ve done this year to complete my Masters. In this respect, it has proved an invaluable experience. The title, Equivalents, alludes to the controversial series of works by artist Carl Andre. His Equivalents I-VIII series (pictured) consist of the same number of identical bricks arranged in different ways (it’s worth noting that each Equivalent can also, and usually are, shown separately). Something additionally important for me was that Andre also made a subsequent work, Cuts, (pictured below) which was a ‘negative’ of Equivalents I-VIII.  In short, these two works, both individually and conjointly, were very appealing to me. It’s becoming increasingly common that visual art is the impetus for me to create something, culminating in me actually regarding it as unnecessary to limit myself to activities specifically ‘composerly’ in medium. Taking a pointer from the first (and my favourite) generation of conceptual artists, I believe the idea to be the most essential thing for a piece for work - the medium I then choose to render it is of secondary concern.In my work, this doesn’t mean that the idea is something concrete that can be cogently intimated to someone prior to completion of the work. Calibrating with artist Joseph Kosuth, if I’m asked about work I’m currently involved with, I’m likely to be fairly resistant (not to say incompetent!) in disclosing specifics as this instigates a process of self-sloganizing and ‘canning’ of a work before it has even been completed – hence my timidity in writing many blog entries here!It’s also worth adding that I haven’t written any of this information in the programme note for the piece; I don’t see the role of the programme note as being some instantaneous ‘way in’ for a majority of audience members reading it. Resultantly, my recent programme notes can seem rather abstract, however, perhaps that’s only because they’re in written language, a medium most consider to be an exemplar of clarity. The final hurdle will be the rehearsals and the performance, I’ll most likely close my eyes for the latter, the idea of a room full of people listening to my humble offering absolutely..!!…well, lets just say I imagine that I will wish to be somewhere else!Thanks in advance to the Nieuw Ensemble, Joël Bons and the profound Pat Allison (whose piece I very much look forward to hearing) – Equivalents is dedicated to them. I’d also like to thanks Robbert van Steijn, Heidi Johnson, Stef and Ed for their help, support and company during the whole project. Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:12:53 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/43 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/43 Curriculum Guidance, Composer Resources, Arts Award, Ticket Discounts and much more available to visiting schools and colleges…Britain’s premier festival of new music brings a host of world-class performers and composers to Huddersfield each year. Visiting hcmf// is a great way for students to experience new music performed live by some of today’s most exciting international ensembles. Plus there are now even more opportunities available for schools to get the most of their visit and complement in-school learning.  This year’s hcmf// Composer in Residence is British-born, Berlin-based composer Rebecca Saunders; several performances of Saunders’ work, including her large scale site-specific piece Chroma, are presented during the Festival. Other highlights include performances by the Arditti Quartet, the major UK multimedia premiere of Interzone by Enno Poppe and train-themed collaborations between Alvin Curran and the Edges Ensemble. The career of the one of 20th-century music's most groundbreaking figures is approached from a new angle with events programmed in response to a major touring exhibition of visual artworks by John Cage. The happenings include a train journey, a dawn chorus at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and performances of some of the composer's lesser heard works lasting from 20 minutes to 12 hours (many of which, like the exhibition itself, are free of charge). Look out as well for our Free Monday performances on Monday 22 November, where you can hear today’s rising stars for free in bite-sized chunks as part of the hcmf// shorts series. We also offer a packed talks and masterclasses programme providing direct access to some of the world’s most distinguished artists.Many of this year’s concerts contain music directly relevant to GCSE, AS / A Level and BTEC Music and Music Technology syllabi, and a Free Curriculum Guidance document is available highlighting relevant and accessible performances, along with links to specific areas of study. Please email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk for your free copy and hcmf// brochure. This year we are also pleased to offer visiting schools and colleges additional resources including recordings and score extracts of works by Graham Fitkin (Events 7 &10), Enno Poppe (Event 1) and Dai Fujikura (Event 4) to help prepare for your visit in advance. If you would like free copies of these Composer Resources please email: h.johnson@hud.ac.uk hcmf// offers discounted tickets to school and college groups (10% for groups of 5 or more, 20% for groups of 10 or more). Tickets can be booked via the Box Office on 01484 430528. hcmf// is also pleased to be an Arts Award Welcome organisation, so if your students are undertaking the award, please get in touch to discuss how a visit to hcmf// could contribute (more details of our Arts Award offer can be found at http://www.hcmf.co.uk/artsawardIf you’d like any assistance planning your hcmf// visit, please do not hesitate to contact Heidi Johnson, Learning and Participation Officer by calling 01484 471116 or by emailing: h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:39:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/150 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/150 What would you do if one of the world’s most respected contemporary music festivals asked you to curate a 20-60 minute programme with a maximum of four musicians?Graham McKenzie, artistic director of hcmf//, posed this question to eight students of the Master of Music Programming in Arnhem, The Netherlands. As one of the students I can say we were honoured and humbled by the assignment and took the challenge to make a proposal with great enthusiasm. We are eight Masters students in Music Programming. To make things clear: that is not with computers, but programming in the way Graham McKenzie does for hcmf//. After an entrance exam the courses started in September 2009. We are engaged with subjects and reflections about (music) programs, concepts, dreams, reality, marketing and finances. All students have a musical background, either as a musician or a musicologist and most of us have a working practise as a music programmer. This can be in jazz, classical, world, electronic or contemporary music. The one thing we have in common is that we want to move, affect, confuse and connect true music, energy, beauty and art. One of the big questions that often rise in classes is Why? Why this? Why here? Why now? Why what? What’s the story? What’s the story of the music, of the composer, of the musicians? And why should this story be told? So what is the story that we, this group of eight ambitious future programmers from the Netherlands, want to tell? Before answering that question I will explain a bit more about our working process. Because how do you get eight people with different backgrounds and ideas to curate a clear and strong performance? In the working process we first discussed the qualities of hcmf//, the good, and yes also the bad. I won’t discuss these here, but I’ll share our conclusion: we want to question standard concert etiquette and discover new ways of presentation, that can contribute to the experience of the listener. Is there something wrong with the way composed music is presented on stages across the world? No, we don’t think so, but it may not be the only way. We believe that every age and place demands a contemporary way of programming that reflects and reveals the zeitgeistWe found likeminded musicians in a deserted concrete radio transmission building, that resembles both an Egyptian Sphinx and a gothic cathedral in 1920s art-deco style, situated in the beautiful surroundings of Dutch National park De Veluwe. Every two months a group of highly respected performing musicians, dancers, theatre makers, technicians and other artists gather here for three days to investigate the act of performing composed music and build new and other relations with the audience. The results from Radio Kootwijk Live, as this collective of musicians call themselves, differs from fragile to interesting to absolutely beautiful.For the hcmf// performance we have chosen the theme Resonation. On one hand this can be interpreted as the hcmf// performance being a resonation of Radio Kootwijk Live’s many activities. On the other hand it stands for physical resonation of sound through instruments and bodies, and more metaphorical also about the aim of artists to resonate in and through the audience. There will be compositions from amongst others Michel van der Aa, Georges Aperghis and Jacob ter Veldhuis. For now I hope you have an idea of this part of the hcmf// program that takes place on Monday, November 22nd in Bates Mill. In future blogposts we’ll expound on the theme and the developments during rehearsals.Shane Burmania, 29 September 2010.On behalf of Frank van Berkel, Lisette Castel, Gert Gering, Ali Hendriksen, Guy van Hulst, Nick Moritz and Masa Spaan. Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:04:51 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/42 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/42 John Cage Atlas EclipticalisJohn Cage Winter Music Apartment HouseHuddersfield Art Gallery provides the backdrop for this non-seated performance in which space is illuminated by constellations of sounds. Continuing methods used in the Music for piano series (see page 12), these two works are the result of Cage mapping musical material such as staves and clefs onto star charts from the Atlas Eclipticalis.Please feel free to drop in and out of this durational performance.Produced by hcmf//A ‘Pop-Up Art School', a temporary and exciting way to engage and participate in art and design, will ‘pop up' at this event. Inspired by the music at hcmf//, creative art experiences will be offered alongside these performances, facilitated by PGCE Art and Design from the School of Education, University of Huddersfield.All welcome - no experience necessary Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:26:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/196 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/196 Prepare to be faced with the city as you’ve never experienced it before, as Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival presents the UK premiere of leading German composer Enno Poppe’s Interzone as the opening concert of the 33rd festival.Taking place on Friday 19 November in Bates Mill and conducted by Poppe himself, Interzone brings together Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, ensemble mosaik and the innovative visuals of digital artist Anne Quirynen for a journey through fragmented cityscapes where the ghost of William Burroughs collides with an insect’s-eye view of buildings and people.Born in Hemer, Germany, in 1969, Enno Poppe has been musical director of ensemble mosaik since 1998. He studied conducting, composition and sound synthesis in Berlin and Karlsruhe and often uses computers and concepts from mathematics and biology in his work. In 2008 hcmf// presented the UK premiere of his three-part cycle Knocken, Salz and Öl, followed by the work Tiere sitzen nicht, a collaboration with Wolfgang Heiniger and musikFabrik, in 2009.Interzone features text by the German poet and novelist Marcel Beyer and inspired by Burroughs’ collection of the same name, which compiles writings dating from when the Beat Generation author was living in Tangiers’ International Zone, including a piece originally intended for his disorientating 1959 novel The Naked Lunch.First performed in Berlin in 2004, Interzone combines its vocal and instrumental evocation of an intangible, disjointed urban landscape with multiple video screens that suggest the compound eyes of insects. Mimicking the invisible paths followed by bees, Belgian film-maker Anne Quirynen splices together a play of surfaces, light and colour, her camera exploring the fabric of cities including Berlin, Mumbai and New York.Click here to buy tickets for Interzone Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:22:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/148 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/148  Approaching now the deadline for our scores. It's been a gruelling process I think - to be not experienced in writing for larger ensembles is to miss out just how long it takes to write a single page, which may comprise 10 seconds of music. Also never before have I thrown out and re-written so much material! It is a mark of pride for a composer when he finishes a manuscript book and I've so far finished two in this process.However it is a strangely appealing process as well - so long as you have enough material, and a concept which could be played out on every instrument, you could go on for hours combining and recombining instruments and dreaming up new and interesting combinations and sonorities and potentially not even dent the surface of what can be done with the ensemble and it's something that had I more time and infinite Nieuw Ensembles to perform it I might doggedly pursue in that however much I am frustrated with some of the material I'm writing (and I am!), I still want to get to the bottom of what it is to write for such an ensemble. Another thought is how like painting it is - whereas in chamber music you're playing against the limits of the context and the instruments you are writing for, with large ensemble it feels like you are constantly thinking about colour and texture - instead of exploring limits you are constantly adding to what is there.Another thought on this process is one of timescale - in the time between the workshops and now I have moved house, fallen ill, got better, lost relative, job and girlfriend, gained a teaching position and various friends and many musical influences. My whole approach to the ensemble has changed somewhat and I find it very interesting that all being considered the audience is very unlikely to know! Even the section I'm working on right now - a Trio section that's extremely fast - I've had to pause, stop, re-write and re-think many times - something that should all being well be undetectable in the final version...Anyway - here's a round off with a glimpse at my thought processes. I'd initially come to the process with an idea of using Claude Le Jeune's 'Qu'est devenu ce bel oeil' as a kind of source material for tonal structure. I've stuck to this in general apart from one thing - I'm no longer going to include the original source material in the piece. For a long while I've been fascinated by this poem by Frank O'Hara.What interests me is this monadistic relationship between the subject and the final artwork, and how something can be referenced and yet not there, in the way that the SARDINES in the painting are gradually painted over. Such is the case here with the Le Jeune in my piece. Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:00:34 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/41 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/41 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:13:02 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/77 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/77 More than 850 local people had the chance to get creative with some unusual and high-tech electronic instruments recently, thanks to hcmf//’s Sound Playground installation. The Learning and Participation project offered 23 free workshops to schools, families, adults and music teachers over a 10-day residency during July, based in a former shop in Dewsbury town centre.Brought over from the Netherlands for the workshops, the Sound Playground, or Klankspeeltuin, featured three interactive musical sculptures, SonOrb, OMNI and XenaX, which usually live in the Muziekegebouw aan 't IJ, a concert hall in Amsterdam. Visitors to the Sound Playground discovered that each sculpture offered a unique way to create and manipulate sounds, responding to touch, movement and drawing actions.Children aged between seven and 12 from 10 Kirklees schools took part in weekday workshops, which were a hit with kids and adults alike. One teacher described the workshops as 'excellent, exciting, vibrant and fun' whilst a pupil’s verdict was 'extremely good – 101%'. Some had so much fun that they brought their parents back with them for the open weekend sessions. Each participating school received a CD recording of pieces created by their pupils, whilst photos of the sessions can now be seen on hcmf//’s Flickr page.Click below to listen to 'Awake at Night in Space’ by Fixby School, devised in the Sound Playground Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:11:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/147 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/147 One of the new works commissioned by Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival for 2010 is Naomi Pinnock’s Oscillare, for voices, accordion and tape. Oscillaire receives its premiere on Saturday 20 November in a concert by Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart and Frode Haltli that also features Soliloquy, by hcmf// Composer in Residence Rebecca Saunders, and Rolf Wallin’s Seven Imperatives.Born in 1979, Pinnock grew up in West Yorkshire before moving to London to study music at King’s College, followed by the Royal Academy of Music. She then moved to Germany to study at the Hochschule für Musik, Karlsruhe and has lived in Berlin since 2009. So far, the list of people who have commissioned and performed her work includes London Sinfonietta, Rambert Dance Company, Endymion and Rolf Hind.For Oscillare, she collaborated with the poet W N Herbert to incorporate two texts into the music: the story of Erigone, the devoted daughter of the slain Icarius, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses; and a narration based upon an account by the daughter of a Muslim man who survived the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.hcmf//: What made you decide to become a composer?Naomi Pinnock: I started writing music when I was 13 or 14 and when I first heard it being played, it was a really nice experience. I think why I preferred writing music to, say, making art, was the interaction you can have with players. The whole nature of music is that you experience it in time and it’s often an emotional experience.Did any of your teachers make a big impression on you when you were a student?I definitely would say that Harrison Birtwistle was a big influence when I was at Kings. He was the first real composer that I’d studied with, so he was my first impression of what a composer is and what they can be. I liked his very direct way of expressing himself in music. He was definitely an influence and you can see that in some of my earlier pieces. Then after that, Brian Elias was a wonderful teacher. I learnt a lot from him. Obviously I was then drawn to Wolfgang Rihm through his music as well. The sheer speed at which he writes is impressive, and the way he writes intuitively; I really admire that.Which works do you feel are milestones in your development as a composer?The first piece that felt like a breakthrough was a piece I wrote when I’d just started at the Academy, called Obstinare. It was a really short piece, about four and a half minutes long, written for the London Sinfonietta. The way I was thinking in blocks really came out in that piece, and also the rhythmical element, I was really happy with how I’d managed to get that to work, and just the energy in the piece.I wrote a lot of quite energetic pieces for some years and then I wrote a very, very quiet piece when I went on a course in France in Royaumont, RE-sonare. That was the first time I’d written a really slow piece with lots of long notes. That for me was also a little breakthrough, to realise, ‘Oh yeah, I can actually write slow music’, just realising that the same things that you use in loud and fast sections can work in slow ones as well.What are the main inspirations for your music?Often for me the first ideas for pieces are non-musical ideas. With RE-sonare, I was thinking about a gesture, of stones being thrown into water and the ripples and how they intersect and carry on for a long time. I tried to do additive harmony, where you start off with something quite small and then you add more and more notes to it, using exactly the same notes, but spreading them out more. Expressing those harmonies in different ways was my way of understanding this gestural idea.What do you consider to be the greatest challenge you’re faced so far?I don’t think you ever really stop learning, and you shouldn’t, really. The biggest thing, and something that I’m still learning to do, is how to communicate the music. I write for myself; I wouldn’t say I had a particular audience in mind, so I am my first listener. And also you have to trust what you’re writing and to write what you want to write and not what you think other people want to hear, or what you think other people find interesting. I know that sounds a straightforward thing to do, but sometimes you can be too influenced by what the fashion is or what new music should sound like. If you want to create music then you have to bring something honest to what you’re writing. You can hear when somebody’s written a piece of music and it’s genuine, there’s something to be said.Can you tell us about the origins of your hcmf// commission, Oscillare?Originally I’d wanted to write about Sisyphus and his never-ending rolling of a rock up a hill and back down again. Then I changed my mind a little, although the basic idea of the piece is the same: there’s still this idea of cycles and repetition, it’s just the content, the text that has changed. I was really keen to see if I could have two stories, more fragments of stories, but to have these two elements working with each other. They’re not identical but there are parallels between the stories of Icarius and what happened to this man in Srebrenica.How did you come to work with W N Herbert on the piece?I met Bill when I was in Aldeburgh; I went on a course for a week and he was one of the writers on the course. We’d started talking about a piece that we could maybe work on together. We were exchanging ideas and I had this idea of nostalgia that I’d encountered from reading Milan Kundera. So I asked him to collaborate with me for a piece that I wrote for a project in Cambridge [Nostos]. I was really happy with how that worked out.When I started working on this piece, I tried to put things together myself and I just couldn’t find the right text or the right form of words for the Erigone element. So I asked him if he’d be interested in that. He actually came up with a lot more text than I used in the end. I’ve done a similar thing to what I do with music: I’ve reduced it to the very bare elements.Did you have any trepidation about approaching such a harrowing subject for the piece?Of course. I’ve read a lot of the testimonies from the Hague tribunals and it’s not a decision you can take lightly, to use this text. These things can happen anywhere and have happened everywhere and anywhere. Reading it, certain phrases struck me that gave me an immediate idea of repetition. In a way, that’s why I decided to reduce the amount of text that I used of this part of the piece, because I didn’t want it to be about Srebrenica. Maybe it’s more about my reaction to reading this than anything else. These are the things that went around in my head when I read it.That’s why I wanted to have this mythical element to it, because you have more distance with that, it’s a story, so you maybe don’t have the same emotional response that you would with something that happened 15 years ago. I did want to create a distance, but a similarity as well, that these cycles of violence reoccur again and again.Click here to buy tickets for Oscillare on Saturday 20 NovemberNaomi Pinnock’s website Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:37:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/146 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/146 As part of Marsden Jazz Festival, instrumentalists of all abilities are invited to join Ben McCabe and Matthew Robinson to explore John Zorn’s influential improvisation ‘game piece’; instead of any music notation COBRA just has a set of rules ... game on!"Above all, COBRA is a musical experience. Words cannot convey…Listen, just listen, and you’re liable to find yourself lost in the magic of the game, and the music." Art LangeSaturday 9 October11am–1pm, Standedge Tunnel Visitor Centre, Waters Road, Marsden, HD7 6NQFor ages 14+ and adults; bring your own instrument. Cost: £4 per participant.For bookings & more info:Tel: 01484 471116; Email: h.johnson@hud.ac.ukPresented by hcmf// Learning and Participation and Marsden Jazz Festival Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:36:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/145 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/145 Whitcliffe Mount Business and Enterprise CollegePhil Minton vocalsKate Pearson composer Local performing arts students present pieces devised during a series of creative workshops with composer Kate Pearson alongside acclaimed vocal improviser Phil Minton.Taking inspiration from spoken text compositions pioneered by American artists such as John Cage and Charles Amirkhanian, pupils have created their own works using spoken, rather than sung, text and chance operations.Produced by hcmf// Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:47:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/195 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/195 Mark Wastell tam-tamJoachim Nordwall electronics The New String TheoryRhodri Davies harpAngharad Davies violinLina Lapelyte violinClaudia Molitor notation & filmDevised in partnership with Le Weekend Festival in Stirling this new commission locks the horns of improvisation and notation forcibly together, producing a formidable balance of sound. Brighton based composer Claudia Molitor has worked closely with this exceptional group of players, teasing the improvisational and spontaneous aspects of their work with gestures and constructs of written music.Produced by hcmf// co-commissioned by hcmf// and Le Weekend Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:43:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/194 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/194 Patrick Allison new work (World Premiere)Edward Caine new work (World Premiere)Stef Conner new work (World Premiere)Johnny Herbert new work (World Premiere) Nieuw Ensemblehcmf//'s flagship Professional Development initiative presents four world premieres from the region's most exciting emerging composers as the finale to a second year of collaboration with the Nieuw Ensemble.Earlier this year, Patrick Allison, Edward Caine, Stef Conner and Johnny Herbert brought experiments, ideas and sketches to a series of workshops with the ensemble in Amsterdam and received valuable advice and guidance from experienced tutors.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Center the Netherlands, the Performing Arts Fund NL and Musicians Benevolent Fund Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:39:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/193 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/193 A live installation performance, by Alvin Curran and massed accordion players, in Huddersfield's newestcontemporary art and design gallery, to coincide with its second exhibition In every dream home, a heartache. The exhibition has been developed with the support of Amanda Levete Architects and DuPontTM Corian® in the UK. If you have an accordion and would like to take part in this event, please contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk by Friday 29 October. Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/192 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/192 Phipps Hall, 12 noonKate Ledger pianoRay Evanoff Diagrams of Drawings Not Meant to CorrespondTimothy McCormack ]regate[ s.p. ]AggreBen Isaacs new work (World Premiere)This programme showcases three pieces which explore a variety of aspects of the physicality involved in piano performance. The pieces form part of a larger repertoire which Ledger is cultivating as part of her research into performance physicality. CAB Atrium, 12.40pmLefteris Papadimitriou laptopPanorama is a series of electronic pieces dealing with issues such as improvisation and structure, physicality of sound material, parametric movement in different sound domains and creation of an orchestral electronic sound. The pieces are composed by a series of sound layers, the material of which ranges from sounds from outer space to old analog synth sounds. An 'orchestration' of the different sound layers creates a new compound layer which continually oscillates between the familiar and the alien.Phipps Hall, 1.20pmYorkshire Late Starter StringsLaurence Rose a theory of nothing (World Premiere)a theory of nothing is built around relatively simple, repeated figures and the transitions between them. The ensemble effect is influenced by each player freely choosing parameters such as tempo or pitch from within a menu of choices. The texture builds and evolves gradually, unmetred at first, later with a clear metre and more chordal material. a theory of nothing was commissioned through Arts Council England's Grants for the Arts.CAB Atrium, 2pmApartment HouseJohn CageBut what about the noise of crumpling paper which he used to do in order to paint the series of "Papiers froisses" or tearing up paper to make "Papiers dechires?" Arp was stimulated by water (sea, lake, and flowing waters like rivers), forestsApartment House performs But what about the noise..., a piece written by Cage in celebration of the work of the sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist Jean Arp on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. Bates Mill, 2.40pmRadio Kootwijk LiveEYE | EAR | HAND | SHOEThose who attend a performance of Radio Kootwijk Live can expect everything but a regular concert. Working from within the location, top young musicians and theatre makers experiment with new ways of presenting musical works. Find yourself becoming a substantial part of the show while enjoying a fresh journey through the galaxy of musical creation; music, light, theatre - and no corner of Bates Mill left unused.Miriam Overlach harpMarije Nie tap danceÖrs Koszeghy cello Brook Cuden pianoMaarten Warmerdam light technician Thomas Johannsen director Phipps Hall, 3.40pmCharlotte Pugh recorderChristopher Fox Winds of HeavenNicholas Peters Going MissingAn exploration of new sounds for the recorder; Fox explores a simultaneous combination of amplified vocalising and alternative fingerings, whilst Peters explores a block structure using a range of durations. CAB Atrium, 4.20pmPeyee Chen voiceErin Gee mouthpiece IJohnny Herbert new workMichael Finnissy Song 1Michael Finnissy Song 16Erin Gee mouthpiece IIEarly works by Erin Gee and Michael Finnissy, plus a new work by Johnny Herbert, explore the unique and intricate relationship between text and music. Finnissy's pieces embrace the historical baggage that comes with text setting, Gee disables the text as carrier of meaning, and Herbert's piece experiments with the translation and fragmentation of text.CAB Atrium, 5pmManasamitraSupriya Nagarajan & Vijay VenkatEast meets west in this blend of contemporary violin / voice interlude where South Indian classical Carnatic notes blend seamlessly into western violin to create a unique and soulful melody.Produced by hcmf// Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:17:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/191 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/191 John Cage Variations IIEdges EnsembleSix lines, five points, any number of players. Combine to determine sounds. Discipline and freedom.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:13:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/190 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/190 Alvin CurranEdges Ensemble Alvin Curran is joined by members of the University of Huddersfield's experimental music ensemble to symbolically mark the arrival of the Every Day is a Good Day exhibition in Huddersfield.An urban-blitz of incomparable sonic decorum will momentarily transform Huddersfield Railway Station into a choreographed concert of commuters going nowhere but into the heart of the casual sounds they will make (just like the other real travellers), except the ‘concerted' sounds will be made with real musical instruments or reconverted pieces of junk tubing, wooden blocks, small objects like jaw harps, harmonicas, mobile phone rings and cheap boom-boxes.This performance will be repeated on Saturday 8 January 2011 at 12 noon to mark the end of the exhibition.Produced by hcmf// Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:46:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/189 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/189 If you use music technology in your creative work then drop in to one of these practical sessions at the Media Centre to get free information, advice and guidance on the latest music software / hardware trends from some of the leading artists at this year's Festival. Please bring your laptop! Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:42:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/188 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/188 If you use music technology in your creative work then drop in to one of these practical sessions at the Media Centre to get free information, advice and guidance on the latest music software / hardware trends from some of the leading artists at this year's Festival. Please bring your laptop! Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:39:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/187 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/187 If you use music technology in your creative work then drop in to one of these practical sessions at the Media Centre to get free information, advice and guidance on the latest music software / hardware trends from some of the leading artists at this year's Festival. Please bring your laptop! Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:36:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/186 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/186 The Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield hosts a series of composition masterclasses in the build-up to hcmf//, in association with the Institute of Musical Research, University of London. During each masterclass three PhD students selected from Universities across the country will have the opportunity to present and discuss their work with one of the internationally renownedcomposers featured at this year's Festival. Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/185 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/185 The Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield hosts a series of composition masterclasses in the build-up to hcmf//, in association with the Institute of Musical Research, University of London. During each masterclass three PhD students selected from Universities across the country will have the opportunity to present and discuss their work with one of the internationally renownedcomposers featured at this year's Festival. Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:28:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/184 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/184 The Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield hosts a series of composition masterclasses in the build-up to hcmf//, in association with the Institute of Musical Research,University of London. During each masterclass three PhD students selected from Universities across thecountry will have the opportunity to present and discuss their work with one of the internationally renowned composers featured at this year's Festival. Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:24:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/183 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/183 The full programme for Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival has been announced and tickets are now available to buy for all events. This year's hcmf// takes place from Friday 19 November to Sunday 29 November, in locations ranging from the University of Huddersfield's spectacular concert venue, St Paul's Hall, to the less conventional surrounds of a moving passenger train.Click here to view the full 2010 programme, which can also be picked up from Lawrence Batley Theatre, the Tourist Information Centre within Huddersfield Library and Art Gallery and at a number of other venues around the area.Highlights of the 33rd festival include the UK premiere of Enno Poppe's ambitious Interzone and a unique performance of hcmf// Composer in Residence Rebecca Saunders' site-specific work Chroma in Huddersfield Town Hall.The career of the one of 20th-century music's most groundbreaking and controversial figures is approached from a new angle with events programmed in response to a major touring exhibition of artworks by John Cage. The happenings include a train journey to nowhere, a dawn chorus at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and performances of some of the composer's lesser heard works lasting from 20 minutes to a full 24 hours.There's a strong Scandinavian flavour to many of this year's events, with music by Rolf Wallin, Hans Abrahamsen and Lotte Anker. hcmf// also pays tribute to the pioneering electronic sounds of Norwegian icon Arne Nordheim, who died in June. Many of Germany and the Netherlands' leading contemporary music performers are present, including the Nieuw Ensemble, pianist Ralf van Raat, Enno Poppe's Ensemble Resonanz and musikFabrik. The festival programme also spotlights the work of the Argentinean composer Mauricio Kagel, with a performance of his Kantrimusik.As always, hcmf// is dedicated to the cutting edge of sonic exploration, with a concert celebrating the 20th birthday of influential electroacoustic label empreintes DIGITALes and another featuring new compositions by leading artists in the field.Tickets for all the festival events can be booked through the hcmf// website or by ringing the box office on 01484 430528. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:41:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/143 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/143 Come and join the fun at hcmf//'s first event dedicated to families and new music!Choose from a range of hands-on creative music and art workshops before joining Pound Shop Boys Barry Russell and Tony Harris for a participatory performance, Radio Chaos. The Pound Shop Boys have set up their own radio station, but during their first broadcast everything goes wrong!Produced by hcmf// Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:03:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/182 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/182 Fidelio Trio:Michael NymanPhotography of ChancePoczatekTime Will PronounceCONTACT Contemporary Music:Brian Eno Discreet MusicRobert Fripp and Brian Eno Evening StarThe ‘virtuosic Fidelio Trio' (Sunday Times) has performed at London's Wigmore Hall, Casa da Musica, Porto, Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre and Symphony Space, NYC. At 2010 they present a programme spanning works from the last 35 years: music that is at once full of highly charged pulsating energy and hauntingly dark melodies. They have recently recorded the complete piano trios by Michael Nyman for MN Records, for release in February 2011.Canadian ensemble CONTACT Contemporary Music re-work Eno's ambient classic Discreet Music, and with Evening Star provide a rare opportunity to re-visit the groundbreaking collaboration between Eno & Fripp, to complete this concert.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/161 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/161 Magnus Lindberg:Music for 2 PianosKlavierstuck3 Short PiecesPlay 1TwineJubileesEtude no. 1Etude no. 2 Ralph van Raat pianoMaarten van Veen pianoAfter his masterful recital of Jonathan Harvey's solo piano pieces at hcmf// 2009, Dutch virtuoso Ralph van Raat turns his interpretive skills to the keyboard work of the Finnish composer. The stark serialism of 1970s works such as Music For 2 Pianos and Klavierstück gives way to a more vibrant, dramatic sensibility in work from this decade, with nods to Debussy and Messiaen and even touches of Romantic composers such as Chopin and Rachmaninov.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Center the Netherlands and the Performing Arts Fund NL Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/171 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/171 John Cage A FlowerJohn Cage The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen SpringsJohn Cage Fontana Mix et Aria (voix et bande)Joëlle Léandre Hommage à J.Joëlle Léandre & Dominique Boivin Oaxaca (UK Premiere)John Cage RyoanjiJoëlle Léandre double bassDominique Boivin dancerJean-Marc Foussat soundEdges Ensemble‘I began playing Cage's music in the 70s and continued in the States, there was John with his luminous smile. Later, I received a European grant for composers and choreographers. There were eight of us and Dominique Boivin was one of the choreographers. We worked together both morning and evening, did performances and went mushroom hunting on the weekends. John was the cook. He taught me so much about music, about sound, about human beings... Later, he dedicated Ryoanji for double bass and ensemble to me, which I played under the enlightened eyes of Merce Cunningham and Tiny Duchamp.'Joëlle LéandreProduced by hcmf// Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/172 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/172 John Cage Electronic Music for Piano Philip Thomas piano Come along and drop in and out of a 12-hour performance for solo pianist, composed using Music for Piano 4-84. Points which were made sounds are re-translated as points from which measurements are made to determine all aspects of the performance.This event will also be streamed live on the web.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/155 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/155 Christian Wolff for one, two or three peopleLene Grenager new work for solo bass (hcmf// commission) (UK Premiere)Christian Wolff for harp player (co-commissioned by hcmf// and November Music) (UK Premiere)Rhodri Davies / Michael Duch / John Tilbury improvisationMariam Rezaei new work (hcmf// commission) (UK Premiere)Christian Wolff 13 Piano PiecesBen Patterson new work for trio (hcmf// commission) (UK Premiere)Rhodri Davies harpMichael Duch bassJohn Tilbury pianoNewcastle-based harpist Rhodri Davies, Norwegian double bassist Michael Duch and celebrated pianist John Tilbury come together for this very special trio performance. The exceptional programme contains a UK premiere by legendary American composer Christian Wolff, another by founding Fluxus member Ben Patterson, solo and trio music written especially for the group by a new generation of composers and a unique live improvisation.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council, Music Information Centre Norway and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/156 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/156 Misato Mochizuki Concertino for recorders (UK Premiere)Enno Poppe new work (UK Premiere)Dai Fujikura new work (World Premiere)Ensemble ResonanzJeremias Schwarzer recorderPeter Rundel conductorEnsemble Resonanz present a programme of pieces referring to particular elements of musical tradition from today's point of view: Mochizuki examines the modern possibilities of a standard baroque setup; Enno Poppe constructs a meta-version out of the idea of the classical string quartet; and the programme concludes with the world premiere of a recorder concerto by Dai Fujikura, who won hcmf//'s Young Composers' Award in 1998.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council and Goethe-Institut Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/157 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/157 John Cage Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 parts: Twelve Haiku followed by a Recording of the Dawn at Stony Point, New York, August 6, 1974 (UK Premiere)Apartment HouseAudience members are advised to dress warmly and wear appropriate footwearJoin us for this unique event at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire's international centre for modern and contemporary art, for an exclusive dawn performance of music by John Cage. Apartment House present the UK premiere of Cage's Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 Parts... in the atmospheric and contemplativesetting of James Turrell's Skyspace, sited at the Park's 18th-century Grade II listed deer shelter.In Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 Parts... graphical sketches are taken from Henry Thoreau's journals, combined with musical templates and ordered according to the structure of Japanese haiku poetry. This is followed by a tape recording of dawn made at Cage's home in Stony Point, opening the listener's ears to the outside world and mirrored in this performance by the changing light of the Yorkshire sky.Produced by hcmf// and Yorkshire Sculpture Park Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/158 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/158 Per Nørgård Solo in ScènaBent Sørensen new work for solo cello (World Premiere)Bent Sørensen The Lady of ShalottPer Nørgård Plucking the Strings (World Premiere)Jon Øyvind Ness A.J.P. TailoringPer Nørgård Secret Voices (UK Premiere)Simon Holt Telarañas (co-commissioned by hcmf//, Elvermose Concerter and Musikforeningen Caecilia) (UK Premiere)Jakob Kullberg celloPeter Herresthal violinPraised by the Daily Telegraph for his 'amazing control of line', leading young Danish cellist Jakob Kullberg is joined by violinist Peter Herresthal to perform an co-commission alongside two world premieres by contemporary Nordic composers.Telarañas (‘Spider Web') is a new piece from Simon Holt, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales' current Composer in Association, whose past work has combined complex and intricate structures with what he describes as ‘still centres'.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/159 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/159 Frederic Rzewski Flowers (World Premiere)Howard Skempton This Way UpHoward Skempton Sirens (World Premiere)Frederic Rzewski Coming TogetherFrederic Rzewski AtticaNoszferatuHoward Skempton voiceA third appearance for this four-piece collective sees Noszferatu joined by Howard Skempton, in a programme comparing and contrasting music by two giants of new music. The programme features Rzewski's classic Coming Together and Attica, with Skempton as narrator, as well as a newly commissioned work from Rzewski.Produced by hcmf// supported by British CouncilPlease note: tickets for this event have now sold out Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/160 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/160 Dmitri Kourliandski PrePositions (UK Premiere)Klaus K Hübler Grave e sfrenato (UK Premiere)Enno Poppe HerzTimothy McCormack One flat thing reproduced (World Premiere)Evan Johnson Supplement (UK Premiere)Richard Barrett wound I - III (parts 1 & II World Premiere)ELISIONInternational ensemble ELISION explore the frisson, friction and violent intensities of compressed and tightly detailed musical aesthetics unleashed. The programme especially celebrates rare and first UK performances of works by Hübler, Kourliandski and Poppe, whilst world premieres of works by McCormack and Barrett underline ELISION's commitment to building close and authoritative relationships with unique composers - both emerging and established.Produced by hcmf// Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/162 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/162 Michael Oesterle l'hiver monastique - 70 consolations harmoniques pour violin (European Premiere)Clemens Merkel violinl'hiver monastique is a piece of simple numeric permutations, in which monastic silence is echoed by the continuous sound of the violin: a single focus that permits no personal interruptions. Ritual, order and balance in this composition are infused with Merkel's ‘absolute integrity, relaxation and concentration.'Produced by hcmf// supported by Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/163 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/163 Anton Lukoszevieze Schumann: Entropic Song Meditations (UK Premiere)Apartment HouseLess a re-arrangement, more a futuristic unearthing of Schumann's work as an archaeological source, Schumann: Entropic Song Meditations is a contemporary ‘decreation' of the 7 Songs Op 104 by Robert Schumann for six musicians and voice with live electronics and video. The original songs are modified in radical ways: pitches from Schumann's score are transformed through experimental processes, whilst the lyrics form an entropic frame for graphic notation.Pre-concert talk 6.45pmProduced by hcmf// commissioned by the Goethe-Institut and Schumann-Fest; curated for the Schumann-Fest 2010 by Graham McKenzie Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/164 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/164 David Dramm Fuzzbox Logic (UK Premiere)Donnacha Dennehy Overstrung (co-commissioned by hcmf// and Music Center the Netherlands) (UK Premiere)J.S Bach Andante, Sonata II in a minor, BWV 1003 Catherine Kontz 4 1/2 Tatami (hcmf// commission) (UK Premiere) Arnoud Noordegraaf Fugue (UK Premiere) Julia Wolfe With a blue dress on (UK Premiere)Monica Germino violin / electric violin / voiceFrank van der Weij soundCollaborating with composers from all over the world, the American-born, Amsterdam-based violinist Monica Germino is a pioneer in new techniques. Her defiance of tradition has led her to seek out and encourage the adventurous, the daring and the new. This latest programme showcases the younger generation of composers, with newly commissioned works for violin and sound engineer, by six composers from five countries. In DEVIATION, defined as ‘departure from a standard or norm', Monica challenges herself, sound engineer Frank van der Weij and the composers to be true deviants, to ignore any supposed limits or boundaries, to transform sound, execute unconventional feats and exploit new technologies for the benefit of new music.‘Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible'Frank Zappa‘Monica Germino's virtuosity was exhilarating'Sunday TimesCo-produced by hcmf// and the Gaudeamus Music Week / Music Center the Netherlands; supported by the Performing Arts Fund NL and the Eduard van Beinum Foundation Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/165 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/165 Elliott Sharp All the Klang you are (World Premiere)Bernhard Lang MyFunnyV. (UK Premiere)Peter Ablinger new work (World Premiere)Roland Dahinden Action for Jackson (UK Premiere)Evan Johnson Ground (UK Premiere)Gareth Davis clarinet In its simplest sense, this is a somewhat distorted look at a jazz set. A set of ‘standards' that have been deconstructed and reworked. Reworked not as variations or elaborations on a recognisable theme but, in this case, more as impressions. Fragmented, misquoted and misremembered impressions of the songbook originals.Produced by hcmf// Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/166 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/166 Edges EnsembleAlvin Curran Join a real commuter train for a short but rollicking semi-conducted, semi-automated, semi-spontaneous but fully composed train-concert with Alvin Curran and musicians from Apartment House and Edges Ensemble, interacting with the idea of literally moving sound in space.Produced by hcmf// Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/167 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/167 Mauricio Kagel SchattenklängeRebecca Saunders new work (commissioned by Les Amplitudes) (World Premiere)Vinko Globokar Voix InstrumentaliséeBrian Ferneyhough Time and Motion Study ICarl Rosman clarinetCarl Rosman, clarinettist with musikFabrik and ELISION, performs bass clarinet solos from four decades: Brian Ferneyhough's classic essay in performance energy; Vinko Globokar's investigation of the bass clarinet without mouthpiece; Mauricio Kagel's suitably shadowy triptych; and a sneak preview (with kind permission of the festival Les Amplitudes) of a work in progress that reflects the most recent fruits of Rosman's collaboration with Rebecca Saunders.Produced by hcmf//  Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/174 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/174 Arne Nordheim:SolitairePartitia fur PaulPolypolyListen inside outsideEldbjørg Hemsing violinEinar Steen Nøkleberg piano Mats Claesson electronicsAsbjørn Blokkum Flø electronics A chance to reflect upon the achievements of Norway's leading contemporary composer, who died in June. The tribute is presented by NOTAM, the Norwegian center for technology in music and art, with Nordheim's engineer Mats Claesson as well as Asbjørn Blokkum Flø and includes works for violin and piano. The programme also features two electro-acoustic works from 1968 and 1970 - the crystalline Solitaire and Polypoly, six tape loops of varying lengths which would take 102 years to fully repeat.Produced by hcmf// in association with the Norwegian center for technology in music and art (NOTAM); supported by Music Information Centre Norway and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/173 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/173 Matthew Shlomowitz & Shila Anaraki Letter Piece Quartet I: Five Finger DiscountMatthew Shlomowitz Letter Piece 5: Northern CitiesTom Johnson Narayana's CowsMatthew Shlomowitz Letter Piece 3: Australia, Bolton, Clinton, Dachshund & EchinaceaMatthew Shlomowitz & Shila Anaraki Letter Piece Quartet 2: Mixed DoublesLetter Piece CompanyShila Anaraki dancerMark Knoop pianoTom Pauwels guitarTomma Wessel recorderDescribed as ‘duet-Tourettes', the Letter Piece Company presents short performance pieces with shifting combinations of sound, text and physical action, always with a beat. Prepare to experience abstract sequences of virtuosic face dancing, vampires, cowboys, thievery and a mathematical tale.Produced by hcmf// in association with Pianofabriek Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/170 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/170 Jonty Harrison new work (World Premiere)Pierre Alexandre Tremblay new work (UK Premiere)Monty Adkins new workNed Bouhalassa The LighthouseNatasha Barrett Mobilis in MobiliLouis Dufort Pointe-aux-TremblesPete Stollery ABZ/AThis second concert brings together a world premiere by the leading UK acousmatic composer Jonty Harrison and the younger generation of composers on the emprientes DIGITALes label.Stollery, Adkins, Barrett and Tremblay all studied with Harrison and each has gone on to develop a unique compositional voice. The younger generation from Canada is represented by the ever-eclectic Ned Bouhalassa and the dynamic work of Louis Dufort.Produced by hcmf// in association with the University of Huddersfield  Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/169 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/169 Juste Janulyte Sandglasses (UK Premiere)Gaida EnsembleLuca Scarzella video artistSandglasses takes the metaphor of grains flowing at different rates through a variety of sand timers as the basis for a polytemporal canon in which each part has its own duration and the registers descend as time progresses. The musicians play behind screens, their shadows shifting as the light changes in an imitation of the sand flowing.Co-produced by hcmf//, Gaida Festival and MaerzMusik; supported by Réseau Varèse and Lithuanian Cultural Foundation Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/181 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/181 Lotte Anker what river is this (co-commissioned by hcmf// and Wundergrund Festival) (UK Premiere)Lotte Anker saxophonesPhil Minton voiceAnna Klett clarinet / bass clarinetGarth Knox violaJesper Egelund bassFred Frith guitarChris Cutler percussionIkue Mori electronicswhat river is this deals with - and is inspired by - different states of dreaming/awakeness; the merging in and out of different dreams and realities as well as the overall question of reality itself.The piece uses fragments of texts by Jorge Louis Borges and Danish poet Ursula Andkjær Olsen, and is a mix of through composed and improvised sections.Co-produced and co-commissioned by hcmf// and Wundergrund Festival, with support from the Danish Arts Foundation Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/180 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/180 Ole-Henrik MoeVent (UK Premiere)Litt (UK Premiere)Lenger (UK Premiere) Arditti QuartetIrvine Arditti violinAshot Sarkissjan violinRalf Ehlers violaLucas Fels celloOle-Henrik Moe violinArditti Quartet's reputation for innovation and close collaboration continues with three pieces (whose titles translate as Wait, a Little, Longer), by the Norwegian composer-violinist Moe, who joins them as soloist for this concert. Exploring the full spectrum of string sounds, Moe's collaborations among his compatriots include the ambient musician Deathprod and rock band Motorpsycho, whilst the 2007 double CD of his compositions Ciaccona/3 Persephone Perceptions won Norway's Grammy equivalent, the Spellemannspris.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Information Centre Norway and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/179 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/179 Matt Wright Totem for Den Haag (UK Premiere)Frank Nuyts Sacha (UK Premiere)Peter Adriaansz Waves 5 - 7 (UK Premiere) Since its premiere in 2008, Peter Adriaansz's Waves 5 - 7 has quickly become one of Ensemble Klang's most requested works. Composed of long, slowly moving tones it explores musical perception, the nature of sound and the passage of time.Completing this collaboration between hcmf//, Belgian festival Transit and the Netherlands' November Music are two new works, Frank Nuyts' Sacha and Totem for Den Haag by composer, sound artist and turntablist Matthew Wright.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Center the Netherlands and the Performing Arts Fund NL http://music.ensembleklang.com  Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/178 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/178 Kasper Toeplitz bass / laptop / directorPierre-Alexandre Tremblay bass / laptopThierry Madiot trombone / horns / FXDidier Casamitjana percussion / electronicsVictor Nubla bass clarinet / FXAdam Linson double-bass / laptopUlrich Maiss electric cello / bass / FXFred Gastard bass saxophone / FXFrederick Galiay bass / FXErik Baron bass / laptopSerge Bertocchi tubax ‘Telluric chaos and noise, or architectures of deserted landscapes, accents of underwater explosions, a quasi-constant electric howl and bursts of high-frequency splinters - the LFO Orchestra is not about the quiet and the polite. Bass instruments are not limited to their low register, they can play virtually as high as you can only imagine; but with a greater tension, a will to break the limits, the danger. Those used in LFO - bass guitars, double-bass, bass sax, bass clarinets, bass trombone, bass-cello, symphonic bass drums, all enhanced by electronics and the use of electricity - become sort of supra-instruments and their association is less an orchestra in the classical meaning, than a multi-headed entity whose music is similar to the frictions of tectonic plates agitated by slow brownian movements.'KT ToeplitzProduced by hcmf// Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/177 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/177 Philippe Manoury new work (UK Premiere)Pierluigi Billone Muri IIIb per Federico de Leonardis (UK Premiere)Olga Neuwirth In the realms of the unreal (UK Premiere)Brian Ferneyhough Quartet No 6 (commissioned by Donaueschingen Musiktage and the BBC for tonight's concert) (UK Premiere)Arditti QuartetIrvine Arditti violinAshot Sarkissjan violinRalf Ehlers violaLucas Fels celloThe Ardittis return to Huddersfield with a programme of very recent quartets all written for them.Manoury's highly anticipated new string quartet is his first since 1977; in contrast Ferneyhough's sixth quartet work presents ever more complex challenges for his performers to untangle. Billone's debut in the format explores the textures of the instruments' lower registers, whilst Olga Neuwirth offers up a surprising change of style with her first quartet for 10 years.Produced by hcmf// Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/176 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/176 Peter Ablinger Instrumente und RauschenTrond Reinholdsten Concert MusicPeter Ablinger selection from Voices and PianoTrond Reinholdsten 13 Music Theatre PiecesPlus MinusA Plus Minus double-portrait concert featuring two of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music; provocative composer/performer Trond Reinholdtsen, and Peter Ablinger, whose work challenges our assumptions about the nature of music, hearing and sound itself. Expect white noise, power-point, conceptual music theatre and some famous voices presented in a way you might never have anticipated.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Information Centre Norway and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/175 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/175 Jean-François Denis Point VirguleMarcelle Deschenes Le bruit des ailes (UK Premiere)Francis Dhomont Point de fuitesYves Daoust Mi BemolGilles Gobeil Le Vertige InconnuStephane Roy Crystal MusicDenis Smalley Base MetalsRobert Normandeau Bédé The empreintes DIGITALes label celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Founded in 1990 by Jean-François Denis the label brings together the very best of acousmatic music. This concert features composers whose early releases are still the reference point and cornerstone of the label.Produced by hcmf// in association with the University of Huddersfield Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/168 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/168 Test Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/142 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/142 In the first of three video interviews, hcmf// Artistic Director Graham McKenzie looks forward to welcoming Rebecca Saunders as Composer in Residence at this year’s festival and talks about how the programme explores the shared experience of live music in subtle and surprising ways. Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:39:51 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/76 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/76 A selection of talks featuring leading names in contemporary music can now be downloaded for free from the hcmf// website. The four talks, which were all recorded during 2009’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, offer a fascinating insight into the motivations and creative processes of musicians and composers from the festival programme. In a rare visit by the Portuguese composer to the UK, 2009’s Composer in Focus Emmanuel Nunes discusses his life and work with the Radio 3 presenter Robert Worby. James Dillon tells Worby about the discipline required to develop as a self-taught composer and reminisces upon the stir a piano composition of his caused at the very first hcmf// in 1978.Worby also chairs a lively panel with Alvin Curran, Frederic Rzewski and Richard Teitelbaum, the three members of Musica Elettronica Viva, whose camaraderie has sustained more than 40 years of revolutionary improvisation. Lastly, Sara Mohr-Pietsch from Radio 3’s Hear and Now interviews the composer and University of Huddersfield professor Liza Lim, unpicking the tangled octaves and ghostly resonances of Lim’s first work for solo piano, The Four Seasons (after Cy Twombly), which Rolf Hind performed in its UK premiere at the festival.Click the panels on the right to stream the talks online now, or download them to listen on your computer or through an MP3 player whenever you wish. Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:17:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/123 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/123 Enno Poppe Interzone (UK Premiere) ensemble mosaikNeue Vocalsolisten StuttgartEnno Poppe conductorInspired by William S Burroughs' writings on his time living in Tangiers, Morocco, Interzone explores the transitory, ambivalent nature of urban environments. Poppe's music and Marcel Beyer's libretto draw upon Burroughsian cut-up methods to evoke a quest through invisible, fragmented worlds, echoed by Anne Quirynen's kaleidoscopic, compound-eye footage of cities from Mumbai to Berlin.Pre-concert talk 6.45pmProduced by hcmf// with the kind support of Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung; also supported by Goethe-Institut Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/148 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/148 Tickets for further events at the 2010 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival are now on sale and buying online could save you up to £5 per concert or £50 for a festival pass.The new hcmf// concerts, detailed below, include the UK premiere of Enno Poppe’s Interzone, an ambitious exploration of the transitory nature of cities with accompanying visuals by Anne Quirynen. Performances by Quatuor Bozzini, Nieuw Ensemble and New London Chamber Choir with The Raschèr Quartet highlight the work of the late Argentinean composer Mauricio Kagel, whilst London Sinfonietta present a set of striking soundworlds with a programme including works by Iannis Xenakis and Rolf Wallin. hcmf// also welcomes leading British composer Graham Fitkin, with a new piece written for Liverpool’s Ensemble 10/10 and a performance by his own high-energy nine-piece group Fitkin. Click here to read an interview in which he discusses his work and formative musical experiences.In addition, tickets for the four concerts already announced are still available. These include performances by musikFabrik, ensemble recherche and Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart and work by hcmf// 2010’s Composer in Residence, Rebecca Saunders.The full programme for hcmf//, which takes place from Friday 19 November to Sunday 28 November 2010, will be released and go on sale in September. Online discounted prices are only available until 1 October (subject to availability).Click the links on the individual events to buy tickets online. Ticket prices with online savingsInterzoneBUY TICKETSFriday 19 November, Bates Mill 7.30pmEnno Poppe Interzone (UK Premiere)ensemble mosaikNeue Vocalsolisten StuttgartFull price £19, Concession £17; Online £15---------------------------------------------------------------Quatuor BozziniBUY TICKETSFriday 19 November, St Paul’s Hall 10.30pmMauricio Kagel Streichquartett IJennifer Walshe :blurtJennifer Walshe Marlowe S. (European Premiere)Mauricio Kagel Streichquartett IIFull price £15, Concession £13; Online £10---------------------------------------------------------------FitkinBUY TICKETSSaturday 20 November, Bates Mill 10.30pmGraham FitkinTorn EdgeIdentityVampCompressnew worksFull price £15, Concession £13; Online £10---------------------------------------------------------------Ensemble 10/10BUY TICKETSSunday 21 November, St Paul’s Hall 5pmMartijn Padding Three Summer PiecesGary Carpenter Closing TimeGraham Fitkin new work (co-commissioned by hcmf// and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic) (World Premiere)Martijn Padding White EagleFull price £15, Concession £13; Online £10---------------------------------------------------------------KantrimiusikBUY TICKETSSunday 21 November, Lawrence Batley Theatre 7.30pmMauricio Kagel KantrimiusikNieuw EnsembleFull price £19, Concession £17; Online £15---------------------------------------------------------------London SinfoniettaBUY TICKETSSaturday 27 November, Bates Mill 7.30pmRolf Wallin StreamIannis Xenakis RebondsSalvatore Sciarrino QuintettinoRolf Wallin Curiosity CabinetHelmut Lachenmann PressionRolf Wallin AppearancesFull price £19, Concession £17; Online £15---------------------------------------------------------------New London Chamber Choir & The Raschèr QuartetBUY TICKETSSunday 28 November, St Paul’s Hall 4pmMichael Finnissy Gedächtnis-Hymne (hcmf// and November Music co-commission) (UK Premiere)Peter Adriaansz new work (hcmf// and November Music co-commission) (UK Premiere)Mauricio Kagel Les Inventions d’Adolphe Sax (UK Premiere)Full price £15, Concession £13; Online £10----------------------------------------------------------------------Full price and concession prices apply to tickets purchased by phone or in person from the Box Office. Online prices apply to tickets purchased through the hcmf// website from 10 July–1 October (subject to availability).Saver tickets – online discountsFull Festival SaverCovers admission to all ticketed events and a free Festival Programme BookPrice if purchased by phone or in person from Box Office: £325Online price: £275Weekend Saver 1 (20 & 21 Nov) full price: £125Online price: £85Weekend Saver 2 (27 & 28 Nov) full price: £105Online price: £75BUY FULL FESTIVAL SAVERBUY WEEKEND SAVER 1BUY WEEKEND SAVER 2The Box Office can be contacted on 01484 430528, or the Festival Office can be contacted on 01484 472900 Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/141 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/141 Mauricio Kagel Streichquartett IJennifer Walshe :blurtJennifer Walshe Marlowe S. (European Premiere)Mauricio Kagel Streichquartett II Quatuor BozziniClemens Merkel violinCharles-Étienne Marchand violinStéphanie Bozzini violaIsabelle Bozzini celloQuatuor Bozzini performs a concert of minimalist music theatre, exploring a world of small gestures, both absurd and simple. Kagel's rarely heard early string quartets are the first of several works by the late composer to be celebrated at hcmf// 2010, whilst a challenging new work by Jennifer Walshe stands both in contrast and in collaboration with Kagel's ideas, taking the genre to its limit and breaking all conventions.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council and Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/149 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/149 Graham FitkinTorn EdgeIdentityVampCompressnew works FitkinJoby Burgess percussionAidy Spillett percussionNoel Langley trumpetNick Moss bass clarinet / saxophonesSimon Haram saxophonesRuth Wall harpsAlan Thomas guitarJohn Lunn bassGraham Fitkin piano Combining relentless stamina and rigour with high-energy precision, Fitkin's feisty music features the composer's virtuoso nine-piece ensemble of trumpet, sax, bass clarinet, piano, percussion, guitars, harps and bass.Using monody and complex rhythms within repetitive procedures and clear-cut forms, the resulting music is intense, vibrant and pulsating. This concert presents predominantly new work brought together in 2010.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/150 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/150 Michael Finnissy Gedächtnis-Hymne (NLCC and hcmf// co-commission) (UK Premiere)Peter Adriaansz new work (hcmf// and November Music co-commission) (UK Premiere)Mauricio Kagel Les Inventions d'Adolphe Sax (UK Premiere) New London Chamber ChoirJames Weeks directorThe Raschèr Saxophone QuartetNew London Chamber Choir and the world-renowned Raschèr Saxophone Quartet reveal the provocative combination of choir and saxes in three strongly contrasting works, including UK premieres of two specially commissioned works. Michael Finnissy offers a major new setting of Hölderlin, Peter Adriaansz explores intricate microtonal tunings, and Mauricio Kagel celebrates the saxophone's miraculous versatility.Co-produced by hcmf// and November Music; supported by Music Center the Netherlands and the Performing Arts Fund NL  Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/154 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/154 Mauricio Kagel Kantrimiusik Nieuw EnsembleIn his masterpiece Kantrimiusik Mauricio Kagel has created a sound world in which authenticity and genuinity can't be distinguished from imitation. The piece seems to be located in a foggy twilight zone of folklore and pastorale: Spain, alpine waltzes, honkytonk, jazzy rhythms, pampa and pusta are combined with tape recordings of rain, wind and animal sounds. Kagel expresses in a witty and intelligent way his concern about the destruction of nature and authentic traditional folk art.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Center The Netherlands and the Performing Arts Fund NL Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/152 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/152 Rolf Wallin StreamIannis Xenakis RebondsSalvatore Sciarrino QuintettinoRolf Wallin Curiosity CabinetHelmut Lachenmann PressionRolf Wallin Appearances London SinfoniettaAndré de Ridder conductor Pre-concert talk 6.45pmBe drawn into the striking soundworlds of solo and chamber music from Xenakis, Lachenmann, Wallin and Sciarrino. From the carefully calculated waveforms of Wallin's Stream to the complex web of percussion in Xenakis's Rebonds and the musical miniatures of Curiosity Cabinet this is your journey through the most unusual soundscapes.Produced by hcmf// supported by Music Information Centre Norway and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/153 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/153 Martijn Padding Three Summer PiecesGary Carpenter Closing TimeGraham Fitkin new work (co-commissioned by hcmf// and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic) (World Premiere)Martijn Padding White Eagle Ensemble 10/10Clark Rundell conductorHeleen Hulst violinTom Raskin tenorA concert with a strong Dutch influence, from the rhythmical shapes, driving riffs and poignant melody of Graham Fitkin - who studied with iconic Dutch composer Louis Andriessen - to native Martijn Padding's absorbing mix of jazz and historical references. Gary Carpenter's Closing Time, composed for Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008, is inspired by Eva Salzman's poems and echoes their pervasive sensuality.Pre-concert talk 4pm, CAM G/01Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council; also supported by Music Center the Netherlands and the Performing Arts Fund NL Sat, 21 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/151 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/151 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:20:30 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/75 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/75 For Graham Fitkin, composing offered a novel way for an eight year-old piano teacher’s son to escape what he recalls as, “Boredom with scales.” Some of the repetitive discipline of placing one note after another must have rubbed off on the reluctant student, however. Having so far encompassed composition for soloists, ensembles and orchestras; founding and performing in a variety of groups; collaboration with dancers and multimedia artists and a range of educational work, Fitkin’s music is celebrated both for its restless, driving pulse and its crisp, postminimalist precision. He comes to hcmf// 2010 with his new nine-piece ensemble Fitkin, in which he plays piano, and with an as-yet-untitled commission for Ensemble 10/10, the Liverpool Philharmonic’s contemporary music group.Born in Cornwall in 1963, Fitkin studied music at Nottingham University with Nigel Osborne and Peter Nelson, “both of them good in different ways, very encouraging”, he notes. “But just as important as the two teachers was the climate at the university, the other students who were there. I happened to be there at a time when there were some really exciting composers around putting things on. We used to put on late night concerts of Cornelius Cardew and Stockhausen, experimental English music which I was very interested in, some Reich and lots of Cage.”Already his interests were gravitating towards certain composers: “I suppose I do like things which are generally clear in their attitude. For instance, my preferences in classical music would be more towards Stravinsky and Bach rather than Wagner and Brahms,” he says. “So that carried through into my interest in 20th and 21st-century music; I was more interested in what was going with Cardew and Skempton and people like John Tilbury playing his piano music. Steve Reich’s music made quite an impression on me, as did the music of Andriessen, which I came into contact with at 18.”After finishing at Nottingham, Fitkin moved to The Hague to study with Louis Andriessen himself. He found the composer’s forceful views on music helped him establish his own individual stance. “I think if I’d gone to him a lot earlier, I would have found it quite intimidating,” he admits. “But it was refreshing to have someone who had such strong ideas about what they did and why they did it. We’d have long conversations about why I shouldn’t be writing music a certain way and occasionally I’d argue with him about it. That was actually very positive.”At the same time, he started to explore ways of working that would shape his career over the next three decades. “Just living in another country for a few years was very useful. I didn’t get so many performances then, but setting up my own group was incredibly useful and since then I’ve constantly been setting up ensembles for different purposes.” He adds, “At that time I was very interested in monotimbres, so lots of people working on the same sounding instruments, such as four clarinets or a saxophone quartet or even strings, because they’re more homogenous than a mixed ensemble.”Returning to England in the mid-1980s, Fitkin founded the four-piano group Nanquidno and started writing pieces for up-and-coming ensembles such as The Smith Quartet, Ensemble Bash and Piano Circus. “For all of them I wrote pieces which were concerned with clarity, unison to some extent and monotimbre. Even with Ensemble Bash, which is a percussion quartet, they said, ‘You can choose any of these 132 instruments to write for’ and I chose four marimbas because I wanted to do that instead.” What was it that particularly attracted him about writing for a limited range of sounds? “If I have a mixed bunch of instruments and I write even one chord for them, then your attention is drawn not just to the notes and pitches, but to the timbre as well,” he replies. “And that is very interesting, but often in my music I’ve been drawn to just hearing the pitches and making sure that they’re right. In which case, a mixed instrument ensemble would actually take one’s attention away from what I was trying to focus on. So that’s why I would focus upon similar sounding instruments – not all the same, but similar sounding. “So it’s still very much in my head to do that, although nowadays slightly less so. I’m still interested in clarity and trying to make things as upfront as possible without any hidden sophistications and I‘m more interested in monody, i.e. single-line stuff, and trying to get as much out of that as I possibly can,” he says.Over the years, Fitkin has also found focus and purpose in his music by building it mathematically around strict structures and patterns. The urgent, cascading momentum of his double piano concerto, Circuit (a performance of which by Kathryn Stott, Noriko Ogawa and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra was released on CD a few months ago) was created using a grid populated by five musical blocks which affect each other according to certain evolving rules. Although he says he has less need to map out a piece so precisely these days – “because I know what I’m doing a bit more, probably,” he muses – he will still write numerous sheets of text notes in order to make sure he has a clear idea of the direction before starting to pen notation. Yet he’s relaxed about whether or not his audiences are conscious of the music’s underlying structures. “I’m interested in the pacing of a piece of music; I’m interested in shifting tension from one moment to another. That’s why I use those structures, such as diminishing or expanding amounts of time to create movement towards a point in time or away from it,” he says. “If you’re listening to a piece of music, I don’t expect you to go, ‘Oh, Graham’s done 10 bars there, then eight, then six’, but nonetheless I hope the end result will be that you’ll feel movement towards somewhere or away from it.”Besides piano and orchestra, Fitkin has also used technology as a means to discover new, hybrid instrumental possibilities. He and his partner Ruth Wall, a harpist, combined plucked strings, electronics and digital manipulation under the name Fitkin Wall, releasing the album Still Warm in 2007 and performing at festivals, in nightclubs and at the Eden Project. His 2008 commission for Powerplant, Chain of Command, meanwhile, used a MIDI-compatible marimba, or xylosynth, to replace the conventional timbres with sampled syllables of politically charged speeches by George W Bush and Donald Rumsfeld.“I’ve used technology to a certain limited degree for a long time, but I don’t have the patience or interest in spending days upon days mastering software,” he explains. “In Chain of Command I found it incredibly exciting to be able to work with cut-up samples of George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld and do what I wanted with them. I learnt that George Bush basically speaks in B flat, and that some people have much more variation of pitch in their speaking voices than others. I was combining syllables from speeches by Bush and Rumsfeld, but at the same time there’s still a harmonic language which is evident, because of the way they pitch their voices. So it was quite complex working it out, and I did spend a lot of time with the software for that one, but it was worth it.”He continues, “I’m just finishing a piece at the moment which takes that idea on a little further, a piece for MIDI harp and orchestra, for the harpist Sioned Williams and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. I’ve taken similar material, not about the torture in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib but more to do with political machismo, with statements by Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condeleeza Rice, and how they all had absolutely no doubt that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.“So in that sense I use technology and I’ve very happy with that. Other times, when I’m physically composing, I will either use a pencil and a piece of paper or a piano and paper or a computer and software. I try and use all of them so that I don’t get into a rut of composing in one way all the time. Using a computer does speed things up sometimes; it makes things clearer, but it can also get in the way because it’s easy to rely upon certain things with a computer where perhaps you should just rely upon your ears more.”No-one could accuse the composer of not using his ears enough when it comes to performing with his ensemble, Fitkin, whose concert at hcmf// 2010 will see them airing several new works. “The sort of music that we play is generally fairly upbeat and rhythmic; I am interested in this idea of monody and that’s something I’ll be exploring with a residency we have in the autumn where we’ll be putting some of the new music together. There’s generally a lot of information involved in each piece, so that means there’s a lot of energy and stamina required of the players, and they’re very good at that.”The nine-piece group features Fitkin on piano and Wall on harp as well as guitar, bass, sax, clarinet, trumpet and two percussionists: a combination of three stringed, three blown and three hammered or struck instruments that he finds particularly pleasing. “I’d worked with all those people before; some of them have worked together themselves and some haven’t,” he explains. “So it was interesting to put these people together and see if it worked as a group. And it clearly does, because they’re brilliant. They’re very positive and committed and they understand what I’m driving at."Click here to buy tickets for Fitkin Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:45:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/140 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/140 Audiences at the 2010 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival will once again have the chance to catch performances by up-and-coming artists and performers during hcmf// shorts, the free, bite-sized concerts taking place throughout the afternoon of Monday 22 November.Seven fresh and innovative performances have been selected from an open application process; the events include soloists performing their own and others’ work, an experimental meeting of music and theatre and a non-professional string ensemble premiering a competition-winning commission.In addition, leading contemporary ensemble Apartment House will present an informal, unseated performance of a John Cage work in the atrium of the University of Huddersfield’s Creative Arts Building. The piece, titled But what about the noise of crumpling paper which he used to do in order to paint the series of “Papiers froisses” or tearing up paper to make “Papiers dechires?” Arp was stimulated by water (sea, lake, and flowing waters like rivers), forests, was written by Cage to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the sculptor, abstract artist and poet Jean Arp.The seven successful artists and their planned hcmf// shorts programmes are as follows:Kate Ledger, pianoRay Evanoff: Diagrams of Drawings Not Meant to CorrespondTimothy McCormack: ]regate[ s.p. ]Aggre[Ben Isaacs: new workBased in West Yorkshire, Kate Ledger is currently researching the technical and interpretative role of physicality in performance. These three pieces explore this in a variety of ways and form part of a larger repertoire which Ledger is building. She also plays in the clarinet and piano duo Wake Up with Heather Roche. Lefteris Papadimitriou, laptopPanoramaGreek composer and performer Lefteris Papadimitriou is studying for a PhD at CeReNeM, the University of Huddersfield’s Centre For Research in New Music, with the aid of a special joint scholarship funded by the university and hcmf//. Panorama is a series of electronic pieces, composed using sounds ranging from those of outer space to old analogue synths. An ‘orchestration’ of the different sound layers creates a new compound layer which continually oscillates between the familiar and the alien.Yorkshire Late Starter StringsLaurence Rose: a theory of nothingYorkshire Late Starters Strings (YLSS) is a group for adult string instrument learners, with levels of experience ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 8+. Laurence Rose is a Regional Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and an amateur composer who has written for both professional and amateur ensembles. a theory of nothing is the second work commissioned by YLSS as a result of a bi-annual competition to find new music that will challenge and stimulate all its musicians. The piece is built around relatively simple, repeated figures and the transitions between them, with players freely choosing parameters such as tempo or pitch from a menu.Radio Kootwijk ResonatingSix artists in search of an audienceRadio Kootwijk Live is a Dutch group of artists with an interest in challenging established performance rituals. Those attending their performance can expect everything but a regular concert. Find yourself becoming a substantial part of the show while enjoying a fresh journey through the galaxy of musical creation; music, light, theatre and no corner of Bates Mill left unused. Charlotte Pugh, recorderChristopher Fox: Winds of Heaven (second part)Nicholas Peters: Going MissingAn accomplished recorder player who is also a member of the Southbank Gamelan Players, Charlotte Pugh recently completed her MMus in Performance at SOAS, with distinction, and is about to start an AHRC-supported PhD in Performance at the University of York. Winds of Heaven makes use of amplified vocalising and alternative fingerings, whilst Going Missing explores a block structure using a range of durations. Peyee Chen, voiceErin Gee:  mouthpiece IJohnny Herbert: new workMichael Finnissy: Song 1 Michael Finnissy: Song 16 Erin Gee: mouthpiece II Peyee Chen completed an MA at the University of York earlier this year, having received her BMus from Northwestern University in 2008. As well as an interest in florid ornamentation in early music, her performances explore unaccompanied contemporary vocal repertoire: from the 1960s and ‘70s pieces by Michael Finnissy to Herbert’s new composition, these works question and untangle the intricate relationship between text and music.ManasamitraSupriya Nagarajan & Vijay VenkatArtistic director of the Yorkshire-based South Asian arts-promoting organisation Manasamitra, Supriya Nagarajan has been a performer in Carnatic classical music in both Europe and beyond, whilst Vijay Venkat  is a Masters graduate of the University of London; the pair are working together on a CD entitled Music in Shades. Their performance combines South Indian classical Carnatic notes with western violin styles, and contemporary violin and voice with soulful melody. Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:48:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/139 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/139 The long and innovative career of guitarist, improviser and composer Fred Frith has been recognised by the University of Huddersfield. As part of the university’s 2010 degree ceremonies, Frith was awarded an honorary doctorate (HonDUniv) for his contribution to music, receiving the accolade at an event on 13 July.Although he was playing violin when an improvising session with fellow Cambridge student Tim Hodgkinson in May 1968 led to the formation of progressive rock group Henry Cow, Frith is best known for his work on electric guitar. His acclaimed 1974 album Guitar Solos featured unaccompanied improvisations on prepared instruments and in the mid-1970s he also lent his distinctive sound to the Robert Wyatt album Ruth is Stranger than Richard and Brian Eno’s Before and After Science.In recent years Frith has worked as a composer, collaborating with the Arditti Quartet; he has scored film soundtracks and continues to improvise, both solo and with artists including John Zorn and Evelyn Glennie. He currently lives in the USA, where he teaches music at Mills College, Oakland, California and plays in the group Cosa Brava. He appeared at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in 2007 with edges ensemble.Fred Frith’s website http://www.fredfrith.comPlaylist on Spotify: Dr Fred Frith Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/138 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/138 Listeners to BBC Radio 3 have another chance to hear a highlight of last year’s Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival on 31 July, when the station’s new music show ‘Hear and Now’ will broadcast an excerpt of a concert by fORCH that was recorded on 28 November 2009.An expansion of Richard Barrett and Paul Obermayer’s electroacoustic duo FURT, fORCH play a combination of improvised music and pieces created from frameworks composed by Barrett. The line-up of Barrett, Obermayer, two vocalists and four instrumentalists includes saxophonist John Butcher, who will also be interviewed on the programme.The episode of ‘Hear and Now’ will be broadcast at 10.30pm on Saturday 31 July, presented by Ed McKeon. BBC Radio 3 are the official broadcast partner of hcmf// and several recordings of works from the 2009 festival – including the world premiere of London Sinfonietta performing Barrett’s Mesopotamia at the same event – aired on ‘Hear and Now’ last November and January.Hear and Now on Radio 3fORCH on MySpace Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:03:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/137 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/137 The Arts Award aspires to support any young person aged between 11 and 25 to enjoy the arts and develop creative leadership skills. It is offered at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold and is a nationally recognised qualification hcmf// is an Arts Award Welcome organisation, which means that we recognise and understand the Arts Award and offer special experiences and incentives to contribute towards participants’ Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.If you are involved in the Arts Award either as a school, individual or arts organisation please get in touch with Heidi Johnson, Learning and Participation Officer to talk through your interests and see what opportunities are available by calling 01484 471 116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk. hcmf//’s offer:Festival visitsIncluding:•    Discounted tickets•    Free events, exhibitions and installations•    Talks programme with artists appearing at the Festival•    Online resources about composers featured at the Festival Participatory activitiesIncluding:•    One-off participatory events and workshops (for example, this year you can get involved with our EXAUDI Sing-a-long on Monday 22 November)•    Tailored creative projects for groups, with outcome performancesLeadership & Volunteering Including:•    Stewarding opportunities during Festival time•    Work Placement and Internship opportunities at the hcmf// office•    Opportunities for trainee Music Leaders on hcmf// Learning and Participation projectFind out more about the Arts Award at http://www.artsaward.org.uk Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:35:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/135 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/135 hcmf// has joined Arts Award Welcome, a badge scheme offered by Arts Award, the national qualification for young people in the arts. The Arts Award Welcome badge announces that hcmf// supports the Arts Award and can help young people aged 11-25  to achieve aspects of their award programme – such as taking part in the arts, meeting arts professionals, leadership and arts apprenticeships.The Arts Award is a great way for young people to develop creative skills across any art form and is offered at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The Arts Award is run by Arts Council England and Trinity Guildhall and is a nationally accredited qualification. Details of hcmf//’s Arts Award offer can be found here and includes ticket offers, hands-on music workshops and volunteering opportunities. If you are involved in the Arts Award either as a school, individual or arts organisation please get in touch with Heidi Johnson, Learning and Participation Officer to talk through your interests and see what opportunities are available by calling 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk. More information about the Arts Award can be found at: http://www.artsaward.org.uk Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/136 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/136 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:05:16 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/74 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/74 Rebecca Saunders Murmurs (UK Premiere)Hans Abrahamsen Schnee (UK Premiere) ensemble rechercheWe welcome ensemble recherche back to hcmf// for the first time in five years to perform Composer in Residence Rebecca Saunders' Murmurs alongside the UK Premiere of Hans Abrahamsen's epic 57-minute work schnee.  Produced by hcmf// supported by Goethe-Institut London Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/142 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/142 Covers admission to all numbered events during the Festival and a free Festival Programme Book Please note the Full Festival Saver does not include admission to Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 parts or Take the Cage Train Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/145 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/145 Karlheinz Stockhausen KLANG 21st Hour: Paradies (UK Premiere) Rebecca Saunders cinnabarKarlheinz Stockhausen KLANG 17th Hour: Nebadon (UK Premiere)Rebecca Saunders a visible trace (UK Premiere)  musikFabrikmusikFabrik's second performance at hcmf// 2010 features the UK premieres of work by two internationally renowned composers. Rebecca Saunders' cinnabar and a visible trace are presented alongside two ‘hours' from Karlheinz Stockhausen's KLANG cycle, the musical setting of the 24 hours of the day which was successfully performed in its entity for the very first time at this year's MusikTriennale Cologne. Produced by hcmf// supported by Goethe-Institut London Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/144 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/144 Covers admission to all numbered events on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 November Please note that the Weekend 1 Saver does not include admission to Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 parts Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/146 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/146 Rolf Wallin Seven ImperativesRebecca Saunders SoliloquyNaomi Pinnock Oscillare (hcmf// commission) (World Premiere) Neue Vocalsolisten StuttgartFrode Halti AccordionRebecca Saunders' Soliloquy and a new work by Rolf Wallin are presented alongside a hcmf// commission from Berlin-based British composer Naomi Pinnock. In Oscillare, cycles of two superimposed texts by WN Herbert and Naomi Pinnock give fragmented glimpses of two atrocities: one mythical, one real. The oscillation develops between the recorded voice and the vocal ensemble, which in turn is pitted antiphonally against the accordion, until these repetitions break and there are no words left. Produced by hcmf// supported by Goethe-Institut London   Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/141 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/141 Covers admission to all ticketed events on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November The full programme for hcmf//2010 will be announced in early September 2010 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/147 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/147 Rebecca Saunders chroma musikFabrikEnsemble in Residence musikFabrik carries the audience off into the world of sound of Composer in Residence Rebecca Saunders. Chroma (2003/2010), composed as an open series and premiered in 2003 at London's Tate Modern, is an acoustic and visual experience that changes with each performance according to its venue. Produced by hcmf// supported by Goethe-Institut London Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/143 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/143 http://www.prsformusicfoundation.comPRS for Music Foundation is the UK's leading funder of new music across all genres.http://www.muziekgebouw.nl/klankspeeltuin/Usually housed at the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ concert hall in Amsterdam, the Klankspeeltuin or 'Sound Playground' combines interactive music technology with the freedom of play, allowing children to explore a world of sounds both individually and with friends. hcmf// brought the Sound Playground to Dewsbury in July 2010.http://www.cloreduffield.org.uk/ The Clore Duffield Foundation funded the visit of the Sound Playground to Dewsbury.http://www.nieuwensemble.nl/Nieuw Ensemble are partners in the Composers' Professional Development Project.http://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/The Musicians Benevolent Fund is one of hcmf//'s funders for the hcmf// & Nieuw Ensemble Composers' Professional Development Project.http://johncagetrust.blogspot.com/The John Cage Trust blog.http://www.marsdenjazzfestival.com/hcmf// will be delivering a workshop at 2010's Marsden Jazz Festival. Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/130 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/130 Two Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival performances by The Smith Quartet and John Tilbury have recently been released by Matchless Recordings. Music For Piano and Strings by Morton Feldman captures the string ensemble and the pianist at hcmf// 2006, interpreting Feldman’s 1985 Piano and String Quartet, whilst Tilbury and the quartet’s violinist Darragh Morgan team up for the 1982 violin and piano piece, For John Cage.Formed in 1990, The Smith Quartet have an extensive repertoire of new music and have previously released recordings of works by Steve Reich and a specially written version of Gavin Bryars’ Sinking of the Titanic. For the hcmf// performance, they used looser, Baroque-style bows to achieve the light touch required by Feldman’s music. John Tilbury, meanwhile, is a former associate of Cornelius Cardew’s Scratch Orchestra, a longstanding member of AMM, and in 2000 released the CD box set Morton Feldman: All Piano.In order to present each of the 90-minute works uninterrupted, the Matchless release comes as an audio DVD, playable on DVD players, computer DVD drives and other compatible equipment. To visit Matchless Recordings’ site and order Music For Piano and Strings by Morton Feldman directly, click here: http://www.matchlessrecordings.com/node/327The release was praised by critic David Kettle in the current issue of specialist string magazine The Strad:The Strad Magazine June 2010Apart from a couple of menus and a few images, this is an audio-only DVD, the format chosen only in order to accommodate the two 90-minute works featured here without breaks. Both pieces occupy the same rarefied, subdued sound world of gentle dissonances and hypnotic repetitions that characterises Feldman's later pieces, and it's difficult to imagine more committed and engaging performances of them than these.For John Cage (1982), for violin and piano, is the more ascetic of the two, its exposed lines and held tones often seeming perilously close to giving way to silence. Darragh Morgan, second violinist of the Smith Quartet, is hugely impressive, delivering a delicate performance alive to the subtleties and nuances of the music. He plays with seemingly effortless control yet brings an impressive spontaneity to his reading, and it's astonishing how he maintains such a refined sound and crisp articulation over 90 minutes of highly exposed material.Piano and String Quartet (1985) is more substantial, providing a richer canvas and a wider range of sonorities. The Smith Quartet plays mostly as a unit, and the players match their tones and timbres so effectively that they often sound like a single instrument. Pianist John Tilbury is an eloquent presence throughout the disc, delivering the fractured arpeggios of Piano and String Quartet eloquently.There are a few extraneous audience noises on the recording, made live at the 2006 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, but with performances as involving as these, that hardly matters. DAVID KETTLE Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:25:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/129 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/129 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 15:29:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/128 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/128 Three futuristic sound-making sculptures are set to inspire the musicians of tomorrow in Dewsbury this summer. As part of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival’s Learning and Participation strand, the Sound Playground will be open to both families and school groups from 2–11 July 2010, offering free, fun workshops for children aged between seven and 12.Usually housed at the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ concert hall in Amsterdam, the Sound Playground (or Klankspeeltuin in Dutch) combines interactive music technology with the freedom of play, allowing children to explore a world of sounds both individually and with friends. No instrumental experience is needed and children of all abilities can enjoy creating their own pieces of music at the workshops. The sessions will be led by Rob Crisp with assistance from Jess Baker, both working alongside music leaders from the Netherlands.Each sculpture offers an innovative way of choosing and arranging sounds. Developed by Patrice Moullet, OMNI resembles a giant, multi-coloured toadstool. The 108 enamel squares on its cap each trigger a different sound when touched, allowing groups to create their own patchworked compositions. Different sets of samples can be installed, including world music, techno and recordings from professional ensembles. The second sculpture, XenaX, was developed by Yvonne Boelens, Marien Hogerheijde and Edo Paulus and is a musical ‘pie’ divided into four segments. Each segment can be drawn on with a special pen, activating a set of abstract sounds and leading to the creation of graphic scores. The third sculpture is new for 2010. SonOrb was developed by Edo Paulus and consists of several spheres which can be rotated, lifted and moved around a set of columns to produce and modify unique sounds.Housed in a former disused shop opposite Dewsbury Town Hall, Sound Playground will be at 24 Longcauseway, Dewsbury, WF13 1NH. The weekday schools sessions are now fully booked, but individual families are welcome to join one of the following free weekend sessions over the weekends of 3–4 and 10–11 July:Saturday 3 July:10am–12 noon1pm–3pmSunday 4 July:10am–12 noon1pm–3pmSaturday 10 July:10am–12 noon1pm–3pmSunday 11 July:10am–12 noon1pm–3pmPlaces are limited and should be booked in advance. To make a booking, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk stating which workshop you would like to attend. Children must be accompanied by an adult.Sound Playground is presented by hcmf// and funded by the Clore Duffield Foundation through its Clore Performing Arts Awards and Kirklees Council. Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:25:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/124 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/124 Piano Dances was my first project with Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, my first project with Hugh Nankivell and Bob Lockwood and my first professional artistic project.I have always been an artist, but I am also a pragmatist and so my undergraduate degree was vocational and on completion I had not only my BSc, but also a licence to practice: i.e. a job, a trade, a chance to be ‘set for life’.I don’t much like the phrase ‘set for life’ as it brings to mind an image of concrete. It starts out fluid, mouldable and responsive but ends up rigid and unyielding.I have worked hard to find time and ways to be creative in every area of my life, and Piano Dances has been the perfect place for me to be fully me. By this I mean bringing all my passions and skills together: music, children, learning and early years development, communication, adult learning and creativity, pushing the boundaries of what we ‘know’, leaping into where we fear to tread (with support); and my special skill: encouraging and cheering and being delighted. Invitation to explore and experimentExplore (verb) to travel extensively in order to knowExperiment (noun) any activity undertaken to make a discovery(prefix <u>ex </u>from Latin meaning ‘out of’), out of experience and exploration, what?  Piano Dances is an invitation to explore and experiment, to find a new way to play. It provided a chance for adults to be fully engaged in the act of exploration, of finding new ways of playing the piano.By taking our lead from the early years children at Christ Church Woodhouse, from those who are fully engaged in exploration, we remind ourselves how to explore. We use our senses, we watch, we look, we listen. We touch, we taste and we smell. We use our whole bodies to gauge just exactly what this new thing is in relation to us. We hypothesise and we test. How big is it? How heavy, what’s inside, what’s it made of, what does it feel like, what does it do? Have I ever seen anything like it before, what’s it called? What does it taste like, sound like, feel like? Is it working? Is this all it does?The Piano Dances team acted like a filter between the children’s spontaneous and active exploration of this new object in their nursery and the adults who attended the workshop. By watching the children closely in real time and on video, we were able to suggest possible questions they might be trying to answer about the piano and to record the methods they were using to find out. Bringing this to the adult workshops we encouraged the participants to be conscious of these ways of learning and to reconnect with their ‘inner explorer’. Not knowing that there is a predetermined ‘right’ way, invites exploration and creativity. This piano is yours, what do you want to do with it? Work it out as you go.We copied the children to encourage them to believe that what they were doing was just right. Their systematic and creative enquiry provided the template for the adults to break down any ‘concrete’ ways they approach learning a new skill and to remind us of the need to fully explore in order to fully know.I want to mention one example of this shift away from the belief that there is a right way to play the piano, which happened in the last workshop. I asked everyone to draw a picture of themselves happy and on the other side to draw a picture of how they feel now.The adults were then invited to come to the piano and ‘play their picture’. One participant really wanted to play, but prefaced the piece by saying ‘I can’t play’, Hugh simply said, ‘you can play’. By completely committing to the process of playing the picture, a most beautiful piece of music was created. By believing in new ways of playing, new ways of playing exist. We will never hear it again, but I will never forget it. What will I do next then?Well, I hope to have a chance to go back with the Piano Dances team to revisit the Early Years group and see how the piano has embedded itself in the routine and opportunities of the nursery.I have enrolled on a community photographic project and am using what I learned from Piano Dances to explore and experiment and keep an open mind on what the camera might really be.I have been coming up with questions such as; is the camera a magnifying glass, a mirror, a detective, a calendar?I have been looking at techniques and approaches, for example, taking photos from lying down, up a ladder, or jumping as I take a picture.I have been sharing these thoughts with the group members and leaders as they occur to me. Not surprisingly perhaps, they join in and answer the question in their own way and create their own techniques.I have also been invited to advise on dramaturgy and narrative development for a local theatre company and it appears that as I consider myself to be a professional artist that others do too. And so it appears that by believing in new ways of working, new ways of working existBy Jacqueline Gaile Fri, 21 May 2010 13:36:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/126 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/126 Ok, so it’s the day before the sketches are due for the next weekend. I have sketches for 3/4 different types of material which I’m slowly evolving. I forgot about this, but I also have material which I didn’t get ready in time for the last weekend, which I may take as well just as a matter of interest (although my thoughts have moved on somewhat since then).I’m finding it difficult not to just write for strings - the ensemble has a very rich combination (Vln, Vla, Vcl. Dbl Bs) and string writing is a bit of a comfort zone for me at the moment. I have some exciting material for strings and winds though which is based on my recent piece for Trio Atem (Sop. Fl. Vcl. Atem). Not to mention the difficulty of incorporating the plucked instruments. It’s also very difficult not to think of the groups as blocks - it’s undoubtedly easier to write for them that way! I was encouraged not to last time though so I should adhere to that notion!So I’m at a point of indecision with one bit of material - I have some very nice, lush string writing which I’d like to leave intact, but if I do so I feel I really wouldn’t be taking advantage of the ensemble for what it is. Happily, this week I had a seminar at York given by Joe Cutler, and the nature of juxtaposition in his pieces was an interesting compositional idea - I might take that as a cue as to how to structure the slower string material...It’s very difficult to make a decision at this point though! I’d much rather write my blog, or go and buy more coffee, or spend time on twitter (@eddjc).I guess another thing to think about at this point, and it’s something I’m finding hard to get my head round, is the fact that what we’re producing is sketch material. In some ways it should make writing it easier - If for example I don’t like the juxtaposed material over the strings then I can always take it out later. This should be quite liberating, but I really am beginning to feel the pressure of needing to produce a final piece, and also to make the best use of my time when I’m out there i.e. utilising the whole group.All in all I’m beginning to wish I had a couple more weeks to do this! Better get back on with it...Edd Caine Mon, 17 May 2010 12:44:31 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/40 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/40 hcmf// has won a coveted Royal Philharmonic Society Award for its 2009 festival. Winners of the UK’s most prestigious accolade for live classical music were announced on Tuesday, May 11 at a dinner at London’s Dorchester Hotel. hcmf// (www.hcmf.co.uk), which had topped the awards shortlist with no less than three nominations for its work, won in the Concert Series and Festivals category beating off strong competition from CBSO’s Stravinsky Festival and from two top London concert halls - the Southbank Centre and the Wigmore Hall.The 2009 hcmf//, programmed by Graham McKenzie - the Festival’s Artistic Director for the last four years - was widely recognised as a vintage year. The Award citation read:"hcmf// 2009 featured a wide range of major international composers not often heard in the UK, and reasserted itself as an important international and national event in the world of contemporary music - one all aspiring composers should experience."The programme, which did not shy away from the difficult, drew on major international links and attracted large, young, enthusiastic audiences. It puts Huddersfield firmly on the cultural map and is a shining example of global ambition that justifies the support the festival receives locally and nationally."Founded in 1978, hcmf// is one of Europe’s leading contemporary music festivals.  For ten days in November audiences, both local and international, flock to Huddersfield to hear the very latest developments in contemporary music and sound art.The Festival was also shortlisted for two other awards: the RPS Music Award for Education, for its performance of Kristoffer Zeggars’ Piano Phasing featuring 50 local pianists, and, by association, in the Chamber Scale Composition category, for Pierre-Alexandre Tremblay’s piano work un clou, son marteau, et le béton for piano and electronics which Sarah Nicolls performed at her hcmf//  recital.Winners of the 21st RPS Music Awards, which celebrated outstanding achievement in live classical music in 2009, were announced at an awards ceremony at London’s Dorchester Hotel, hosted by Sean Rafferty, presenter of BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and Sara Mohr-Pietsch, presenter of BBC Radio 3’s Breakfast.  Award-winners were presented with the traditional silver RPS lyre trophies by Sir John Tomlinson. A special programme devoted to the Awards is broadcast on Wednesday 12 May at 7pm on Performance on 3, BBC Radio 3.The annual RPS Music Awards, presented in association with BBC Radio 3, are the UK’s most prestigious recognition of achievement in the field of live classical music.  Awards, in thirteen categories, are decided by independent panels consisting of some of the music industry’s most distinguished practitioners. The awards honour musicians, composers, writers, broadcasters and inspirational arts organisations. The list of previous winners reads like a Who’s Who of classical music.  For a full list of RPS Awards winners, go to: http://www.rpsmusicawards.com Wed, 12 May 2010 18:57:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/125 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/125  Well, it’s about time I started properly getting down to some work for the next Nieuw Ensemble weekend in Amsterdam. The deadline for sketches to be sent out to Amsterdam is the 15th May - scarily close! In the meantime I have also been chosen for Sound and Music/Cheltenham Festival opportunity to write a piece for Danish Accordion Duo TOEAC, which will be running at the same time - I go out to copenhagen to work with TOEAC *the week before* I go out to Amsterdam!After the last time I stayed up all night typesetting a late submission (about 2 weeks ago) I told myself I wouldn’t do this again! Doh! In my defence, I have been very busy with my Late Music duties, and various bits of typesetting and website work.So, here we go again. I thought I’d write this blog entry as a prelude to doing some actual work to get my head back into what I am composing. So, apologies - the next bit may seem like I’m planning my work (mainly because I am):-What worked well from last time:-The pitch material all seemed quite appropriate and did what I wanted it to do. It’s a good starting point. The string material also worked very well, and will make for a good start to some slow moving material.The wind and plucked material didn’t work so well. I did realise however how I should be thinking of them in the context of the wider ensemble as a colour, so that’s a good starting point for both the ensemble writing and the plucked instrument writing. One texture in the wind involving “beating” did work pretty well though and I should explore that further.The best bit of the whole experience was in my arrangement of the source material - this worked very well and clued me in a lot into the layout of the ensemble and what I can do with it. I should revisit it a bit and pull out the best bits. To focus on for this time:-At this stage, everything should be full ensemble. I should also work to incorporate Piano and Percussion. I have been working with a fantastic percussionist (Enrico Bertelli of Brake Drum Percussion on a film score project recently so I might call on his help beforehand. I have some ideas for the piano as well. I find piano particularly difficult to write for because I am a pianist. Also it doesn’t quite fit with the texture again. I think I should be thinking of it more in the same terms as the plucked instruments.Hmm. Lots to think about! At the moment, I have two main textures in mind that might make it into different movements.I won’t lie - I’m very nervous about this second weekend! Time to get down to it.Edd Caine Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:14:36 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/39 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/39 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:15:55 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/73 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/73 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:11:15 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/72 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/72 6pm - 8pmFree event Weekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group's creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know' basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk   Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:05:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/139 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/139 Weekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group's creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know' basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:03:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/138 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/138 6pm - 8pmFree event Weekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group's creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know' basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:01:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/137 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/137 6pm - 8pmFree event Weekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group's creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know' basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:59:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/136 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/136 6pm - 8pmFree eventWeekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group's creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know' basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:57:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/135 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/135 6pm - 8pmFree event Weekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group's creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know' basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:50:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/134 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/134 6pm - 8pmFree event Weekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group's creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know' basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:43:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/133 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/133 6pm - 8pm Free event Weekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group's creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know' basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:40:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/132 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/132 hcmf is pleased to announce more Creative Keyboard Workshops dates from April to June 2010.Hosted by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot, these inclusive sessions are ideal for beginners to gain new skills in playing an instrument, whilst also devising new music as a group. The group will also be working towards a short performance at Kirklees Adult Learners' Week 2010 Awards Ceremony on 13 May. Please call in to a session on the dates below or call Heidi on 01484 471116 for further information. All welcome!Creative Keyboard Workshops - new dates:Thursday 15 April: 6pm - 8pmThursday 22 April: 6pm - 8pmThursday 29 April: 6pm - 8pmThursday 6 May: 6pm - 8pmThursday 13 May: Performance at Adult Learners' WeekThursday 27 May: 6pm - 8pmThursday 3 June: 6pm - 8pmThursday 10 June: 6pm - 8pmVenue:Out of the Blue Creative SpaceHootBates MillMilford StreetHuddersfieldHD1 3DXSupported by Kirklees Council Adult Learning Team Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:26:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/122 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/122 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:43:45 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/71 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/71 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:41:40 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/70 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/70 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:40:44 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/69 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/69 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:38:56 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/68 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/68 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:38:04 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/67 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/67 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:37:06 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/66 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/66 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:34:11 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/65 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/65 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:30:58 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/64 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/64 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:29:39 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/63 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/63 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:28:44 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/62 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/62 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:27:41 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/61 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/61 St Paul's Hall, 26.02.10 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:26:06 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/60 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/60 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:21:56 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/57 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/57 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival has been nominated in two categories for the 2010 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards. The RPS Music Awards, which are presented in association with BBC Radio 3, recognise outstanding achievement in live classical music.Last November’s hcmf// has been shortlisted in the Concert Series and Festivals category, whilst the spectacular performance of Kristoffer Zegers’ Piano Phasing by 50 local pianists has been chosen for the Education category.In addition, the Canadian composer Pierre-Alexandre Tremblay, who is currently a lecturer at hcmf//’s headline sponsor, the University of Huddersfield, has been honoured in the Chamber Scale Composition category. His nominated work, un clou, son marteau, et le béton, was performed by pianist Sarah Nicolls at hcmf// 2009. One of the world’s two oldest music societies, The Royal Philharmonic Society was founded in 1813 and was responsible for commissioning Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Today it is a members’ society and registered UK charity whose activities include supporting composers and young musicians, audience development work and hosting lectures.The RPS Music Awards prize ceremony takes place on Tuesday 11 May at the Dorchester Hotel in London, hosted by BBC Radio 3’s Sean Rafferty and Sara Mohr-Pietsch. Awards will be presented by Sir John Tomlinson and the keynote speaker will be the artist Grayson Perry. The event will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Wednesday 12 May at 7pm.This year’s hcmf// takes place from Friday 19 November to Sunday 28 November 2010.Royal Philharmonic Society website Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:48:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/121 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/121 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is inviting applications from music leaders to deliver workshops for school and family groups in Dewsbury, Yorkshire for eleven days from 1–11 July 2010 using Sound Playground installations.Successful candidates will collaborate with experienced Dutch music leaders who regularly work with the Sound Playground (Klankspeeltuin) sound installations at their base in the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam.There are two posts: Lead Artist - £1,600 fee (inclusive of travel); and Assistant Artist - £1,000 fee (inclusive of travel). These posts are an excellent professional development opportunity for two music leaders at different stages in their careers to gain new delivery skills alongside international colleagues as part of hcmf’s Learning & Participation programme.The ideal candidates will have experience of working with children and young people on participatory music activities, a high level of musicianship and excellent communication skills. Experience of working with music technology is desirable but not essential. Both posts are subject to obtaining a CRB Enhanced Disclosure certificate.Sound Playground consists of three specially designed installations which enable children of all abilities to play with sound and create their own music. Using specially-designed music technology installations participants can touch, draw or move to create their own music. Each installation is designed to be durable, engaging and inspiring and aims to break down barriers to participating in music making. There are three sound installations coming to Dewsbury called OMNI, KosmiX, and SonOrb. Futher information about the installations is available from hcmf. To apply please send your CV to Heidi Johnson, Learning and Participation Officer at h.johnson@hud.ac.uk with a covering letter outlining the reasons you believe you would be suitable for the project. Please indicate whether you are applying for the Lead Artist or Assistant Artist post. Images of the installations are available from hcmf.Deadline for applications: 5pm, Thursday 15 April 2010. Interviews will be held on Thursday 22 April. Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:59:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/120 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/120 hcmf// shorts is a series of short informal performances which this year will take place all day on Monday 22 November 2010 in various venues in Huddersfield. They provide up-and-coming musicians with a valuable platform to perform for members of the public, media and key music industry representatives at the UK’s leading new music Festival. Proposals are welcomed from all types of performers, and works can be especially composed or existing pieces. There are no age limits. Proposed programmes should be no longer than 20 minutes in duration.hcmf// will provide:•    Music stands, chairs and microphones (on request)•    Piano (cannot be prepared)•    PA: 16 channel desk, 4 speakers, CD play backHow to apply:To apply for hcmf// shorts please download the application form below. Post your completed application form along with a separate proposal (which should be no longer than one side of A4) and supporting audio material to: Heidi Johnson, hcmf// shorts, Room TC/09, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK. Please only submit one proposal per ensemble/performer and ensure that any audio material is directly relevant to your proposal. Please note: New deadline for proposals 10am, Monday 10 May 2010After you’ve submitted your proposal, hcmf//’s Artistic Director, Graham McKenzie, will select a number of performers/ensembles to take part in hcmf// shorts 2010. You will be notified by Friday 28 May if your proposal has been chosen to feature in hcmf// shorts. Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:23:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/119 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/119 hcmf// is inviting applications from for the role of Events Intern. This posts is an excellent opportunity to gain invaluable experience working within the field of arts management at the UK’s premier festival of new music. The ideal candidate will have an enthusiasm for new music and will be committed to bringing the best of their skills and abilities to the organisation. Excellent communication and organisational skills, good IT skills and the ability to prioritise and work to meet deadlines are essential for these roles. The Events Intern will be responsible for providing administrative support to the Festival Manger in organising the 2010 Festival, including assisting with artist contracts, organising travel and accommodation, coordinating steward volunteers, providing marketing support as well as gaining an unique insight into all aspects of International Festival and Events Management.Both positions are part-time and flexible (1 day a week for 8 months from May 2010), with increased hours in the run up to and during the festival in November. The internships is unpaid. To apply please send your CV to Rosie Hughes at r.hughes@hud.ac.uk with a covering letter outlining the reasons you believe you would be suitable for the position. Deadline for applications: 5pm, Monday 3 May 2010. Interviews will be held on Monday 17 May Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:06:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/118 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/118 Seeing as Edd has done such a fine job in summarizing the weekend?s activities, I will briefly draft a few personal responses to the first Amsterdam events.Admittedly, I had a somewhat of a crisis before making the trip. It had been many years since I had the chance to write for so many instruments (a trio being the largest ensemble I have written for in the last 3 years!) – having all those sound possibilities at your disposal isn?t as luxurious as one might think!Additionally, my high regard for the Nieuw Ensemble compounded my anxiety; I felt the pressure of the ?this piece needs to be amazing?-syndrome.Well, that caused all sorts of problems! Personal drama aside, I eventually did get a few morsels of material scribed, I thought they had potential to be stretched and explored in a workshop.Satisfyingly, the first day?s workshop was a real success for me. The sounds produced were interesting and the players seemed to be authentically engaged with the material and possible extensions of it. Looking back, I?m also very pleased with how I led the workshop too - quite a miracle considering how anxious I was that weekbefore!As Edd has mentioned, Pat and I stayed in that night and furiously produced some material for the next day. Our thoughts were along the lines of: ?if the Nieuw Ensemble is at your disposal, make the most of it!? I think Steph and Edd had focused on this before the workshop, impressively producing considerable amounts of work. I also admired how Pat quickly rendered something strikingly cohesive and assured for Sunday?s session.I went away from the workshop feeling galvanized. Jöel had been generous to us all in his comments. I was personally heartened and encouraged by what he had said. I have been thinking about the work to be done since the workshop, ideas since then have been multiple and disparate: I?m intrigued to see how things (un)fold. The main thing that I think needs addressing is form: how to enable the evolving material to have multiform applications within the (probably tiny) space that I delineate for the sounds themselves.Finally, I know Pat and I (perhaps Edd and Steph too?) feel that having now met some of the players that will be playing our music, we feel that there is a connection established. I hope that there is a feeling that we are working together to create something; I?m writing for them now, not blindly to some imagined figure as before the first workshop. The fact that they were also so understanding, open and genuinely enthusiastic is extremely beneficial for any composer willing to take risks and extend themselves; I?m certainly willing to fail whilst attempting!Johnny Herbert Thu, 08 Apr 2010 07:43:50 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/38 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/38 Music leaders across West Yorkshire have been bringing extra excitement and inspiration to classroom singing sessions thanks to free resources and training provided by hcmf//’s Learning & Participation strand. A pack featuring ideas for singing activities aimed at a wide range of school-age children has been received enthusiastically by educators, who have been using it to try out many of the same innovative performance techniques seen during hcmf// 2009’s Vocalise initiative. Authored by composer and educator Kate Pearson, who has previously worked with Opera North, Royal Opera House, Northern Ballet Theatre and York-based Accessible Arts, the resource pack follows on from the hcmf// and Sing Up Continuing Professional Development programme for music leaders. The free programme ran between September and November 2009 and offered four sessions, each focusing upon a different aspect of vocal creativity and performance. These were open to secondary music teachers, primary music co-ordinators, community music workers and music students working with young people. The 77 participants learnt a wealth of new songs, games and techniques at the workshops, which were led by Pearson, Barry Russell, Anna Myatt and Phil Minton.The Vocalise CPD pack has sections on word play, sound play and song play, each featuring a set of short ‘explorations’ to introduce different ideas and skills, as well as suggestions for extended projects. The structure of the pack makes it welcoming even to teachers who are unfamiliar with contemporary music, says Tom Waltham, who teaches music and arts at Overthorpe Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Dewsbury:“One thing I did notice was that if you were new to using vocal techniques, the pack is brilliant as a guide, as it has the ideas and activities at the beginning and a step-by-step guide at the back,” he says. “If you’re not confident, then you have a bible, really.” He studied music at the University of Huddersfield before becoming a teacher, but still found the pack useful in many ways. “I’d never tried writing a list of words on a piece of paper and turning that into a song. The songwriting side of things was new to me because I was never really that confident with lyrics, but I am now, because I have that to help me,” he says.With suggested activities such as cutting up and combining newspaper headlines to create interesting vocal textures, the Vocalise pack has obvious cross-curricular appeal. Waltham has found it useful in drama lessons, for improving literacy or even with art projects. “We’ve recently done some animation, so we’ve been creating soundscapes for that and we’ve used a lot of vocal techniques, using voices in different ways,” he says.The activities in the pack were a hit with the school choir, who enjoyed exploring non-traditional vocal techniques. “With the choir, they absolutely love doing the landscape pieces, because it’s not singing as they normally would. They’re free to make mistakes and to play with it. There’s no right or wrong: you can just do what you want to do.” This freedom also encouraged the more reluctant singers to shine: “We’re in quite a deprived area and some of the pupils find it difficult to put what they’re feeling into words. Something like this brings out the vocabulary and lets them express themselves in different ways. Having to use noise instead of words to express their feelings really makes them think and makes them come out of their shells. Some of the pupils who would usually blend into the background end up taking a lead role."Click below to download the Vocalise CPD resource pack for free Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:10:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/117 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/117 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:02:41 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/56 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/56 Last November’s hcmf// provides food for thought for a number of researchers in the first issue of a new journal from CeReNeM, the University of Huddersfield’s Centre for Research in New Music.Edited by CeReNeM PhD students Robert Dahm and Ray Evanoff, CeReNeM Journal can be downloaded for free here. The articles by Evanoff, Chikako Morishita, Timothy McCormack and Richard Glover include in-depth interviews with the composers Richard Barrett and Ben Isaacs. Also included are full downloadable scores from McCormack, Glover, Isaacs and Einar Torfi Einarsson, all postgraduate composers at Huddersfield.“The festival is always such a fantastic forum for dialogue in the world of new music – what better theme with which to initiate a journal?” says CeReNeM’s Liza Lim, whose music featured at hcmf// 2009. “We will have an hcmf//-related issue every year in order to make use of this opportunity to develop the scope and range of scholarship our students and staff are engaging with in areas of practice-based research.”Issue two of the CeReNem Journal will be published in July 2010 and edited by Monty Adkins and Scott McLaughlin. CeReNeM are currently looking for papers on the subject of 'Physicality and Tactility in Contemporary Electronic Music'; anyone interested in submitting an article can read the submission guidelines. Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:54:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/116 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/116 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:04:16 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/55 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/55 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:03:36 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/54 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/54 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:02:50 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/53 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/53 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:02:13 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/52 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/52 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:01:36 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/51 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/51 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:00:51 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/50 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/50 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:00:09 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/49 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/49 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:59:16 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/48 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/48 23 November, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:58:31 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/47 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/47 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:57:45 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/46 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/46 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:56:40 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/45 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/45 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:52:14 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/42 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/42 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:50:52 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/41 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/41 23 November 2009, Huddersfield Town Hall Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:39:48 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/40 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/40 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:14:18 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/39 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/39 Video made by Bob Lockwood as part of the Piano Dances project, 23 - 26 Feb 2010. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:53:01 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/38 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/38 I stayed up late on Thursday evening sorting out the programme and the collation of all the new techniques and approaches and questions and Bob stayed up much later editing the first draft of the film of the children.I was really pleased that on editing the material I discovered that every child had directly invented at least one new technique or approach. Thirteen new inventors, composers, choreographers and creative people who hopefully won't have their playful creativity squashed or repressed as they age into primary school and beyond.Friday morning - we went to the nursery. We re-arranged the room, and Bob set up the projector and the AO white plastic projector screen on the piano. We welcomed in the children, their staff, some friends from the LBT, some other children from the school, the head-teacher, some of the adult group and lots of parents all on the floor or very small yellow chairs. In fact we had a parent/relative or carer for every child apart from one.Later we chatted to the parents who really enjoyed it and though, in many cases, their offspiring did not directly talk to them about the project, there was enough energy or buzz about what was going on to inspire the mums and dads in. Emma and Isobelle (nursery staff) were really pleased and surprised by the turn-out. Pat and I played a tune on melodica and recorder, we watched the film Bob had made (about 9 minutes) and then uncovered the piano. There was much playing at this point, which we curtailed after about maybe seven minutes. Very interesting to observe two girls who had not been in during the week, but came to school on the Friday. One, named Pearl, was clearly in need of having time to play the piano on her own as all the other children had, but in this context it was not quite possible. She looked very disappointed as every time she played others accompanied her. The room got very hot and there was a real buzz. We ended with 'If You're Happy and You Know It', Five Little Monkeys and the Piano Bedtime Lullaby.During the afternoon after we had watched Liz reverse ever so slowly and slightly into a taxi, we had a quartet rehearsal (Jac, Pat, Bob and I), trying out ideas from the new techniques for the evening. Some we tried and rejected, others we tried and felt that they would be great without further 'rehearsal', others we knew would work without even rehearsing.The duet of Pat and Jac with elbows on piano was very wonderful to observe. Also nice to have a time to play, especially for Bob who had been so tied up in his filming, documenting and observing that he had not really had time to 'play'.At 6.30 we gave a performance of Piano Dances in St Paul's Hall. I prefaced it by playing simultaneously two-pianos in a new phasing piece. We then watched the newly edited film which Bob had worked on in the afternoon. Finally a series of new pieces in solos, small groups and full group (22 performers).NEW PIECES1.    A Spell for the Piano  - Based on Question 212.    Solos Together - Everyone chose one new technique or approach from the list, but especially Approach 153.    Playing Other People's Hands - Developing Technique 64.    The Piano Fairy - Inspired by Question 13 and also Approach 275.    Full-Group Bob - Starting from Approach 31 and going elsewhere...6.    Graceful Elephant Teapots - Using Technique 4 as a starting point7.    Kneading - A small group performance of Technique 78.    A Line Around The Piano - From Approach 4 and Questions 3, 9, 10 and 119.    Putting The Piano To Bed - Approach 40 and Question 15?My favourites sonically were 'Kneading' - a kind of mix of Messiaen and Ligeti - and 'The Piano Fairy' - a wonderful original conceit. I also loved the choreography of 'Solos Together' and performing in 'Putting The Piano To Bed'.We ended by bestowing a professorship of Keyboard Choreography upon Jac Gaile (prof KCC), only the second such position in the world.Most of the performers went to a nearby Thai restaurant for a meal afterwards. Very lovely to be together socially. I instigated a Japanese tradition which is at the after-performance party to share round and read the evaluation forms together. They were all (all the ones that Heidi had collected) very positive and effusively generous. We shifted tables and managed to talk with most people, and then home late and tired, but with a very warm and harmonious feeling.The day after Piano Dances Pat and I travelled south together, leaving Huddersfield and its sleet for the sunshine of South Devon. We were performing at the Plymouth Contemporary Music Festival, a programme of live music to a selection of silent films. We were chatting with Eduardo Miranda, the festival director, and explaining Piano Dances and he was very intrigued and enthusiastic. 'Maybe you should come and do it here next year?' So maybe we will. Roll on volume 4 of Keyboard Choreography wherever it may be. Now I need to find some time to sleep.Hugh Nankivell Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:00:06 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/37 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/37 Now finished all the workshop sessions at the nursery and with the adults. A real contrary emotion of a day.In the evening the group made beautiful keyboard choreography and there was a clear feeling of a group and a shared energy. There was much laughter, thought and some tears.As Hilary left she asked 'what am I going to do next week without you'? She played a beautiful piano solo while looking at her self-portrait, but prefaced it by saying that she couldn't play the piano. Of course she could.In the morning, Jac led the session and we drew happy pictures of ourselves and Jac asked us whether the piano was happy or sad and what its name was and whether it was a girl or a boy?Everyone did portraits and most then put the portrait onto the piano and played from it. There was some energetic and delicate solo playing and also a mix of group playing, but a lot less playing of the piano than on the previous days. It really felt like the piano was becoming part of the furniture of the nursery.Serenna was obviously not well (she kept holding her ear and looked very sad) and her playing was without bunny-hops and was very doleful. Sophie again played and squeaked and was FULL of joy and Gael played with great confidence. There was quite a long stretch of time today without much attention paid to the piano and there were far fewer new techniques and approaches that we discovered, but by contrast there was lots of repeat-playing of earlier material. Today there was a picnic at the piano and phone calls using cheese and calculators. We ended with singing together and I led a lullaby story-song for the piano which had the following lyrics before we put the piano to bed and covered it up.Bed timeTwinkle twinkleNight nightNight night.When we analysed the video in the afternoon we had a very good discussion about what age it is that a child loses the un-self-conscious-playful-exploration? This came about because one girl (and only one) seemed to play the piano mainly to attract adults attention or to be noticed and she was very clear about what we could or could not do at the piano (no picnics for instance!) whereas the others played it without reserve.The new things we discovered were:Techniques1.    Play a note and hold it down, then add other adjacent notes and hold them down. Then take the hand off and do the same again. use thumb sparingly. Smudging. Serenna. 2.    Play with both hands. Only using index fingers. Contrary motion at all times, firmly. Contrary Index. Gael.3.    Sit under the piano and play with the pedals with your hands. Pedal Hands.  Lautrelle and Chloe.Approaches1.    Draw a picture of how you feel. Put the picture on the piano. Play.2.    Place your score on the keyboard, covering some of the keys. Play.3.    Phone someone up and ask them to play the piano with you. See what happens.4.    Play your own hand, (from day one).5.    Play while jumping at the keyboard, synchronised or unsynchronised. Morgan.Questions1.    Is the piano a boy or a girl?2.    Does the piano have a name?3.    Is the piano happy or sad?4.    When you put the score on the piano music stand how do you know which way up it should be?5.    Is the piano in good working order?We have now made a set list for tomorrow evening of new pieces all of which are generated from the playing we observed in the morning. Our set-list will includeA Spell for the Piano Solos altogetherThe Piano FairyFull-group BobPlaying other people's handsGraceful Elephant teapotsKneadingA Line Around The PianoPutting The Piano To Bed.We will have a sharing at 11am in the nursery and show them a compilation video with parents and friends and then a 6.30pm concert in St Paul's.We ended the session this evening talking about how tomorrow we will be playing a different piano from the one we have developed a relationship with during the last three evenings and whether this is adulterous behaviour. The piano has been developing a character in a way that I have not experienced before, but perhaps I have been careless and fickle in my past piano dealings as, although I love the acoustic piano very much, I have in my time lost both a grand piano and a player piano.Hugh Nankivell Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:43:42 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/36 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/36 Experimental pianist Sebastian Berweck is the star of the first CD release from Huddersfield Contemporary Records, a new label with links to hcmf//. Extended Piano sees Berweck tackle compositions by James Saunders, Benjamin Lang, Michael Maierhof, Thomas Wenk and Johannes Kriedler. As the album title suggests, the instrument is augmented by preparations and analogue electronics to reveal ‘shadow aspects’ of the sound.Sebastian Berweck has appeared as a soloist at numerous festivals and events, including ISCM World Music days, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and the Damstadt Summer Courses. He is co-founder of the composing/performing collective stock11.de and has commissioned and premiered more than 100 works.Berweck is currently researching questions of performance in piano and electronics at CeReNeM, the University of Huddersfield’s Centre for Research in New Music. CeReNeM has teamed up with Huddersfield University Press to form Huddersfield Contemporary Records, which will release CDs and DVDs by the staff and postgraduates of the department and by visiting artists. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:51:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/115 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/115 Just back to Meltham, after another long day.We left in thick slushy snow that melted during the day and came back to bare potholes.Bob led the hour at Christchurch Woodhouse nursery. We had three new children with us today and lost three from yesterday.Everyone again played the piano, in groups and solos. There was only about 90 seconds of time when no-one was playing the piano.We are blessed with having a very quiet piano, such that when three or four children are playing it loud with fists and elbows and the sustain pedal pushed down, it doesn't seem to dominate the room in the way that pianos sometimes can. It will be really interesting to see what the nursery does with the piano when the project finishes. Will it become another toy in the room? Will they move it? How quickly will it disintegrate? How will the piano feel?Great to see some players play a similar solo to the one they did yesterday (Chloe, Serenna and Lautrelle for instance, and it was great in the afternoon comparing the video of the solos from day one to day two) and then also to see how some of them developed and changed and extended their playing (Sophie and Serenna) and to have the new players who came in and had to just get their heads down and play (Kaden, Brody and Doris).We found 6 more new techniques, 20 new approaches and 7 extra questions to add to the list from yesterday. Here are the new list of techniques discovered today, we gave each one a title and then the name of the inventor(s).Techniques from day 21.    Play the keyboard and lower your head below the keyboard to look underneath while still playing, then bring the head back up, still playing. Peek-a-boo. Lautrelle initially copying Brody.2.    Both hands close together on the keyboard, use all the fingers (not thumbs) to make wave patterns. Waves. Sophie.3.    Play the piano with nose on the keys and using both hands. Piano Close-up. Serenna.4.    Raise both hands left then right, above your head, fingers pointing out, spiky hands, then bring them down crashing to the piano, right hand just before left hand. Witches Flam. Georgia.5.    Press the end-blocks (and other parts of the piano that are not keys) to see if they move and what sound they make. End blocks. Serenna.6.    Play deliberately with one hand - only using the index finger, but approaching from high above the keyboard. Crane. Chloe.In the evening session we made many more new pieces, using the work of the nursery children as the starting point. We also had much great discussion and laughter. To begin with we shared personal stories about pianos. We tried a meditation 'Don't play the piano and put it from your mind' (I found it almost impossible), and we cast spells on the piano and talked about pianists as a breed. Bob drew a line around the piano and we had to play it from behind that line. The session ended with Chris completely covering four prone piano players and the piano with chairs as they played.Hugh Nankivell Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:43:03 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/35 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/35 A different side to one of the giants of 20th-century music will go on show this November, thanks to hcmf// and Huddersfield Art Gallery. Every Day Is A Good Day: An Exhibition of John Cage’s Artworks is the first major retrospective in this country of visual art by Cage, who died in 1992. The touring exhibition from London’s Hayward Gallery opens at the BALTIC centre in June and will run at Huddersfield Art Gallery from 20 November until 9 January 2011.Conceived by artist Jeremy Millar, Every Day Is A Good Day features around 200 works by Cage, who took up painting whilst staying in Europe after dropping out of college, but abandoned it in favour of dedicating himself to composition. He returned to art later in life, producing drawings, watercolours and prints, many of which were inspired by the same chance-based techniques for which his music became renowned.In keeping with this philosophy, the display positions and groupings of the pictures in the exhibition will be determined using a computer programme based upon the Chinese I-Ching system of chance-based divination which Cage used as a composition aid from the 1950s onwards. John Cage was a guest at hcmf// in 1989 and the festival has long recognised his contribution to contemporary music, most recently at hcmf// 2008 with John Cage Reclaimed, a retrospective of his controversial 1958 New York Town Hall concert.Named after the translation of a Japanese Zen Buddhist proverb favoured by Cage, Every Day Is A Good Day runs alongside hcmf// 2010 (Friday 19 November to Sunday 28 November) and will be complemented by several performances of Cage works, detailed below:Ear Training (Fri 19 Nov, 12noon) Edges Ensemble (Fri 19 Nov, 5pm)Philip Thomas (Sat 20 Nov, 12 noon)Score (40 Drawings by Thoreau) and 23 parts… (Sun 21 Nov, 7.30am)Apartment House (Mon 22 Nov, hcmf// shorts)Apartment House (Wed 24 Nov, 2.15pm)Take the Cage Train (Wed 24 Nov, 7.30pm) Joelle Leandre… (Thu 25 Nov, 7.30pm)Text Messages (Fri 26 Nov, 11am) Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:47:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/114 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/114 We had a great morning with the nursery group - 10 children one aged 2, one aged 4 and the others aged 3. We were a big group of adults in their small space.Barry had done wonders with the tuning of the piano and in retrospect it was quite a quiet piano and even when lots of people were playing at the same time it was not too noisy.There were many wonderful moments; when Chloe played her solo and everyone listened rapt, also when Morgan went to the piano and played without making any sound. A real '4.33' performance with silence from the audience.Afternoon analysing the video and loving the upside-down seasickness of Jac's flip videoing.We came up with 11 new techniques, 20 approaches and 15 questions.Here are the questions.QUESTIONS1) What is a piano?2) How near do you have to be to be enraptured by a piano?3) How far from the piano can you be and still be a piano player?4) Is the piano a road or a garage?5) When someone plays the piano for the first time, can you tell what they are going to play?6) How do you open a piano?7) What is it about leaving the piano that makes you cry?8) Are you aware of the audience when you are playing and does it affect your playing?9) Is the piano a height chart and a reach chart?10) How territorial can the piano be?11) What does it mean to share the piano?12) What does the piano stool represent?13) Is there such a thing as a piano fairy?14) Why might you need to wear a hard hat at the piano?15) How do you say goodbye to the piano?In the evening we explored many of the ideas discovered in the morning with a lovely group of open-minded adults, including trying out question number 5. The answer was (generally) no!Roll-on tomorrow.Hugh Nankivell Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:32:54 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/34 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/34 The Sage Gateshead is paying tribute to the work of Edgard Varèse, the French-born composer who played a key role in the development of electronic music. Running from 5–16 April, Brave New Worlds: the music of Debussy and Varèse features Varèse performances by the National Youth Orchestra alongside music by the composer’s contemporary Debussy, and by more recent artists who were influenced by his radical concept of ‘organised sound’.On 16 April, visitors to the Sage can hear an installation of Varèse’s tape piece Poème électronique, which was originally presented using 400 speakers in the Le Corbusier-designed Philips pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World Fair. That same evening, the NYO, conducted by Paul Daniel, will perform Tuning Up, Arcana and the epic Amériques, as well as Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, Nuages and Fêtes. With 175 musicians aged between 13 and 19 performing, the ensemble will be the largest to have ever appeared at the Sage.Other events include a study day introducing Varèse’s work on 10 April and a concert uniting NYO, Northern Sinfonia and the Young Sinfonia on 5 April. Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:36:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/113 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/113 Cold Monday in Huddersfield, but warm people. Visited the nursery school and met Emma and Isobel and visited the space, which will be warm and cosy, and saw the 'new' piano that has been donated. Barry later was tuning it and was very glad when we said that it didn't need to be raised to concert pitch. It is very flat and battered.Planning the project at Huddersfield Uni. The team is me - composer and musician, piano player and melodica. Bob - actor, director, improvisor, film-maker and much more. Jac - speech therapist and educational interest in early years and playful. Pat - composer and musician, guitar, bass.... We all have different interests and expertise, but a real desire to see what happens when we explore creativity with three year olds and then analyse this and take the upcoming ideas and work on them with adults.We spent some time discussing how we might notate and describe the new techniques. if we are too detailed will this give enough scope to the adults in their creativity and will it reduce the possibility of mutations, which is of course one of the main ways in which we evolve and change.Hugh Nankivell Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:56:38 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/33 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/33 Tomorrow we start the Huddersfield leg of the world tour that is Keyboard Choreography Collection. I'm coming back to my old home and really looking forward to it. The warmth of the people and the cold of the snow!A year ago, in January 2009, I began a new project with Japanese composer Makoto Nomura in the north of Japan. A wonderful theatre called Ezuko Hall just south of Sendai invited us both to come and lead a new project, and so Nomura asked what ideas I was interested in. I said that, since moving to Devon I had been working with pre-school children, searching for pianos and exploring ideas with dance companies, and perhaps a project that incorporated all three would be good. And from that Keyboard Choreography Collection (aka Piano Dances) was born.Nomura and I, working with a dancer Shin Sakuma, spent each morning with a nursery (The Elephant House) encouraging the children to play the piano, in whatever way they wanted. We filmed the sessions and spent the afternoon analysing the video - discovering many new techniques and approaches which in turn raised a whole series of questions. We then worked with adults each evening using these techniques to create and develop new pieces of music/dance/theatre.In July of 2009 we then brought the project to England and ran similar programme at The Sage Gateshead and The Baltic Gallery, again playing with a nursery (and a piano from freecycle) and a group of older adults from The Silvers.Now we are coming to Huddersfield and tomorrow meet the nursery and see the spaces and plan the sessions. I can't wait. This time I am working with Bob Lockwood, Jac Gaile and Pat Allison, none reknowned (yet) for their dancing skills.Hugh Nankivell Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:54:14 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/32 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/32 No description Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:14:30 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/37 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/37 If you've played piano in the past and are wondering how to get back into the swing of things, you can book an appointment at a monthly surgery with the University of Huddersfield's Pianist-in-Residence, Jonathan Fisher. Participants are invited to make a 30-minute appointment, during which Jonathan will be offering advice and guidance on technique, repertoire and further learning opportunities. You don't have to be of a particular standard to book an appointment, just interesting in starting to play again!Appointments currently available:5.00pm - 5.30pm5.30pm - 6.00pm6.00pm - 6.30pm6.30pm - 7.00pm7.00pm - 7.30pm7.30pm - 8.00pm To book an appointment, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Sat, 20 Feb 2010 11:23:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/127 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/127 Things learnt:1) Never be late when people are being paid to be there2) Always come prepared with sketches and ideas - stay up late doing them if needs be!3) Plan ahead4) If unsure of something, ask5) When dealing with players, good communication is key!6) Make sure your recording equipment is working, and on! (we lost the first session)Notable people in the ensemble:Joël Bons, Artistic DirectorJoël's comments are incisive, penetrating and above all extremely helpful! He's very concerned with the minutia of performance and will point out the tiniest thing that you didn't even notice was a problem. Joël is also your translater for the musicians, both in language terms (although they all speak excellent English) and in terms of getting the best out of them. The other thing I was impressed with is that Joël is sceptical of the performers as he is of the composers - He will always be your advocate if you're struggling to communicate your ideas and the performers are getting uncomfortable with what you're asking. This is essential if you are being experimental, and so helpful!Ernest Rombout, OboeErnest, apart from being one of the best oboe players I've yet met, has the air of a charming and helpful academic, always patient and willing to discuss technique in great detail. As I was dealing with multiphonics, a touchy subject in the best of cases, Ernest very patiently explained that I was unlikely to get the clarity of multiphonic I was after and that I should specify types. i had basically specified just a couple of pitches. When I thought the session was over I thought I had finished - I turned away then heard a cry - it was Ernest having found a good multiphonic for what I was after - in the next minutes he'd found a range of fantastic sounds and offered to write down the fingerings. Wonderful!Helenus de Rijke, GuitarA Paul McCartney lookalike in his youth, Helenus was again charming and helpful, and very patient with my (deliberately basic) questions. Rob Dirksen, BassMorton Feldman lookalike Rob was inestimably cool and came up with some great sounds over the course of the workshops. Most notable was playing the bottom of the tailpiece with the lowest string - it made the room vibrate! General ThoughtsIt was so nice to just compose for a weekend, away from my crowded life. When I wasn't workshopping my stuff, I was sat at the side sketching, typesetting, reading technique books and more importantly listening to other people's workshops, from which I learnt a lot. Doing this, and working hard before and during the weekend, I really felt I got everything I could have got from it!It is tiring though - I got barely any sleep the week before, and very little sleep while I was there. I'm now having a lazy day to make up for it though. It was totally worth it!Amsterdam is beautiful.Ernest came up with a fantastic technique, which I choose to call the "Rombout Tongue Trill". Or maybe the "Rombout Roll"?Quotes"It was interesting 50 years ago" (Me, about Cage)A good name for a band, and album: "Personal Hugbear: A Fluffy Grudge" (Stef and Me)Edward Caine Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:19:53 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/31 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/31 Well, I'm back from Amsterdam and completely wiped out! I've had a really fantastic weekend with the Nieuw Ensemble - they're all really helpful, and I had a great time working with them.FridayWe met at Leeds Bradford Airport, me and Stef having travelled there together, then meeting Johnny and Pat in the airport. We then got on our plane and were met in Amsterdam by Neils, who was a student of Joël's. It was very nice to meet someone off the plane as Amsterdam was at first a little daunting!Once we'd got to our guesthouse (an extremely friendly little house run by a seafairers mission charity with very comfortable rooms and a nice atmosphere) we went out to find a pub to get to know one another. Ironically the first one we went to was an English themed pub!One of the nicest things about this weekend was just spending two straight days jawing with composers about all things musical! Debate was intense with Pat and Johnny coming from a more experimental angle and me and Stef coming from more of a traditional angle, but all was good fun and there's nothing like a good musical debate!SaturdayGetting slightly lost on the way to meet Jasper (our contact with the NE) at the station we nevertheless got there for 10am, having crossed the river in the free ferries you get in Amsterdam. There was some startling architecture on the way! The Nieuw ensemble themselves have a nice little den in a commercial lot in the back end of an industrial estate. Not much to look at from the outside, but a nice large square room inside with a mezzanine office. The large rehearsal space was littered with stands, instruments and exciting boxes full of percussion. It was a veritable musicians playground and 'lair' if you can imagine that.We had introductions. I took scores with me because I was told I needed to give a talk about my work but actually all it amounted to was a "say your name and a sentence about yourself" type of thing.Then it was straight into the workshops. We started with my material because the parts were ready. The string material worked really well and with some constructive comments, particularly from the double bassist (about reach). I did my material in sections - Strings, Winds and Plucked (apparently very common for composers to do that). The two sections I was less confident about - winds and pluckeds - went as badly as I thought, but I found it very constructive and later had a session with just those instruments in an effort to get my ear in and understand them a little better.Session format was completely open - it was amazing having a whole ensemble there to do your bidding - if you felt you needed something, just ask. Planning was a must though - the whole ensemble was there Saturday morning, but nobody had any tutti material!That night me, Stef and Joël went to the Chinese opera in the amazing Musiekgebouw - it was bonkers and virtuosic and altogether awesome. Johnny and Pat, after eating with us in a nice Thai Restaurant, went home to sketch stuff for Sunday.When we got back that night I stayed up until 3am sketching a tutti arrangement of my source material for the next day, and finishing some sketches for Oboe, Percussion and Double Bass.SundayHaving requested a special percussion session (Johnny and Stef were particularly interested in the Chinese percussion) we needed to get there for 9am as the percussionist had to leave early. unfortunately we misjudged timing and were 25 mins late - got a rounded reprimand from Joël, quite rightly, and felt heartily ashamed. Lesson learnt.Then we launched into a tutti session - we all by then had tutti material. On Saturday, we tried to plan ahead and thought we wouldn't need a conductor so he was sent home on Sunday, however, we then realised we did but it was too late. The upshot was - I got to conduct! Amazing! This was a real boon to me as I do conduct a fair bit, but I never get to conduct such amazing musicians! That gave me a real buzz.My tutti arrangement of "Qu'est devenu ce bel oeil" went down really well and sounded fantastic. It was rather hurried and had some mistakes in the score but it was a real blast hearing something come out well. We didn't have time or resources to try out my Ob. Perc. Dbl Bs material but that's not a problem - more for next time! Stef, Pat and Johnny's material all sounded interesting and it was in general a very good day.We then had an evaluation, where we discussed how we felt our sessions and material went with Joël, who seemed in general very positive, and then details about organisation with Heidi. The organisation feedback was a little awkward because there were a couple of points for improvement in the run up to the weekend and a couple of fine details, but the consensus was that the weekend itself could not have been organised more thoroughly and positively, and that the helpfulness of the astute Joël Bons and the organisational skills of the indomitable Heidi Johnson were very much appreciated!Then we headed back to the station and airport, stopping off briefly for a wonder round Amsterdam. Heidi had arrived early morning and was with us all day and so accompanied us back, which again we might have had trouble with on our own!Edward Caine Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:28:49 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/30 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/30 Weekly keyboard workshops for beginners led by Julian Coburn-Hough from Hoot. Working in an organic, evolutionary and fun way, Julian uses modern workshop techniques to draw out a group’s creativity, often using games. Whilst always maintaining an open and inclusive atmosphere these workshops seek to challenge, push and experiment. The focus on technique is on a ‘need to know’ basis!No previous experience is needed and participants are welcome to join the workshops at any point in the project.For more information, contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:13:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/123 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/123 Thanks to hcmf//, young people with disabilities can now spend the February half-term holiday exploring and creating a range of different styles of music. Kirklees College in Huddersfield is hosting a series of daily workshops between Monday 15 and Friday 19 February: sessions include a taste of Scottish folk, jazz and funk improvisation and a chance to experiment with the innovative SoundBeam ‘invisible keyboard’.The free workshops are aimed at young people aged from 13-25 with either physical or learning disabilities. Participants can sign up for as many days as they wish, but places must be booked in advance.The workshops take place on the following days:15 February: Singing and Signing with Accessible Arts16 February: SoundBeam technology with Unit Six17 February: Scottish Folk Music with Michael Haywood and Laura Grime18 February: Jazz and funk improvisation with Three Jazz19 February: Composing with the Fell Clarinet QuartetSessions run from 10.30am to 3.30pm at the college’s Huddersfield centre on New North Road, Huddersfield, HD1 5NN. The hcmf// workshops are funded by Kirklees Council as part of the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:29:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/112 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/112 OK, so Amsterdam is looming up (we go out on Friday) and I'm frantically trying to create what I deem as enough appropriate material for the first set of workshops. I thought it might be helpful to explain the type of material that I'm taking out there for any future participants - although I can't say for certain that I'm making the right kind of sketches - The piece is to be based on a medieval chanson 'Qu'est devenu ce bel oeil' by Claude Le Jeune - you can listen it here:I first came across it when listening to Salvatore Sciarrino's 'Lucie mi traditrici'. My first instinct is to fragment the chanson into instrinsic section and then to use the shape and harmonic 'field' to generate material.The main thing I am interested in at this point is the nature of the instrumentation in the ensemble, so I am creating lots of fragmentary sketches for different combinations and different types of material. Something I noticed quite quickly is that, to my knowledge at least, the whispery legato string music I've been writing is not transferable over to the guitar, harp and mandolin. Those are three instruments that I really want to focus on when I'm over there - they're difficult to write for! Also their very presence dramatically changes the type of material you writeI'm thinking at this stage that I'll probably write a three movement/section piece - the material I'm using lends itself very well to slow moving, beatific chords, however the ensemble also dictates a leaning towards staccato material. At this point I'm finding the piano a little difficult to reconcile too - but then I'm a pianist, and find it very hard to write for my own instrument...Also I have a nagging feeling that what I really want in the middle of it all is a trombone! I'll quash that one - I am excited to be writing for Double Bass though!Back to it - sketches are needed yesterday!Edward Caine Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:25:23 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/29 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/29 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:06:19 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/35 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/photo/show/35 Well, it's time I got on with sketching material for the first workshop in Amsterdam and, in keeping with the perennial rules of procrastination, write my first blog for the HCMF website at the same time. That's why I'm here in my office at 10pm, jug of coffee steaming away, pistachio nuts and dried apricots on standby to stave off even the suspicion of hunger (I have a tendency to binge eat while composing). Now also staving off the temptation to pop down to the bar for a drink.A bit about myself - I'm a composer based in York - doing a PhD in composition. I am shortlisted with Sound And Music (formerly SPNM) and get performances of my work with various ensembles and festivals/concerts. Most commonly my work is performed at the Late Music Concert Series (http://www.latemusic.org/concerts), where I help organise the concerts and publicity.I also have a number of different jobs to fund my PhD - I am "Music Tutor" for Vanbrugh College, a role which has expanded dramatically and I am now running 3 ensembles, organising workshops, teaching orchestration and privately mentoring ensemble leaders. I am also welfare tutor there, which involves looking after the undergrads. I also work for University of York Music Press (www.uymp.co.uk), accompany at a school, perform in a jazz restaurant and do graphic design and website programming. I do some typesetting on the side and also will be teaching adult daytime classes on contemporary music soon.All of which has made it very difficult to get down to writing anything in advance of this weekend! Not to worry - I used to be known as "Two-minutes-to-midnight" at school because that's when I'd start my work. I have got better though!I'm really excited about the weekend and looking forward to getting stuck into some composition and collaboration. The HCMF are being fantastic organising travel etc. and I anticipate a fun and instructive time!Right - better get back to it!Edward Caine Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:09:48 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/28 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/28 Adults either with or without keyboard experience are invited to take part in Piano Dances, a free hcmf project taking place between Tuesday 23 and Friday 26 February 2010.Musician and educator Hugh Nankivell, theatre director Wils Wilson and actor/improviser Bob Lockwood are hosting the evening workshops, which will combine the natural curiosity and inventiveness of children’s music-making with creative piano composition and performance for adults.Piano Dances is part of the Piano Phasing strand of workshops and performances which ran before, during and after hcmf 2009. During the festival, a massed gathering of 50 volunteer pianists from all walks of life performed Kristoffer Zegers’ piece Piano Phasing on 25 pianos in Huddersfield Town Hall. Adult learners have also enjoyed the chance to refresh their piano skills or to get to grips with the instrument for the first time through a series of free keyboard workshops and surgeries. Versions of Piano Dances have already been hosted in Gateshead and Sendai, Japan, under the name Keyboard Choreography Collection, by the project’s creators Hugh Nankivell and Japanese composer Makoto Nomura. The pair previously worked with residents of Sendai and with students, musicians and members of Full Body and the Voice theatre company in Huddersfield, to create the innovative community performance Whaletone Opera. They conceived Piano Dances as a project to appeal to both adults and early years-education children, and one that could combine the piano as a starting point with wider explorations of movement and dance.During the project, Nankivell, Wilson and Lockwood will spend mornings working with children at the nursery of Christ Church Woodhouse School in Deighton, Huddersfield. The children will be encouraged to invent their own styles and methods for playing piano. The three will spend each afternoon studying film of the young pianists in order to gather a set of techniques, approaches and questions to bring to the adults’ evening sessions.The adult workshops are open to anyone interested in creative musical exploration or dance acting and improvising, regardless of age, skills or previous experience. The pieces created will stem from piano composition, but may veer off in surprising and non-traditional directions. Two informal performances on the Friday will round off the workshops, which are all free of charge.To book a place, please contact Heidi Johnson, Learning and Participation Officer through the contact page or call 01484 471116. For more information about the Piano Phasing programme of activities, visit: http://www.hcmf.co.uk/pianophasing Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/110 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/110 Four Yorkshire-based composers are to collaborate with a leading contemporary music group to create work which will premiere at hcmf 2010. Now in its second year, the hcmf & Nieuw Ensemble Composers' Professional Development Programme offers rising talents from the region’s universities the chance to compose music for Amsterdam’s Nieuw Ensemble.The selected composers are Patrick Allison and Johnny Herbert from the University of Huddersfield and Edward Caine and Stephanie Conner from the University of York. They will travel to Amsterdam in February to meet the 12-piece ensemble. Under the artistic direction of Joël Bons, who co-founded the group in 1980, Nieuw Ensemble features the combination of string, wind and percussion with plucked instruments such as mandolin and harp, presenting both a challenge and a distinctive opportunity for composers.Having tested out and refined their ideas at a second weekend workshop in May, the composers will prepare their pieces over the coming months before seeing them performed by Nieuw Ensemble at hcmf 2010, which runs from 19 to 28 November.Run as a partnership between hcmf, Nieuw Ensemble and Yorkshire Universities and supported by NFPK and the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund, last year’s programme featured composers Ben Isaacs, Lauren Redhead, Dimitris Maronidis and Jenny Jackson.“The tuition and guidance has been invaluable and The Nieuw Ensemble provided an environment where I felt encouraged and enabled to try new things”, Jackson recalls. “It was amazing to have a piece performed to a packed hall and at the festival at an evening concert – very rewarding and a high-point of my composing career so far!"Isaacs adds: “I have gained a tremendous amount from the programme. This was the largest ensemble I have written for and the longest-term project I have been involved with, and simply working in this context has really helped my development. I think that I would have learnt far less and developed much more slowly as a composer in 2009 if I hadn’t been involved in this scheme. Having the opportunity to present my work on such a prominent public platform was really valuable and has given me a basis to build on professionally.”More about the hcmf & Nieuw Ensemble Composers' Professional Development Programme participants:Edward Caine was brought up in the north of Scotland and is currently pursuing a PhD in composition at the University of York. He also works freelance as an organiser for contemporary music promoter Late Music and music publishers UYMP, and is resident music tutor for Vanbrugh College, where he runs three ensembles.Stephanie Conner specializes in contemporary vocal music and jazz composition. Her work has been performed in York Minster, at York Spring Festival and on BBC Radio 2. She has written works for the Chimera Ensemble, Juice, Trydydd, Bright Cecilia, John Potter and the 24. She is working towards a PhD in composition at the University of York. She also played for two years in the folk band Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, touring Europe, the USA and Australia and appearing widely on television and radio.Johnny Herbert graudated with a first class degree from the Royal College of Music in London, also receiving the highest award for composition. He spent a year studying privately with Rebecca Saunders and attending seminars led by Walter Zimmerman at the Berlin UdK. He is currently studying for his MMus in composition at the University of Huddersfield under the guidance of Dr Aaron Cassidy. His music has been performed in the UK and across Europe, by artists including Ian Pace, Richard Haynes, Kevin Bowyer and Neil Heyde.Patrick Allison was born in Sheffield in 1985. His works have been performed by Christopher Redgate, Matthew Haynes, Philip Thomas and EXAUDI, as well as numerous non-professional performers. He studies with Bryn Harrison and is currently finishing a two-year Masters course in composition at the University of Huddersfield. He is also active as a performer of experimental, rock and community based music. Sat, 30 Jan 2010 07:42:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/109 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/109 The University of Huddersfield’s Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) is once again hosting GEMdays, its annual festival of sonic exploration. Running from Wednesday 27 January until Sunday 31 January, the five-day programme of concerts, talks and workshops brings together some of the leading strands of research in acousmatic and improvised music, software interfaces and video music.Concerts take place daily at 8pm in Phipps Hall in the university’s Creative Arts Building, and admission is free. The performances include violinist and live electronics specialist Bennett Hogg (28 January) and the premiere of Jamie Fawcus’s Resonances for theremin and four-channel sound (31 Jan).The daytime events include pre-concert talks from several of the artists, a circuit-bending workshop with Phil Archer and a PowerUsers’ Symposium dedicated to the advanced possibilities of the Max/MSP software package.One of the partners of hcmf, CeReNeM’s areas of research include acoustics, sound spatialisation, digital interfaces, musical perception and cross cultural aesthetics. Work by its staff members, which include composers Liza Lim, Matthew Adkins and Pierre Alexandre Tremblay, forms an important part of the hcmf programme.The full programme can be viewed here on the GEMdays website. Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:53:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/108 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/108 It feels great to look back on a year working with and writing for the Nieuw Ensemble. Composing for the group posed many new challenges which were rewarding to overcome. The weekends in Amsterdam were very informative and the concert at HCMF was a fantastic event for all four of us. Special thanks are due to Heidi Johnson for all her hard work on the project. The recording and score of and darkness sweeps in like a hand can be heard and seen here.Ben Isaacs Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:25:01 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/27 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/27 A host of new work was unveiled at hcmf 2009: its 13 world premiere events and 20 UK or European premieres included Richard Barrett’s Mesopotamia, Wolfgang Rihm’s –ET LUX– and Jonathan Harvey’s Sringara Chaconne. And thanks to the festival’s Learning and Participation strand, young and amateur musicians were able to take their place alongside world-class soloists and ensembles in presenting audiences with fresh contemporary music.“There were loads of opportunities for local musicians to shine through our Learning and Participation events”, says hcmf’s Education and Outreach Officer, Heidi Johnson. “In particular the performance of Kristoffer Zegers' Piano Phasing was a great success, showcasing the talents of 50 pianists from the region, ranging from college students to retired people, including someone who had travelled all the way from Canada to perform. Over 300 people attended the performance in Huddersfield Town Hall to hear, and see, 25 pianos played simultaneously.”This first UK performance of Piano Phasing drew some enthusiastic feedback from those taking part: “I liked meeting new people and playing and experiencing new music, plus the concert was really exciting,” said one player. “Taking part with others – not a normal experience for a pianist!” said another, whilst a third noted, “It opened my ears.”The hcmf//vocalise project reached an equally spectacular conclusion during hcmf 2009, with the performance of Alvin Curran's Oh Man Oh Mankind Oh Yeah in Huddersfield Town Hall. Funded by Youth Music, vocalise gave young people aged between eight and 18 the chance to explore and develop singing techniques in weekly workshops. The ensemble teamed up with the University of Huddersfield choir and more than 100 members of Huddersfield Choral Society to give Curran’s piece its world premiere.“The concert featured a huge range of unusual vocal techniques and improvisations as well as mini harmonicas, plastic tubes and four orchestral bass drums, before finishing with a sing-a-long mash-up of familiar tunes,” Johnson says.One singer described the concert as “crazy but fun!”, whilst another said, “I enjoyed mumbling like gorillas the most!” A third chose “performing at Huddersfield Town Hall and the applause” as high points, whilst the workshops’ beneficial effect was pinpointed by one commenter: “I learnt how not to be scared performing in front of people.”The 2009 festival may be over but hcmf’s Learning and Participation work continues into the new year, with ongoing Creative Keyboard Workshops and Piano Surgeries providing opportunities for people of all ages to learn the instrument or brush up rusty skills. February 2010 will also see the arrival of the Keyboard Choreography Collection, a music and dance project led by Hugh Nankivell. Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:07:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/107 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/107 The experience of working with the Nieuw Ensemble this year has been very positive for me. I feel I have developed as a composer through participating in the programme and I was pleased with the performance of my piece. I enjoyed the weekend workshops earlier in the year and relished the opportunity to write short sketches without the immediate pressure of creating a final piece. The final performance fulfilled a lifelong ambition - to have a piece performed in the festival - and I am happy to say that the guitar is still out of the cupboard...Jenny Jackson Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:00:14 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/26 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/26 Matthew Adkins’ [60]Project, which was commissioned by hcmf in 2008, has been nominated for a Qwartz Electronic Music Award. Held annually in Paris, the Qwartz awards recognise the achievements of digital musicians from across the globe, in categories such as best album, best label and best artwork. The CD release of the [60]Project has been shortlisted in the experimentation/research category, competing against work by artists such as Per Samuelsson and José Miguel Candela.Adkins has also been nominated in the album category for his record Five Panels. The shortlists were chosen by a jury headed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, and the final results are decided by public vote through the awards’ website. The prizes will be announced during a ceremony on Friday 2 April 2010 at the Palais Brongniart in Paris.The [60]Project was devised to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the transmission of Pierre Schaeffer’s groundbreaking musique concrete work Etudes de Bruits on French national radio. More than 60 leading sound artists contributed clips based around a single sound of up to a minute’s length, which Adkins then compiled and arranged into a 60-minute piece.Since its premiere at hcmf 2008, the [60]Project has been performed internationally at locations including the Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto in Rio, the Institute of Sonology at the Hague Conservatoire and the Danish Institute of Electroacoustic Music. Adkins has also lectured on the background to the project and co-authored a paper, [60]Project: Conception, Composing and Archiving. Click below to read the document. Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:32:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/105 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/105 Sound artist and musician Janek Schaefer, whose hcmf commission Extended Play won him the 2008 British Composer of the Year Award for Sonic Art and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for composition, is the subject of a major new exhibition at Liverpool’s Bluecoat gallery.Janek Schaefer : Sound Art is the first retrospective of Schaefer’s career, ranging from work he produced as a student to a new installation completed just days before the show opened.National Portrait [the last transmission] is an audio snapshot of British television on 2 December 2009, the last 24 hours of analogue broadcasts in the Liverpool region. Five flickering old television sets play an ever-changing collage from the terrestrial channels’ programmes, the randomly chosen sound clips overlapping before each fades poignantly to silence.Other highlights of the exhibition include a new installation in memory of the author JG Ballard; the innovative three-armed turntable Schaefer built for live performances; his early Dictaphone piece Recorded Delivery and Vacant Space, an audiovisual collaboration with Chris Watson and David Tinapple.A whole room is dedicated to hosting Extended Play, which was commissioned for hcmf 2007 and originally exhibited in Huddersfield Art Gallery. The work features nine identical record players set to different speeds, weaving together the parts of a piece for violin, cello and piano that was adapted from a Polish tune used to transmit secret resistance codes during World War II. You can read more about the work in hcmf’s interview with Janek Schaefer here.Janek Schaefer : Sound Art runs until Sunday 17 January 2010 at the Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool.Janek Schaefer’s website Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:57:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/104 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/104 Records showing both the headline artistic triumphs and the day-to-day dedication that have made hcmf a success over the past 32 years have been saved for future study, thanks to a new archive at the University of Huddersfield.An official hcmf collection is now housed in the newly refurbished University Archives, whose other collections include records of the Huddersfield Literary and Scientific Society and the Rugby Football League archive.The archive was officially launched on Friday 20 November, the first day of hcmf 2009. As well as Professor Tim Thornton, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning and Professor Andrew Ball, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise, speakers at the opening included hcmf Artistic Director Graham McKenzie and Professor Richard Steinitz, founder of the first festival in 1978 and its director for more than two decades.Professor Steinitz recalled arriving at the then Huddersfield Polytechnic in 1961 to discover that there was no music library. He took steps to establish one, and paid tribute to the present-day University collection as one of the finest in the UK. He also recalled the difficulties encountered by the organisers of the inaugural hcmf in 1978 when severe winter fog disrupted many musicians’ travel.The links between hcmf and the University of Huddersfield were strengthened in 2008 with the announcement of the university as the festival’s headline sponsor. When the on-campus hcmf office moved locations, the resulting transfer of paperwork and other materials was the cue for establishing a formal archive.Although the collection contains programmes, brochures and posters from every past festival, the main quantity is behind-the-scenes material. From commissioned scores to correspondence with artists and composers, these provide a revealing insight into the organisation of each hcmf event. One highlight of the archive is a series of handwritten letters from Karlheinz Stockhausen, penned in the late composer’s idiosyncratic style: “I send you the Greeting. Cowbell: ok. Rooms at ‘George’ ok. I will bring ear plugs.” The collection also comprises recorded interviews with eight major composers, including Iannis Xenakis, George Benjamin and Pierre Boulez.Under the care of the University Archivist Hilary Haigh, the hcmf archive is currently being catalogued by specialist staff, with some items, such as rapidly fading faxes, in need of conservation work. However, the collection is already available as a resource for academics and students, with a new home sufficiently spacious to house the records of many future festivals.University of Huddersfield Archives page Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:06:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/103 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/103 As the official Broadcast Partner to hcmf, BBC Radio 3 will be including extensive highlights of this year’s festival on its contemporary music programme, ‘Hear and Now’. A live broadcast on Saturday 28 November features London Sinfonietta’s world premiere performance of Richard Barrett’s new work, Mesopotamia, as well as Jonathan Harvey’s masterpiece Bhakti.The programme will also be available for online listening via the BBC Radio 3 website for a week afterwards.Other events from hcmf 2009 are being recorded for future editions of ‘Hear and Now’, which runs from 10.30pm to midnight every Saturday and is presented by Sara Mohr-Pietsch and Robert Worby.These can be heard in January 2010:Saturday 2 JanuaryQuatuor Diotima:Thomas Simaku, Radius - String Quartet No 2Noriko Kawai: James Dillon, Charm (world premiere)James Dillon, Dragon-fly (world premiere)Musica Elettronica Viva (excerpts)Geneviève Foccroulle: Anthony Braxton, Composition no 10Arditti Quartet: James Clarke, Quartet (world premiere)Saturday 9 JanuaryIctus Ensemble: Brice Pauset, Theorie der Tränen: Atem (UK premiere)James Dillon, The Leuven Triptych (BBC co-commission; UK premiere)Quatuor Diotima: Matthew Shlomowitz, Theme Street Parade (BBC commission; world premiere) Saturday 16 JanuaryRemix Ensemble/Rolf Gupta: Antonio Augusto Aguiar, Pandora (UK premiere)Luis Tinoco, O curso da águasRebecca Saunders, furyEmmanuel Nunes, Versus II (UK premiere)Emmanuel Nunes, Rubato, registres et résonances (UK premiere)Saturday 23 JanuaryGeneviève Foccroulle: Anthony Braxton, Composition No1 (UK premiere)ELISION:Richard Barrett, Opening of the Mouth (UK premiere)Tickets are still available for hcmf events over the final weekend: click here to view the festival programme and buy tickets. BBC Radio 3 website Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:11:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/102 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/102 Louis Andriessen admits to some ambivalence about the premise for the series of concerts – in his home city of Amsterdam and across Europe and North America – that have marked his 70th birthday since June this year. “I must, of course, say that the concerts, especially when they are very good performances of pieces, are simply a joy,” reflects the Netherlands’ most celebrated – and in some quarters, most controversial – living composer. “In the beginning, I had the feeling that it was ridiculous to start performing pieces because somebody has been alive a round amount of years. But I’m not too orthodox to enjoy it when it happens.”If Andriessen has the slightly abashed air of someone ushered into a room to discover a birthday cake and a crowd of well-wishers, then he does, at least, approve wholeheartedly of the list of guests. The programme for hcmf’s two celebratory Louis Andriessen 70 concerts, Andriessen Peanuts and Andriessen in Black and White, features friends and collaborators from throughout his career. Each has played a role in helping the composer realise his vision, from Gerard Bouwhuis and Cees van Zeeland of Hoketus and The Piano Duo, to the musicians Andriessen describes as “my two muses, the violinist Monica Germino and the impeccable Cristina Zavalloni, the Italian singer.”“A lot of my recent music is written for Cristina, both smaller chamber music and larger pieces. At the moment, I’m writing a mono-drama theatre work for her, based upon fragments of the journal of Anaïs Nin. So when I compose, I think of her first and of her personality. I’m very pleased to have her performing in Huddersfield.”Featuring a range of smaller pieces from the last three decades, Andriessen Peanuts showcases the range of subject matter and influences incorporated by the composer, who has long looked to jazz, pop and global music as much as Western composition. One of the pieces performed by Zavalloni is Letter from Cathy, a musical adaptation of a 1964 letter sent to Andriessen by the late Cathy Berberian, the singer who was married to Luciano Berio at the time Andriessen was his student. Her interpretive abilities greatly inspired the earlier years of his career.“I worked a lot with Cathy in the early Sixties and later, and that was, let’s say, my norm, my milestone for how it could be, the performance and intelligence of a singer, and specifically, the wide range of possibilities," he recalls. “What I don’t like in classically trained singers is that everything sounds the same: whether it’s Schubert or Bach or Wagner or The Beatles doesn’t make a difference. I think that’s a very limited approach to the sound of a voice.”Andriessen in Black and White features several larger pieces which have come to be seen as signature Andriessen works. His mid-1970s piece De Staat has long been celebrated for its vigorous collision of minimalism and dissonance, and for its radical content. The sung text satirically lifts a passage from Plato’s Republic in which the philosopher argues for the suppression of certain morally damaging instruments and key signatures. However, the composer is keen that the work’s political aspects shouldn’t overshadow its musical advances.“De Staat is a good example of how what I wrote for the voices should be different than for what would generally be heard from classical singers,” he notes. “So in the start I ask for a lot of different techniques. I needed a kind of Greek peasant women sound in the second part, and then, in the final part, Baroque singers. So I was very happy to have found Christina, who can sing in so many different ways and so full of expression.”The concert also features 1977’s Hoketus, the work which gave rise to the ensemble of the same name featuring pianos and panpipes alongside amplified instruments. The group was not only distinctive due to its double set-up, with two of every instrument, but in how that was used to demonstrate a modern and arresting use of hocket. This rhythmic technique, where melodies are split and alternate rapidly between players, is an enduring favourite of Andriessen’s: it features once again in the new work The Hague Hacking Scrap, which is also included in the concert. What continues to draw him to such a distinctive musical form?“I don’t really know,” he replies. “It started with a project to work with students in the Hague in the mid-70s, to do a project on repetitive music. We didn’t like minimal music, because it was too much like TV advertisements. My students found what had already happened in America – early Philip Glass and early Steve Reich – too much like entertainment music. I said, ‘You may say that, that’s fine with me, but you must know that it was revolutionary avant-garde music when it started, with La Monte Young and Terry Riley and John Cage, and you should study that to know what you are talking about.’ And then the group consisted of students on different instruments. There were a lot of composers who kept playing the keyboard, but there were, strangely enough, two panpipe players. So we could make two identical ensembles.”“Then you continue with the fact that hocketing is a technique in different kinds of folk music: the Eskimos have vocal techniques with hocketing, and you have of course the panpipes in Peru and Bolivia, the playing on different percussion instruments in a lot of places in West Africa. So there I found something which is very typical of the development of the American avant-garde in the Sixties and Seventies, which is orientated towards non-Western music. Orientation towards other music than European classical music is a big step forward.”It must be very demanding for musicians to do justice to his music. “Yes, that is a problem, and I don’t know how to solve it. What I do, of course, is write for people and work with them, and I seem to want things which they don’t learn at the conservatories. Of course, you have to count very well and things like that, and they learn a lot there. But the articulation and the way of holding your instrument and thinking about your instrument is in my case quite different, and that is a problem. Because you cannot write down the way I want it. So that’s why I’m doomed to work with my friends!”He adds, “That’s what Bach did, too. He was together with his musicians all the time, so he didn’t bother writing down any articulation or dynamics. That kind of alienation of the composer from the musicians is something that I fight.”Louis Andriessen events at hcmfLouis Andriessen talk, Wed 25 NovemberLouis Andriessen 70: Andriessen PeanutsLouis Andriessen 70: Andriessen in Black and White Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:16:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/101 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/101 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:14:25 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/32 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/32 Every day during hcmf 2009, pianist Philip Thomas will be performing a piece or pieces from Michael Pisaro's collection pi (1-2594). Here he discusses his belief in music as "experience" Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:28:10 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/31 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/31 Audiences enjoyed breathtaking performances from Arditti Quartet, ELISION, New London Chamber Choir and many other artists at sold-out concerts over the first weekend of hcmf 2009. The festival opened on Friday 20 November with the UK premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s new piece –ET LUX– in St Paul’s Hall. Arditti Quartet and The Hilliard Ensemble joined forces to perform the requiem, a work of intimate beauty in which the soaring vocals of countertenor David James were a highlight.Another hcmf first followed, with the debut British airing of Richard Barrett’s Opening of the Mouth. With the composer on hand as sound artist for the piece, ELISION ensemble presented the complex and emotionally intense song cycle, which included outstanding solos from woodwind player Richard Haynes and singers Deborah Kayser and Ute Wassermann.Earlier in the day, Visual Kitchen’s audiovisual installation Mortuos Plango, based upon a tape piece by hcmf Composer in Residence Jonathan Harvey, was unveiled in St Thomas’s Church. The installation runs daily throughout the festival: click here for more details.Saturday saw the first of many lunchtime concerts at hcmf. In another sold-out performance, pianist Sarah Nicolls showcased her innovative musicianship and use of technology with three pieces that expanded the instrument’s possibilities through film, electronics, motion sensors and dramatic synchronised lighting. Arditti Quartet returned in the evening with a programme including Jonathan Harvey’s String Quartet No. 4 and premieres of works by James Dillon and James Clarke.Harvey’s work was celebrated again on Sunday 22 November, with a rare performance of The Summer Cloud’s Awakening, a piece written specially for New London Chamber Choir. Under the direction of James Weeks, the choir rose to the challenge of creating a multilayered soundscape, with voices chopped into fragments and flying dramatically between an array of speakers surrounding the audience.Over in Bates Mill, David Sawer and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group’s Rumpelstiltskin reimagined the fairytale as a dark and grown-up music theatre piece, with haunting motifs and visuals reminiscent of expressionist silent film. And following on from Geneviève Foccroulle’s solo piano recitals of compositions by Anthony Braxton on 20 and 21 November, the weekend concluded with For Braxton, a large-scale homage to the pioneering and controversial giant of American music, featuring the combined powers of Apartment House, Frank Gratkowski, ELISION and John Butcher.Tickets are still available for hcmf events over the coming week: click here to view the festival programme and buy tickets. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:58:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/99 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/99 The American musician Anthony Braxton is known to many for the power and precision of his blistering saxophone solos. But Braxton’s expertise spans a much wider range than reed-based improvisation alone, and hcmf 2009 has gathered a cast of leading musicians to highlight a side beyond performance: Braxton the composer.Two concerts on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 November feature the UK premieres of Braxton’s solo piano works Composition No.1, No.2 and No.3 and The Trip, performed by Geneviève Foccroulle. In contrast, For Braxton on Sunday 22 November branches out into larger-scale interpretations of his work. Apartment House and Frank Gratkowski team up for further Braxton compositions and for the world premiere of a new Gratkowski work, co-commissioned by hcmf and November Music.In addition, the concert will see the first performance of The Braxton Project by ELISION ensemble and John Butcher, an innovative assemblage of Braxton music and inspiration that connects his compositions, musical language and improvisation with new music created by the performers. Timothy O’Dwyer, ELISION saxophonist and curator of The Braxton Project explains more about the unique work:What qualities do ELISION have to tackle a work such as The Braxton Project?ELISION has a history of playing large structured improvisations as an ensemble. The players bring highly developed skills in interpretation and extended techniques combined with being able to expand and extemporise on given conceptual frameworks. There has been a unique ensemble approach to improvisational material developed over the years whether it be self-devised, or directed by others like Richard Barrett, John Butcher or myself. The Braxton Project enables the players to interpret and improvise within the works of Braxton while pushing the music in unexpected ways that are informed by the collective history of the group.What challenges did the compositions present, both as discrete pieces, and for integrating into this larger work?The approach for the performance has been to take some older works in the Braxton oeuvre and arrange them, utilising some of the more modern performance techniques he has developed for large ensemble over the past decade. We are using a number of compositions from the 40 and 69 series that will be played end to end and also simultaneously with one another. The challenge is for all the members of the group to play the notation and to improvise within the discreet worlds of each of these pieces given the brevity of information, so when played they all have distinct identities that can be deduced clearly by the listener.How have you used the pitch and rhythmic language of Braxton’s improvisations in the solo, duo and trio compositions?In addition to Braxton, there are three other composers that have contributed works. Ben Marks (trombone) has contributed two structured improvisations for two trios that utilise information gleaned from 69M. Richard Haynes (clarinet) has also contributed a tutti piece that is indirectly inspired by both the 69 and 49 series and my own offering for this particular performance is in the form of a violin solo which will appear toward the middle of the set. I initially transcribed Braxton's solo 8F from his For Alto record using a time line (down to tenths of a second); there was no way that I could put this into a metre or irrational rhythm! I then transformed the transcription into violin music using spacial rhythmic notation and literally using the pitch material. The second layer of the composition included me adding phrasing, dynamics and some extended techniques that were specific for the violin. My previous work at Huddersfield in 2006 involved a similar project in collaboration with John Butcher where he improvised within one of my notated works. Since that performance I have transcribed what he played and converted his solo into a clarinet/ bass clarinet part. This process is a part of my PhD candidature, so there is obviously a longer answer here for next time!What is your favourite aspect of Braxton’s work in general? Is he underrated or misunderstood as a composer?As an alto player, I have to say his solo improvisations are my favourite thing about his work followed closely by his small groups of the 1970s and his quartet of the 1980s. But he has written great music and had great recordings after this time as well, so it is hard to say! I don't think there is any doubt about Braxton the instrumentalist being at the forefront of the technical development of the alto saxophone, the bass saxophone and the contrabass clarinet over the past 30 years.Braxton the composer is a trickier subject and this will only be my opinion here. I think in his compositions and writings he courageously brings together very disparate legacies from the last half of the 20th century.  These influences come together unequivocally in his music and they include the free jazz of John Coltrane et al, the experimental music of Stockhausen and Cage with the strong sense of the connection between music and mysticism found in the work of Coltrane, Stockhausen  and Sun Ra amongst others. Braxton along with many of the other composers from the AACM, including George Lewis and Henry Threadgill, have stood heroically at the cross roads of Afrocentric and Eurocentric music pulling together the intrinsic ideas of both these worlds in their own music, which strangely seems to be still controversial... The problem of 'rating' him as a composer lies within these areas- people can't pin him down and rate him against composers in one particular camp: he defiantly sits between them all!Other musicians on Anthony Braxton:Anton Lukoszevieze "Braxton's music reminds me of the paintings of Bradley Walker Tomlin, strangely. With their calligraphic whimsies and constructions, jostling the picture plane. His music is also fundamentally about communication and a post-free-experimental-jazz-ghost-trance sound world that is glorious and rumbustious."Evan Parker"Ever since he made the ground breaking solo saxophone recording For Alto in 1969, Anthony Braxton's music has been characterised by his vision and determination to innovate. The scale of his imagination is boundless, his courage limitless."Frank Gratkowski"Anthony Braxton has been a strong influence to my music for a long time. He is one of the very few composers who really found a way to blend all kinds of aspects of contemporary classical music, spiritual music, jazz, improvisation, determination and many others. He is a great spirit who is always looking for new directions. Also in person he's a beautiful and open minded character. I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to perform his music."Anthony Braxton events at hcmf:Braxton Solo Piano 1, Fri 20 NovemberBraxton Solo Piano 2, Sat 21 NovemberPre-concert talk, Sun 22 NovemberFor Braxton, Sun 22 November Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/98 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/98 On Sunday 22 November at hcmf, New London Chamber Choir will give a rare performance of Jonathan Harvey’s The Summer Cloud’s Awakening. Originally composed for the group’s 20th anniversary in 2001, the 35-minute piece features choir, cello, flute, pre-recorded sounds and live electronic processing. NLCC’s Musical Director James Weeks reveals the challenges and rewards of preparing such a spectacular work:“The Summer Cloud’s Awakening is a major work of Jonathan Harvey’s: certainly one of, if not his biggest choral works. It certainly comes off as a very effective piece and it’s not heard very much because it’s complex to put together. It’s a rare and very exciting opportunity to hear it.”“All of his pieces can be very different from each other and this one is certainly different from anything that I’d done before. This was written in 2001, before I became musical director, to celebrate the NLCC’s 20th anniversary. It’s both unique and at the same time very typical of Jonathan‘s work. It’s a rather fascinating blend of Wagner and Buddhist doctrines.”“Essentially there are some pre-recorded sounds which were made at the time of the original performance, and they’ve been subject to various electronic transformations. Then the sound coming from the choir is processed live, so you have these two layers of electronics.”“Clive Williamson is playing what looks like an ordinary keyboard but actually it’s triggering all sorts of electronic noises according to my beat. Some of it’s synchronised with a stopwatch and the choir sings over the top. And then of course you have the cello and flute at the same time. It’s quite a spectacle.”“I think what’s very effective about the piece is Jonathan’s sense of sound images. He has a gift for finding an image which is often quite simple, but very powerful, whether it’s a choir cascading up in clusters, or particular figurations or effects that he gets from just two instruments. At one point you have the cello and the flute almost doing a kind of Buddhist dance around the choir, who are chanting, and then in the next section the basses of the choir attempt some Tibetan subharmonic singing, which is again rather exotic, and very typical of the score in that he blends all these things together.”“What I think is most impressive is that way that the Wagner excerpts – which he’s taken from Tristan und Isolde, including the famous Tristan chord [the first chord heard in Wagner’s opera] which appears like a leitmotif all the way through the piece – are blended in with all these other influences, from the use of percussion and bells typical of Buddhist practices, to more of Jonathan’s own style. It sounds like a stylistic mish-mash when described like that, but these things are very carefully interwoven.”“There were a couple of challenges that we encountered when rehearsing. Firstly, there are two impressive passages of cluster glissandi which occur, and they are really like clouds. They sound like a thunderstorm approaching, if a thunderstorm approaching had a noise other than the rumble of thunder. There’s a sense that something rather awesome and grand is moving towards you and eventually it bursts over your head, which is exciting. But that’s difficult to achieve, because there are no reference points in the glissandi; you can’t get your tuning fork out and, over the course of a glissando that might last a minute, make sure you end up on the right note. So it’s very testing for the choir.”“And then the end, which becomes frenzied and ecstatic, is full of these very fast scales in clusters. So the choir will be divided into 12 and there’ll be eight semi-chorus parts on top, so 20 different parts really, rushing up these rather unusual scales as fast as possible and a very small distance apart from each other. And that is exceptionally difficult, especially when the live electronics will be processing that sound and cutting it up and throwing it all over the hall around the speakers. It’s going to be sonically truly spectacular, that end, but it’s not very easy to be truly ecstatic when you’re desperately clinging to the beat.”James Weeks’ websiteClick here to buy tickets for New London Chamber Choir: Jonathan Harve Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:18:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/97 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/97 This year, hcmf celebrates the work of British composer and musician Richard Barrett in two concerts. As he reaches his 50th birthday, the festival features both the world premiere of his new work, Mesopotamia, and the first complete UK performance of his cycle Opening of the Mouth.Encompassing a range of chamber, vocal, electronic and multimedia elements, Barrett’s work is ambitious, complex, abrasive and often harrowing. It demands both precision from its performers and active engagement from its audiences. Many of his pieces exist both as freestanding works and as part of larger series linked by overarching concepts: DARK MATTER, negatives, Opening of the Mouth and resistance & vision.“Music is my way of exploring and questioning what it means, if anything, to be alive, in this time and place and situation, and attempting to bring something back from that contemplation which might resonate with others,” he explains when asked what drew him to the path of the composer.Born in Swansea in 1959, Barrett studied with Peter Wiegold, and later attended summer courses at Darmstadt, eagerly exposing himself to as many aspects of composition as he could. “The most important ideas were serial thinking; randomness and statistical composition; improvisation; the possibilities of electronic music; questioning the nature of how music reflects or responds to its social conditions; and the impetus to learn from ‘non-Western’ musical traditions,” he says. “My reaction was to try and find a point where all these ideas become aspects of the same one.”He also holds a degree in genetics and microbiology from UCL, an area of study he sees as complementary to his creative work. “My continuing interest in science as well as my obviously much deeper devotion to music spring from the same source. You could imagine the constellation of concepts in my previous answer to occupy mutually very distant positions in the musical universe, having little in common apart from all of them having arisen during the last century in Western music as innovations, or at least being taken into radically new areas which redefined their nature.”“My perception of an overarching unity, in addition to or somehow within the diversity, is something which both music and fundamental science have the possibility to say something profound about, in different and complementary ways.” He adds, “The most beautiful results in science, I think, are those which are revelatory about that relation, as in Einstein’s work for example. And the same could be said about music.”Opening of the Mouth is one of several works resulting from Barrett’s long relationship with ELISION, the Australia-founded, internationally peopled contemporary music ensemble. ELISION’s artistic director Daryl Buckley recalls how their collaboration started:“I first become aware of Richard’s music in the late 80s, through a composer who had just returned from study at Darmstadt and who brought with him cassettes of works by a number of composers who had ether been at Darmstadt or who had been featured there,” Buckley says. “He handed me this cassette and said, ‘Look, have a listen to this. It’s a really interesting group of young composers, but the music’s totally unplayable. It’ll never be played in Australia; the musicians won’t like it and neither will audiences.’”“So I had a listen, and the Barrett work on that was Coïgitum, performed by Ensemble Exposé. That just absolutely blew me away. It was one of those classic listening experiences where you hear something in your brain that’s a big ‘yes’ ringing out, saying, ‘I want to get involved with this music; let’s do something.’”Barrett’s first commission for ELISION was 1990’s Another Heavenly Day in which gestures exchanged between a trio of clarinet, double bass and electric guitar degrade and collapse. “One of the very beautiful things about it was that it was really clear that it was a music that required commitment. That was clear not just to the players, but to the audience, who were really excited,” Buckley says.The composer reflects upon his continuing relationship with ELISION. “I suppose that both Daryl and I have always been interested in pushing at the limits of what a group of collaborating musicians can achieve both individually and collectively, and our ideas mesh with one another in a way which has now been productive for many years and shows no sign of slowing down or becoming routine.” Says Buckley, “When Richard writes for ELISION, he writes for the people. So it’s not a generic, depersonalized instrument. So the challenge then for the composer is to actually write for the capabilities of the people involved and in Richard’s case, that’s a beautiful challenge, because of his sense of how people can engage with instruments. ELISION commissioned an amazing work for contrabass clarinet called interference, written for Carl Rosman. And Richard, in writing for Carl, took into account his vocal abilities and just totally transformed what you might expect a contrabass clarinet solo to be.” Barrett notes, “I think the sound-world of Opening of the Mouth is at least as rich and many-dimensional as anything I could do with an orchestra, even though it involves only a dozen or so performers. It’s a question of how one tries to encourage the listener’s attention: there’s an entire orchestra within a single cello sound if you’re listening into it in that way.”Opening of the Mouth was first performed as part of 1997’s Festival of Perth in a disused railway workshop building, set among an installation by Richard Crow that featured discarded clothes, human hair, curdling milk and the smell of dead fish. The hcmf venue of Bates Mill is a little more welcoming, but the musical impact of the work remains. Drawing its title from the ancient Egyptian ceremony that aimed to ensure the soul in the afterlife could eat, drink and speak, the cycle was inspired by poet Paul Celan’s attempts to come to terms with the Holocaust.“It’s a stunningly lyrical piece,” Buckley says. “It has an almost classic beauty which is in some ways terrifying, and I believe that comes from how Richard has handled the twin influences that shape his compositional thoughts on the piece.”As the work progresses, instrumental solos change from overlapping each other to a more fragmented relationship, drawing parallels with Celan’s stark, fractured version of the German language. “Celan’s use of language was forged in atrocity”, Barrett says, “from a necessity to reinvent a language twisted and debased by fascism, and to give a voice to those who were silenced by it.”“Obviously we aren’t now living under fascism, or within its shadow to the extent that Celan was; but we are in a situation where language and culture are indeed twisted and debased, in a more insidious way. ‘War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength,’ in Orwell’s words, formulated in response to mid-20th-century totalitarianism but if anything even more relevant to the propaganda of fear and the unquestioned primacy of profit at the centre of our so-called democracy. And every day, across the world, more mouths are being closed.”The second hcmf concert featuring Barrett highlights another of his long-running collaborations. In 1986 he formed the electronic duo FURT with Paul Obermayer. In 2005, the pair expanded to create fORCH, adding a line-up of vocalists and live instruments that includes Phil Minton (vocals), John Butcher (saxophones) and Rhodri Davies (harp) for the hcmf concert. The group perform a mixture of free improvisation and music based around frameworks composed by Barrett, reflecting his belief that the division between composition and improvisation is a false one.“Energy and uncertainty aren’t really the exclusive preserve of improvised music – in fact I’ve heard plenty of improvised music which is neither energetic nor unpredictable – and the issue is one of what’s the most intelligent and imaginative way one can think of to work with particular ideas and particular musicians,” he says.“In the fORCH octet, for example, what I try to do with the compositional frameworks that we use is to provide something which enhances the freedom of improvisation, rather than enclosing and restricting it. I think that one of the most fascinating musical directions one can explore at present is that of the larger improvising ensemble, by which I mean involving more than five or six people. Although such groups have of course been around for several decades, this for me is the area with most untapped potential in contemporary music.”The Saturday 28 November concert also includes the world premiere of Mesopotamia, performed by London Sinfonietta. Forming the fifth part of Barrett’s resistance & vision series, the piece draws musical parallels with the archeological practice of working down through layers to discover lost civilisations and revealing how the centres of power shifted over time. Composed at the time of the Iraq war, the title also references the modern-day country’s former position as a jewel of the ancient world.As a composer whose works so often draw upon specific political ideas, does he feel it to be necessary for listeners to be aware of those same ideas when faced with his work, or can something similar be communicated through the form and delivery of the music itself?“Any artistic statement which assumes and encourages intelligence and critical engagement on the part of its audience is a manifestation of resistance against the inherent drive towards stultification which is part of the ‘system’ we live under,” he answers. “Every musical experience exists within a network of personal, cultural and political associations and connections, memories and expectations and often assumptions.”“On the other hand, I do believe in music as a way of going beyond any dichotomy between sensual and intellectual involvement, and for me the sensual element should have more in common with mutual attraction than with seduction, somehow encouraging a questioning of those expectations and assumptions. There ought to be many possible ways to engage with the music, some of which explicitly address the ‘ideas’ we’ve been discussing while others enter into a relationship with it in another way.”And does he still believe that contemporary music can change minds and confront its audience, or does its traditional delivery as an event defined by certain expectations act to contain it? “It confronted me and changed my mind, quite fundamentally, so I would have to say yes, it certainly can.”“It’s all too easy to snipe at contemporary music as elitist and irrelevant, but in doing so one is giving a weirdly exaggerated importance to such aspects as whether and where and how the audience is seated, which to my mind are a distraction from more general and pervasive political-social phenomena like those of economic class and education. Music of the kind I’m involved in may be a tiny and insignificant feature on the musical landscape, but it’s actually a portal through which an infinitely larger and richer landscape can be explored.”Click here to buy tickets for Richard Barrett/ELISION on Friday 20 NovemberClick here to buy tickets for London Sinfonietta/fORCH on Saturday 28 NovemberThe Saturday 28 November concert will be broadcast live by BBC Radio 3 as part of ‘Hear and Now’, 10.30pm to midnight.Richard Barrett will also be in conversation with hcmf’s Graham McKenzie on Saturday 28 November at 11am. Click here for details. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:54:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/96 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/96 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:23:25 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/30 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/30 In his 50th year, composer Richard Barrett discusses the dual aspects of his work - composition and improvisation - with hcmf Artistic Director Graham McKenzie. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:44:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/117 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/117 Brian Morton leads an after-show discussion celebrating 40 years of legendary electronic ensemble Musica Elettronica Viva with Alvin Curran, Frederic Rzewski and Richard Teitelbaum. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:38:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/116 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/116 Professor Liza Lim discusses her first major work for solo piano, The Four Seasons (after Cy Twombly) with BBC Radio 3 presenter Sara Mohr-Pietsch. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/115 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/115 Mirjam Zegers in conversation with composer Seung-Ah Oh about her ancient Korean-influenced art installation, Words and Beyond: Hwang Jin-Yi. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/114 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/114 Portuguese composer Emmanuel Nunes discusses his featured works at hcmf this year with Brian Morton, ranging from his new work Improvisation IV - l'électricité de la pensée humaine to Litanies du feu et de la mer 1 & II, written some 40 years ago. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/113 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/113 Louis Andriessen in conversation with Robert Worby from 12 noon followed, at 1pm in the Atrium of the Creative Arts Building, by the launch of a new piano book in honour of the composer's 70th birthday. Image de Moreau is published by Muziek Centrum Nederland. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:23:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/112 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/112 hcmf Artistic Director Graham McKenzie and composers Liza Lim and Lefteris Papadimitriou, discuss hcmf's partnership with The Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/111 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/111 Brian Morton and guests discuss the work of American composer, saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist and philosopher Anthony Braxton. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:16:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/110 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/110 Composer James Dillon talks to Brian Morton about his new commission The Leuven Triptych, inspired by Flemish painter Rogier Van der Weyden and the music of his contemporaries. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:14:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/109 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/109 hcmf presents the screening of Barrie Gavin's new portrait film of Jonathan Harvey TOWARDS AND BEYOND (48'). Gavin seeks to explore Harvey's musical and philosophical world by means of a journey outward from his own thoughts and from his actual workroom. The portrait works through a series of metaphors and analogies - some derived from the landscape of southern England, others from far in time, space and history, including Christian and Buddhist imagery, electronic manipulation and views from the Hubble telescope in space.The film will be preceded by a talk with Jonathan Harvey and followed by a discussion led by broadcaster and writer Brian Morton between Jonathan Harvey, filmmaker Barrie Gavin and Michael Downes, author of Jonathan Harvey: Song Offerings and White as Jasmine, to be published by Ashgate in December 2009. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:08:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/108 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/108 Michel van der Aa's short Passage, featuring actor Joe Bendavid, which forms the film element of his new work Transit Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:12:36 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/29 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/29 For Sarah Nicolls, playing the piano has long been about much more than sitting at the keyboard. Her performances, both solo and in collaborations such as Alexander’s Annexe, explore the range of sounds and actions that can arise from delving into all parts of the instrument, whilst questioning and highlighting the physical interaction between pianist and piano. The three pieces at her hcmf concert on Saturday 21 November each approach piano music in a different, inventive way. Her performance is transformed by electronic processing in Pierre Alexandre Tremblay’s Un clou, son marteau, et le béton, whilst the world premiere of Atau Tanaka’s a new work for pianist and sensors builds accompaniment out of Nicolls’ own arm movements. Another hcmf first is Transit, a new piece for solo piano and film projection by Michel van der Aa, the Dutch composer and film-maker whose works such as the opera After Life incorporate both the theatrical and the cinematic. Transit brings together elements of his 2000 piano composition Just Before with Passage, a short film he made at the New York Film Academy.hcmf: Michel, what made you decide to combine Just Before  with your film Passage?MvdA: When I composed Just Before, I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to make a film with it some day. It’s a very physical and theatrical piece. When I was in New York that idea grew, and I decided to do my final film based upon the music. It was going to be about passing on but also about fighting getting older and the physical restrictions that come with that.hcmf: Sarah, what is your take on the piece?SN: It’s basically a window on to this old man’s struggle with old age, with weakness and loneliness, with fear. The way it’s set up is that there’s a big screen above the piano in black and white and I’m just below it. There’s a very direct and obvious relationship between what I’m doing and what’s happening on the film.It’s quite black and white in itself as well. It’s very extreme; it’s quite tense and alternates between what I imagine might be a kind of resigned-ness and a kind of panic, swinging violently between the two. Michel has choreographed it so that sometimes I’m doing things which aren’t necessarily for sound, but which physically relate to the man.hcmf: Michel, is that also how you would describe Transit?MvdA: It is. It’s a very clear musical idea and also the relationship between the live material and the soundtrack is very direct. It’s certainly one of my more physical pieces. Not everything the pianist does is audible: there’s some very manic miming when she’s miming a low cluster, a very physical section of the piece. The focus shifts back and forth between the film and the live piano and each medium in its own way tries to deal with the topic of the piece.hcmf: How did you start working together and what do you like about each other’s work?MvdA: I met Sarah when I was teaching the New Music New Media course at Aldeburgh; she was one of the musicians there. We immediately clicked: I always love musicians who look further than their own instrument and further than just playing what’s written in the score. Sarah is not only a wonderful pianist, she’s someone who thinks about not only what you hear, but also what the audience looks at, and she thinks about how to present herself theatrically and how to extend the music with what happens around and onstage.SN: Michel showed this film, and it was a quite affecting film and we spoke about it then. I suppose because we’d met and talked about it, that’s where the relationship started, because I responded positively to the film.I like the blatant starkness of this piece, in that it totally wears its heart upon its sleeve. It’s quite literal and dramatic. I like the way that he’s captured a slightly awkward or unnerving insanity because of what the old man does. It’s of course not real and at the same time realistic. There’s that human element: you can imagine how you’d get to that state of being old and being a bit senile. For me, the challenge is to make the switches in the music very suddenly. That’s quite odd, although also effective because the performer ends up out of breath. And also with the choreography: at the end you have to mime some parts of the texture and play others and that’s quite odd.Michel’s addressing the fact that there is a relationship when you have live performance and film. He’s pitting one against the other, rather than ignoring it.hcmf: What was your experience of rehearsing a piece with choreographed movements? Did you find it awkward?SN: I think it’s funny at first: if you’re a pianist and you’re asked to do something that makes no sound, then part of you is thinking, “well, what’s the point in that?” But the other part of me is becoming more and more aware of what performance is outside of sound. I’ve seen lots of experimental theatre over the past year, and other ways that performance happens; I think it’s good for us as musicians to be aware of the performative language that exists outside of the sound.On the score there are silent notes where it says, “press keys no sound”. And normally as a pianist, you’d put the third pedal down at that point and then you would have an interesting resonance. So of course I initially thought, “oh, the score is missing the third pedal markings here”. And then you think, “actually, that’s not the case at all, it’s as if my hands are holding the kettle”, or whatever.hcmf: Sarah, what drives your longstanding interest in the whole physical aspect of playing piano?SN: I suppose I believe really wholeheartedly in live performance. I just think that arena can create a real intensity of experience. I would prefer to go to a concert than listen to a CD any day. And what is it about performance? It’s what’s happening in front of you; it’s what you experience through the performer, in a way. hcmf: Tell us about the customised piano you created in 2008.SN: The reason for building my piano was that it’s a different shape, basically, it’s getting the guts up vertically so that people can see what’s happening inside and not feel left out when the pianist goes inside as though they’re peering under the bonnet of their car to fix the engine. Or when there’s electronic sounds flying around above their heads, but they’ve got no idea how that relates to the piano.hcmf: Do you feel that much of the piano’s potential as an instrument is yet to be realised?SN: Yes, I think it needs a big shake-up, definitely. Lots of people are shaking it up at the moment, which is exciting. There seems to be a ‘let’s change the piano’ feeling in the air. I think people are fascinated by pianos because they’re everywhere, but they just need to be pushed on into the current century.Increasingly in the interface world, people want to personalise, they want to go with their own way of dancing around and then find the interface to suit that. Which is, I think, why sensors are quite popular: people can wave your arms around in whatever way they want to. I think the immobility of pianos is something that will change in the next few years. To be able to personalise it and put whatever interfaces you want on it and to take your piano on tour in your flight case.hcmf: Michel, do you share this aim of extending the possibilities of instruments in live performance?MvdA: Yes. I mean, in my music I try and extend the musicians with electronic counterparts, a soundtrack or video or film projections onstage. I present them with alter-egos either in the electronics or the films. So that’s my way of dealing with extended techniques.hcmf: Do you think this kind of meeting between music and visuals will become much more common in the future?MvdA: Well, it’s been going on for a while, since the middle of the last century. It’s just that my generation and the younger composers all grew up in an image culture, with MTV. It’s much more part of our DNA to think further than just the audible and to think about what we can do visually with our concerts as well. It’s a tool for me to deal with certain subjects or librettos that I couldn’t have with just the music, especially with my operas: I use the staging and the film and the electronics to get the message across in a way I wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.Click here to buy tickets for Sarah Nicolls on Saturday 21 November Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:50:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/94 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/94 Click here to play a new online installation designed as part of hcmf's The Music of Electricity project.Over the course of the project, A-level students from Greenhead College and Year 6 pupils from Spring Grove Primary School have been devising a series of new pieces inspired by the work of digital artist Tim Head.Working with sonic artist Duncan Chapman and swapping material between groups during six days of workshops, participants have been exploring the means by which sound is created through the following questions:What is the sound of electricity?What is the smallest unit of audio information?Image or sound - can we use fragments of image to generate sound material?The results will be presented at a public performance at Huddersfield Art Gallery, 11.30am on Thursday 26 November and can also be explored as the project progresses through this installation featuring sounds recorded by the participants, which has been designed specially for the project by University of Huddersfield PhD student, Sam Freeman. You can read Sam's PhD blog here.  Tim Head's Raw Material exhibition runs at Huddersfield Art Gallery from Saturday 21 November 2009 until Saturday 9 January 2010.This exhibition brings together recent work by Tim Head exploring the nature of the digital medium, its elusive material substance and its unsettled relationship with both ourselves and with the physical world. The exhibition includes recent digital work, alongside a selection of drawings and an outdoor projection on the Library and Art Gallery building.Open daily throughout hcmf; otherwise closed Sundays and Bank Holidays Monday - Friday: 10am - 5pmSaturday and Sunday: 10am - 4pm  Produced by hcmf// and Huddersfield Art Gallery, supported by the Michael Tippett Musical Foundation and the Patricia and Donald Shepherd Charitable Trust. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:54:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/93 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/93 “Lots of people know the name, but they don’t actually know what the story is about, or the fine details,” says David Sawer of Rumpelstiltskin. Like many of the traditional fairy tales collected and retold by the Brothers Grimm, the story that inspired the composer’s latest work is, as he puts it, “dark and violent and doesn’t have a happy ending.”Performed by 13 musicians and six dancers, Rumpelstiltskin represents another step forward in terms of Sawer’s long-running exploration of the creative possibilities of mixing music, theatre and dance. Earlier this year, Leeds-based Opera North premiered Skin Deep, his operetta with a libretto by satirical mastermind Armando Iannucci. But the roots of Rumpelstiltskin reach back to the start of the decade, and a sequence in the work From Morning to Midnight.“It was an opera,” Sawer recalls, “but there was no singing in the first scene for about five minutes. It described the boredom and repetition of working in a bank and the singers just moved around according to precise stage instructions which were written into the score and coordinated with the music.” Keen to develop this idea further, Sawer conceived a narrative piece of music theatre, with musicians and dancers sharing both the stage and the storytelling. “I’ve called it a ballet; it is a ballet score, but there’s no conventional ballet steps. It’s more in the feel of a silent film.”Commissioned by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and presented by BCMG, hcmf and Glasgow’s Tramway, Rumpelstiltskin premiered in Birmingham and receives its first Northern performance at hcmf on Sunday 22 November, conducted by Martyn Brabbins. Sawer explains what attracted him to the tale, in which a miller’s daughter forced to spin straw into gold is helped by a mysterious little man, but for a heavy price: “The musical idea of straw turning into gold is very strong. Also things happening three times, the power relationships between the characters changing throughout, I thought that was very interesting. And Rumpelstiltskin’s dance of death at the end.”“It’s quite open-ended: Rumpelstiltskin’s obviously perceived as outside of society and we’re not quite sure what he wants. But he’s the only honest character. All the others – the miller’s daughter, the king – they’re all after greed and wealth. I also liked how the whole thing is set off by the miller boasting. I thought that was an interesting idea, that an idle boast at the start of the story he makes to avoid being evicted by the king’s bailiffs then turns into this sequence of lies and puzzles and games, which culminate in Rumpelstiltskin’s death.”In a time when the weird and unsettling elements of many folk tales have been airbrushed out in favour of a more merchandise-friendly sparkle, Rumpelstiltskin certainly throws into sharp relief the gulf between the familiar mechanics of fairytales – an obedient daughter, a prized royal marriage – and how dark such a story would be when played out as actual human morality. “I guess this is why Hollywood or Disney haven’t done a cartoon version of it,” Sawer agrees. “The characters are all selfish, and the goalposts change through the piece.”Rumpelstiltskin reunites the composer with the Skin Deep team of director Richard Jones and designer Stewart Laing. “I wanted to work with Richard Jones again because he directed From Morning to Midnight and his work is very choreographic and sensitive to music. So what’s happened is that the whole thing is driven by the music, but we’ve decided, say, a sequence of 10 actions that the dancers will do, and that it will happen on the fourth beat of bar 45, or whatever, and then drill that into the dancers.”“I think only dancers could do this, because they’re used to counting,” he says. “It’s marvellous to see them with the score, marking where they move. They just count for an hour. It’s like they make the music visible, they articulate it through their gestures and movements, because there’s nothing vocal.”So how exactly does a wordless dance piece communicate a plot that hinges on the quest to discover Rumpelstiltskin’s name? “Yes, well that’s one of the problems to solve in the piece,” Sawer replies. “It’s a combination of music and action in the end: there are various musical motifs going around, subliminally. Also the gestures of characters are copied by other characters, so that’s how information gets transferred from one to the next. You should get the story by just looking and listening.”Musically, Sawer defines Rumpelstiltskin as “absolutely a concert piece. The musicians are onstage, they will be in costume and they’re integrated into the set and the visual aspect of the piece.” Different themes and moods are formed through creative use of the BCMG’s 13-player ensemble. “Most of the time the players are divided into two: 12 on one side of the stage and a harpist on the right-hand side. Throughout the piece, three different players from the left-hand side of the ensemble move towards the harp to form a quartet,” he explains. “The first time it’s the strings, and that sound world, which is very primary-coloured, is used for the straw into gold section.”Contrasting atmospheres come from combining the harp with flute, oboe and clarinet and with bassoon, tuba and double bass. The music accompanying Rumpelstiltskin’s house is played by bass clarinet, horn and trumpet, “so it’s quite mellow and Miles Davis-like”. He adds, “As the piece progresses, the instruments gradually mix up. There are three principal themes which are orchestrated by these groups throughout the piece. So the sound world is quite consistent; it’s not pointillistic.”Sawer describes Laing’s costume design as having an “Eastern European” look, whilst the set uses a box made out of recycled wood with sliding doors to evoke interiors from a house to a dungeon. “It’s timeless and contemporary at the same time. It’s not set in 2009.” Considering the story’s themes of magically increasing wealth and destructive greed, was he never tempted to draw more explicit parallels with today’s world?“Well, when I started the idea in 2004, I thought, ‘oh well, this is all about the Iraq war,’” he replies. “With these parables, you can hook them on to anything. They are mythical, in a way. These oral folk stories which have been written down, they’re based on some truth in the past, and therefore it is also some truth of today. We see these people – the miller, his daughter, the king, Rumpelstiltskin – almost every day.”Click here to buy tickets for Rumpelstiltskin on Sunday 22 November Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:22:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/92 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/92 Pianist Philip Thomas discusses useful piano techniques for the 50 participants set to perform Kristoffer Zegers' Piano Phasing at hcmf 2009. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:18:26 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/28 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/28 What is hcmf all about?Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is all about a broad spectrum of contemporary music practice and experimental music practice. If there’s one thing that defines what we present, it’s music that’s not in the mainstream. But within that, contemporary music today – for me – encompasses everything from noise at one end to orchestral works at the other. People traditionally think of contemporary music festivals as being about 20th-century, modernist notated music. It is that, but it’s also about showing the links between that and the other forms of experimentation in contemporary music practice today. There’s a younger generation of artists who are equally as comfortable writing for a formal concert in a hall with an orchestra, working with a sound installation in a gallery or performing themselves in a small improvisatory group.How does hcmf compare to other festivals?Well we sit at the table as part of a network of the major European contemporary music festivals – Reseau Varese – with 23 festivals across 13 member states. But in terms of artistic programming and curation, we also have a lot of synergy with some of the younger, edgier festivals that are quite comfortable crossing between different genres of music – or working in the spaces between the genres. Perhaps we also have a greater emphasis on the new and emerging artist than some of our peers would tend to have.I’ve worked a lot in contemporary visual arts as well, and one of the things about that world is that the contemporary galleries are generally dealing with the emerging artist. The established artist – or the previous generation are at a certain point more likely to be presented by the museums. In contemporary music it is almost the complete opposite with the larger contemporary music festivals frequently focussing on the major figures. If you consider therefore the contemporary music festivals as being the museums, then my question sometimes to the contemporary music world is, ‘Who are the galleries?’ I think the position in Huddersfield is that of a major contemporary gallery. It’s quite easy for us to move between the two worlds and bring them together.What are the highlights of this year’s festival?There are some things that I’m particularly pleased we’ve managed to pull off this year. Jonathan Harvey is someone I’ve admired for many years – in fact, his piece Bhakti was one of the first pieces of contemporary music to really draw me into that world. We’re performing Bhakti with London Sinfonietta at this year’s festival. I’m absolutely delighted that Jonathan will be composer in residence. We’ve also got a really beautiful installation of his seminal electronic work Mortuos Plango in St Thomas’s Church. It is a wonderful visualisation of the work by two artists based in Belgium called Visual Kitchen. In a sense, you can immerse yourself and become part of the work.We have a big emphasis on Richard Barrett in his 50th year. We’re presenting two sides of Richard: the one that’s very much a major contemporary composer, with a big piece on the first day of the festival a new production of Opening of the Mouth, performed by ELISION from Brisbane. A world premiere of a new work written for London Sinfionetta. But also later on in the festival, Richard will be performing in a more improvisatory setting with his own ensemble, fORCH.Emmanuel Nunes isn’t often heard in the UK, if at all. In the last few years, I’ve become enormously interested in the complexity of his work. His work really requires a platform in the UK and I’m glad that we’re able to provide that. Musica Elettronica Viva are one of the very early, groundbreaking electronic ensembles, with Alvin Curran, Richard Teitalbaum and Fred Rzewski. They’ve been an ensemble, loosely speaking, for 40 years or so, and perform very rarely these days, so to bring three of them to Huddersfield this year is something I’m really looking forward to. And also, you’re never quite sure what they’re going to do. I like to have things in the programme where you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen.I’m very pleased that our opening concert is a performance of a new requiem by Wolfgang Rihm, performed by the Arditti Quartet and the Hilliard Ensemble. There are two performances of the work in France before Huddersfield; the third performance was due to be at the Carnegie Hall in New York in early December. For a long time we tried to get permission for a performance in Huddersfield and I am very grateful to the Carnegie Hall in New York for making that possible.Is one of the festival’s purposes to create links between artists that may not be immediately obvious?Absolutely. I think in this country we’re very determined to split things into genres and label them, more so than in some other European countries. One thing we’ve tried to achieve in recent years is to show the diversity of the artist by working with them in different situations – highlighting their composition work for ensemble but then also presenting them in a performance setting – perhaps an improvisation or an installation, to show that those classifications are often not relevant to the artist. Contemporary music, experimental music, electronic music, sonic artworks: all those things are part of the same family.Is it important to commission new work?There’s always an enormous pressure on festivals to commission and present new work, and I think sometimes there’s too much emphasis on it. One of the real problems for contemporary music is that new works are written and really only have one or two performances. They don’t get the chance to develop as a live experience and become part of the repertoire. I really believe that festivals when we commission new work have a responsibility to ensure a second performance.Interestingly, when we were talking to Jonathan Harvey, we said early on that there were so many of his works that hadn’t been heard in the UK, or not for a long time, that we didn’t want to ask for a new one. What we wanted to do was put the resources into making sure that we presented his existing works in the best way that we possibly could. So while it is important to commission new works, for me it’s particularly important to commission them from younger artists and give them a platform for their voices to be heard.How do you start planning hcmf?Well, planning sounds too organised and scientific a method for what I do! If you’re talking about planning, then you probably want to speak to Nikki Cassidy and the rest of the team, who do a wonderful job of the planning and organisation.For me, really, it’s about music I’ve heard, music I’ve been listening to, something that triggers off a thought and makes me go and explore an area of art practice or music practice, which I then try to make sense of. I very much describe myself as a curator, not a programmer. Some festivals are about people going to other festivals and looking for work to buy in to that festival. For me, it’s about following a path from one thing at the beginning of the festival to the end. The great jazz pianist Cecil Taylor said that ‘the composition begins when you select the musicians’ – so for me the festival is kind of a composition.What I feel is that we have a strong responsibility to try and draw from the artist what it is that they really want to realise – to help them articulate and facilitate their ideas. In a sense the way I programme or curate is very artist or dialogue led. If things are working quite well, I like to take them apart a bit, to say, ‘What would happen if we did this differently and introduced this?’ Again this is only possible if you have a strong relationship with the artist and that element of trust that can be built up over a period of time.Which festival events would you recommend to someone who was new to contemporary music?There are areas of the programme where it’s easy for people to dip in and out of it. There’s the installation-based work, where you can get a taste of Jonathan Harvey. Also, from last year, we established the first Monday of the festival as a free Monday – not an Orange Wednesday, but a free Monday – of music: there’s a number of short performances, and also other performances that day which are entirely free. You can move around the performance space and dip in and out of those. There’s also a piece by Kristoffer Zegers called Piano Phasing, with 25 pianos, so up to 50 piano players of different technical abilities will be involved with that performance. Is there anything that you think may prove controversial or challenging to the audiences? In a sense almost everything we do or present is in some respect challenging. Contemporary music is challenging – you really have to engage with it – to listen – but it is incredibly rewarding if you are prepared to make that commitment. Although you know exactly who’s appearing at each festival, is there anything that feels like a surprise or a discovery when the actual performances occur?When you commission and present the number of world premiere and UK premiere performances that we do, then in a sense there are always surprises and discoveries. Disappointments as well – things don’t always work out. But we need the failures in order to recognise the successes. That is what is really exciting about putting on this sort of festival. This year we close the festival with a new collaboration from composers Enno Poppe and Wolfgang Heiniger – a work for 100 instruments performed by musikFabrik. I have no idea how this concert will sound, but the possibilities are irresistible.Watch the video of this interview Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:17:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/91 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/91 Born in Lisbon in 1941, Emmanuel Nunes is perhaps less well known in the UK than on the continent, an oversight due in part to the fact that few recordings of his music are currently available on CD. At hcmf 2009, three concerts featuring pieces spanning his five-decade career provide both an introduction and a celebration of his work.“My very early experiences were rather of sound than of music,” the composer recalls. “As far as I remember – I should be between four and seven years old – I used to construct a kind of percussion set with different kitchen utensils and kick it around for a long time. My mother and my maid did not interfere…”The young Nunes later acquired a piano, on which he would pick out melodies he had heard. By the age of 17 he had decided to become a composer. “My decision was as strong as my ignorance in musical matters and craftsmanship,” he notes.Such childhood freedom to explore music would not last, however. Nunes’s studies of harmony and counterpoint at Lisbon Music Academy between 1959 and 1963 were overshadowed by the country’s dictatorial Estado Novo regime. 1962 saw the government crack down on left-wing student organisations, leading to demonstrations, strikes and violence.During this time, he took private composition lessons from Fernando Lopes-Graça, who was banned from lecturing due to his Communist Party membership. How did such a repressive climate affect his own burgeoning musical creativity?“Any dictatorship does impose its brand upon the whole human activity,” he replies. “Trying to answer the question, I come to the following paradox: although painters and writers seem a priori to be more vulnerable – and they were! – to these kind of restrictions, they seem at that time to me much more irradiating and universal than the composers. The conservatory was of an incredibly low level, and the few ones that might have improved the teaching were forbidden to teach. I did not experience any restrictions upon my work, because I still did not have any…”“But nobody could teach me anymore what I wanted to learn. So I left my country. My political status also made me unsure and I spent seven years without coming back.”Nunes moved to Paris in 1964, then to Cologne the following year, undertaking studies with Henri Pousseur and Karlheinz Stockhausen. He also attended summer courses at Darmstadt between 1963 and 1965, eagerly purchasing scores by Schönberg, Berg and Webern, but remaining detached from some of the more fashionable approaches to composition of the time:“I learned quite a lot from the courses by Pousseur, Ligeti, and Boulez. At that time Stockhausen did not come to Darmstadt, and among the crowd of composers having a subscription to Darmstadt, two extremes were in: either the so-called sérialisme intégral, or the graphic scores tendency proclaiming their illusion of liberty. Quite often the acoustical result was nearly the same,” he says. “During those years I still did not compose really, my knowledge in terms of musical technique was more than incipient, but I did have a kind of internal compass, which detained me from stepping into such paths. As I used to say to my students: It is more important for me to know what I do not want, than to know what I want.”Some impression of the process by which Nunes worked out what he did want can be found in the two solo piano pieces to be performed by Noriko Kawai at hcmf 2009, Litanies du fer et de la mer (Litanies of Fire and Sea) I and II. Dating from 1969 and 1971 respectively, the works arose from a time when the composer would improvise on the piano for long periods.“I can never feel for myself a real state of having matured, not because I do not mature – I certainly do – but for the simple reason of a lifelong feeling of incompleteness, a sterile self-consciousness,” he reflects, when asked how he now views his earlier work.He continues, “Listening back to my earlier pieces, either I consider them finished, and they are regularly performed independently of their composition year, or I would like to improve them, which sometimes I do, not only on my earlier pieces…But I never feel stranger to them; it is rather a certain involuntary, unintentional psychological distance.”In the 1970s, Nunes started to incorporate electronic music into his composition. One example is the 1977-8 work Nachtmusik I (which will be performed at hcmf 2009 by Remix Ensemble), where pairs of pitches in the chamber instruments parallel the ring modulation effect in its electronic element.António Jorge Pacheco is artistic director of Casa da Música, the modern concert venue in Porto, Portugal which is home to Remix Ensemble. “Emmanuel Nunes’s music succeeds in many areas, but one of the most notable has been his use of electronics,” he says. “The role of electronics has been sometimes criticised as superficial in other composers’ output, but Nunes creates works in which electronics are integrated and evidently necessary to the sound picture.”Nunes himself relates his interest back to the influence of Stockhausen: “Following Stockhausen’s teaching in the early sixties, one could hardly ignore the strong impact of electronic music. Works like Gesang der Jünglinge, Kontakte, Telemusik or even Hymnen belong to the greatest electronic works I ever heard. Excepting Berio’s Omaggio a Joyce and Visages, Stockhausen was the only one able to bring electronic music composition up to the same musical requirement as instrumental one.”Later pieces used technology to explore the possibilities of spatialisation, such as Wandlungen, for orchestra and live electronics, which Nunes created at the Experimental Studio Freiburg. He then harnessed the electroacoustic brainpower of Paris’s IRCAM researchers to develop further works in which sound would be free to fly around the concert space.“I started working regularly at IRCAM in 1991. I wanted to develop my conception of spatialisation, which I had already begun and realised for orchestra. In short, the main difference is the possibility to design rhythmically (up to a very high speed) all kinds of sound trajectories and localisations, all kinds of output profiles having as a unique source the instrumental score. Even without any other electronic transformation, such movements do originate a different perception of the score orchestration.” Pacheco pays tribute to the composer’s longstanding influence upon Casa da Música’s contemporary music residents: “Remix Ensemble has been performing the works of Emmanuel Nunes throughout its existence, for nearly ten years. Though it has performed pieces by countless Portuguese composers and of course many others from outside the country, Nunes’s music – its style and its great demands on interpreters – has been a constant form of stimulation to the Ensemble,” he says.In September Remix Ensemble premiered Emmanuel Nunes’s latest work, the musical theatre piece La Douce. Based upon the tragic Dostoevsky short story A Gentle Creature, its score is closely related to five chamber ‘improvisations’ composed by Nunes, including Improvisation IV – L'électricité de la pensée humaine, which will receive its British premiere as part of Quatuor Diotima’s hcmf concert.Although Nunes still lives in Paris, these days he is as welcome in his birth country as elsewhere, with his honours including the Portuguese Order of St James of the Sword in 1991 and the Prémio Pessoa in 2000 in addition to accolades won internationally.According to Pacheco, however, acceptance by the establishment does not necessarily mean that Nunes has lost his hunger for innovation: “Although Nunes is unquestionably the doyen of Portuguese composers, he has not lost the capacity to surprise and even shock,” he says. “He is not afraid to be controversial or unconventional, and to see through his ideas to a logical end. Living outside the country means that his numerous visits for performances and other collaborations are especially savoured.”Emmanuel Nunes events at hcmfNoriko Kawai: Nunes, Thu 26 November Quatuor Diotima, Sat 28 November Remix Ensemble 1, Sat 28 November Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:04:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/88 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/88 Covers admission to all ticketed events on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 NovemberThe full programme for HCMF 2009 will be announced in early September 2009Please note: Weekend 1 Savers are no longer available to buy online. If you would like to purchase a Weekend 1 Saver, please contact the Box Office on 01484 430528 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:08:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/71 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/71 Covers admission to all ticketed events during the Festival and a free Festival Programme BookThe full programme for HCMF 2009 will be announced in early September 2009Please note: Full Festival Savers are no longer available to buy online. If you would like to purchase a Full Festival Saver, please contact the Box Office on 01484 430528 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:57:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/70 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/70 This year hcmf are once again proud to have The Wire as media partner to the festival. Founded in 1982, the independent monthly music magazine has featured many of the artists appearing at hcmf and will be supporting 2009’s events both online and in its pages.Now is also the time to take advantage of The Wire’s subscription offer, with 12 issues available for the price of nine. As well as having the magazine delivered to their letterbox every month, subscribers regularly receive exclusive CD and MP3 compilations that are not available in the shops.Visit the hcmf// hub at Lawrence Batley Theatre to browse recent issues of The Wire. Open daily from 10am throughout the festival, the hcmf// hub is also the place to find food and drink and event information. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:27:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/87 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/87 National Youth Jazz Collective with Les Chisnall (piano)Iain Dixon (saxophone)Percy Pursglove (bass) andAndrew Bain (drums)plus Hi-Notes EnsembleHCMF presents performances showcasing talented youngmusicians from the region. Firstly, Music and the Deaf's Hi-Notes Ensemble perform a new work composed by their members, followed by a set led by National Youth Jazz Collective tutors, devised during a day of intensive workshops with local young musicians.Produced by hcmf// supported by the National Youth Jazz Collective and Marsden Jazz Festival.http://www.nyjc.co.ukhttp://www.myspace.com/nationalyouthjazzcollectivehttp://ww.marsdenjazzfestival.com Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:40:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/107 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/107 Marsden Jazz Festival and hcmf are hosting a National Youth Jazz Collective jazz workshop this November, followed by a fantastic opportunity for participants to perform for members of the public alongside leading jazz musicians at the international Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.Sunday 22 November10.30am – 3.30pmWorkshop day and informal performance, Colne Valley High SchoolTuesday 24 NovemberRehearsal 4pm – 5pm, Performance 6pm – 7pm (free event)hcmf, Bates Mill, Colne Road, HuddersfieldTutors:Les Chisnall (piano)Iain Dixon (saxophone)Percy Pursglove (bass)Andrew Bain (drums)The workshop day includes educational activities for young musicians aged 18 and under led by expert jazz educators. This will include jazz workshops and rehearsals, instrument-specific master classes and jam sessions.During the day participants will work on a series of pieces which they will then perform at two public performances, one an informal performance for friends and family at the end of the workshop day and the other at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival on Tuesday 24 November.The educational activities are open to all local young musicians aged 18 and under. There is a fee of £10 per participant. Each young musician will be placed in appropriate level groups and workshops. The final performances will be free of charge to attend.Limited availability - to book a place please complete the attached booking formNational Youth Jazz Collective site and its MySpace page Marsden Jazz Festival Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:51:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/86 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/86 “A few years ago I heard a story online of somebody’s friend who had just got a cochlear implant, and who was having some trouble because of interference from all these different electromagnetic fields,” Bill Thompson recalls. “I remember thinking it was amazing that here was someone struggling with hearing loss who was hearing a world that people with ‘normal’ hearing can’t. It had opened up another dimension of sound.”As with the genesis of many of the Texan-born sound artist and musician’s other projects, what Thompson read stuck in his mind and buzzed around for some time. Eventually it found a route to the outside world in the form of a commission to create the work which would become Shifting Currents.Armed not with a cochlear implant but with a humble stick-on microphone of the kind that can be used to record telephone conversations, he set about exploring the world of electromagnetism-turned-sound. Like fellow sound artist Christina Kubisch, whose Electrical Walks featured at hcmf 2007, Thompson found that the previously inaudible fields emitted by everyday computers, wiring, shop signs and street furniture were anything but silent, instead emitting a range of sinister hums, intriguing clicks and startling squeals.It’s not the first time that Thompson has unveiled new aspects of sonic perception. Originally trained as a jazz guitarist – a pathway blocked when he developed tendonitis –he went on to teach electronic music and composition at Texas State University, performed and promoted new electroacoustic music and, for the past five years, has combined PhD study in Aberdeen with teaching, improvisatory performances and creating sound works. These include Of Aberdeen (2005), a field recording of an eight-hour walk around the city (“My feet were bleeding by the end”, he says) and resonare/in absentia (2005), the microscopic sounds captured inside display cases of precious artefacts in Aberdeen’s Marischal Museum.He sees Shifting Currents as a step forward from his previous multi-channel sound experiments. “I’ve developed a certain way of using sound with multiple players so that the sounds are able to blend with each other. I treat the sounds in really specific but super-minimal ways that you wouldn’t be able to hear, but so that when a sound plays with another track, a certain effect will come out. But I’ve never played against that; this is the first time I’ve tried to bridge the gap between me as a solo performer and me as an installation artist,” he explains.Commissioned by a partnership of hcmf, Stirling’s Le Weekend and Aberdeen’s sound festival, Shifting Currents offered Thompson the opportunity to explore the varying electromagnetic landscapes of each festival’s location. In Huddersfield, he found the university to be a rich source of material.“The elevators in Huddersfield University are absolutely stunning to record,” he says. “In the engineering department they were quite accommodating. They let me crawl behind a lot of machines.” As might be expected from the nerve centre of a leading contemporary music festival, hcmf’s own office didn’t disappoint: “There’s a printer there which is incredible. I think the staff were pretty impressed that there was so much weird sound going on next to them. Or maybe they were just smiling to humour me.” In Aberdeen, Thompson recorded electromagnetism in both the university and around the city centre. “Sometimes I would just carry the mic and go for a walk and not even listen, just capture all the fields as I was walking up and down the street.”Stirling’s historic Church of the Holy Rude received the Thompson investigation, as did the Tolbooth arts centre. “I explored the Tolbooth from top to bottom, everything from flashlights to the sprinkler system, computer screens…”“They have a room which has all the breakers and circuits for the whole building, which was absolutely stunning. The thing about the mics is that where you position your hand and how it shifts as you’re breathing in totally affects the sound. As you turn it you get higher frequencies; if you get close you tend to get the darker, lower frequencies.” He adds, “There was one sound I found that I just want to release as a field recording track. It’s just six minutes of this red box fire alarm which is just lovely by itself. It evolves naturally and has its own structure and is just really beautiful to listen to.” He later paid an additional recording visit to the Dutch city of ’s-Hertogenbosch, home to the November Music festival, where Shifting Currents is also being performed.The recordings are only half the story, however. As a performance, Shifting Currents is a collaboration between the captured sound material on one hand and Thompson and celebrated improvising musicians Keith Rowe and Rick Reed on the other. “I really like those guys and it’s a pleasure to work with them,” says Thompson. “We could have just done an improv gig, and that would have been fine, but with this installation moving around us it’s almost like a fourth player that has its own will.”Randomly selected extracts from the recordings will play through six loudspeakers that are shared by the musicians. “Rick won’t know if it’s the installation playing, or Keith, or me. It’s not so much about responding to another player, as working with these delicate sounds, reacting to the space and the sound and not a gesture-based jazz approach.”Reed and Rowe are longstanding friends of Thompson and he believes they have the required approach. “They’re so tasteful, that’s the thing. When you have a lot of electronics, you don’t often find people who will play less, rather than more. They’re so restrained and delicate: they know when to put on the gas and they know when to pull back.”With around 100 tracks available, the recorded component can have an entirely different character for each performance: “The one at Le Weekend was a really minimal set because the players threw up lots of quiet tracks. Huddersfield might pull out a much more dominant soundworld. You would never browbeat another musician by telling them they’re playing too loudly, and you definitely can’t do that with the installation.”The audience will be sat in the round between the speakers, leading to a subtly different experience for every listener. “A lot of the sounds make use of standing waves. These set up narrow beams, so that if you turn your head one way you’ll hear it, and if you shift position you won’t hear that frequency. There can be some quite unique spaces in it. I’m going to be nerdy here, but it’s bringing people’s attention to their own subjectivity.”To Rowe’s kit of pared-down guitar and tabletop electronics and Reed’s synthesiser and effects pedals, Thompson brings his laptop “with a year’s worth of sound files” and what he describes as “some weird, eccentric synthesisers. One is called a Dave Smith Evolver, it has a genetic algorithm in there that can produce completely random patches that sound like broken electronics. I’ll often generate 120 of those before a gig and pick a few to use.” A dab hand at circuit bending – creating customised instruments out of scrap electronics and old toys – he also has a further method for finding new sounds: “I built a device that’s an old keyboard with just one big red button, and every time you press it, you get a new sound. You can never predict it and you can never recreate it.”Thompson’s view of such an untameable instrument as more opportunity than annoyance echoes his infectious enthusiasm for the intangible, every-changing realms of the electromagnetic. “What I love about it is that you wouldn’t hear all those sounds without this little device, the telephone mic, but then a whole universe of sounds opens up,” he reflects. “We’re surrounded by this stuff, all the time. The world has changed. You can’t find these sounds in a forest or the desert. It’s just a sign of what we’re become. I like that.”Bill Thompson’s websiteClick here for details of the hcmf 2009 performance of Shifting Currents Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:38:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/85 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/85 Born in Adelaide, composer Matthew Shlomowitz currently lectures at the Royal College of Music and Syracuse University London Programme, is co-director of Plus-Minus ensemble and was a co-founder of arts organisation Rational Rec. His newest work, Theme Street Parade, was commissioned by the BBC for French string quartet Quatuor Diotima and receives its world premiere at hcmf on Saturday 28 November.Shlomowitz prefers not to write programme notes for his works; instead he spoke to hcmf, revealing his thoughts about the creation of Theme Street Parade:“I have to say that I don’t give programme notes, because I’m not very good at writing them, and I generally don’t enjoy reading other people’s either. It’s a very modernist, 20th-century thing to write programme notes. People didn’t do it before, and they don’t do it in other forms of music. I definitely want the piece to live by the music, that’s for sure.“Theme Street Parade is a continuation of the pieces I’ve been writing for the last couple of years. The basic premise is a formalistic treatment of vernacular materials. In other words, taking very familiar musical themes and doing unexpected things with them. The piece doesn’t have this in it, but imagine hearing calypso music, and you think you understood what this music was and the stylistic place that you were in, the kind of things that were going to happen, but then very different things happened to it. It’s that pulling-the-rug-out thing that I’m interested in.“There’s also the idea of putting things in patterns and sequences: taking something very humanistic, that has very clear cultural or personal associations, that might even be emotive, but putting it in an alien context, where it’s about a bunch of things in a pattern.“If you take a lot of repetitive music, like Philip Glass, it’s quite neutral, with arpeggios and stuff. I’m much more interested in taking a gesture from Brian Ferneyhough [who supervised Shlomowitz’s PhD at Stanford University], whose music is never ever repetitive, and making it repeat in the way Philip Glass would treat it. It’s almost the way that Brian would analyse musical material, but I apply it to the wrong things.“Quatuor Diotima have this going-for-it quality, a super energy that suits me really well. They were superb to work with. Some musicians, if the composer doesn’t know exactly what they want, they think the composer’s unprofessional. But I think performers should have a bit more respect for their own creativity. They were really open to discussing things that I hadn’t finished, and had many ideas. After we had worked through the quartet one day, the next was a really fun, creative day where we experimented and made changes. For me, that was the nicest thing about the whole experience, that they were open to that kind of relationship.”Matthew Shlomowitz’s websiteBuy tickets for Theme Street Parade performed by Quatuor Diotima Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:52:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/84 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/84 hcmf Festival Director Graham McKenzie reflects upon this year’s diverse programme, packed with events both celebrating leading figures and highlighting emerging talents in contemporary music. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:48:52 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/27 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/27 Funding has been secured by hcmf to launch a new adult learning project based around playing piano. With money from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Transformation Fund, a multi-strand programme of workshops, music-making and online resources has been created to tie in with the hcmf 2009 performance of Kristoffer Zegers’ Piano Phasing. Partners for the project are Kirklees Council Adult Learning and Skills Team, Hoot and the University of Huddersfield.The project is aimed at both adults who have learnt a musical instrument in the past but have stopped playing, and those who would like to learn but have not had the opportunity, particularly those in areas of social and economic deprivation. The first two strands launch this month and are weekly beginners’ piano workshops and monthly keyboard surgeries for lapsed players. The beginners’ workshops will focus on both piano technique and the creation of original music, culminating in a public performance in March 2010. At the evening keyboard surgeries, University of Huddersfield staff will provide tailored teaching to each player. It is hoped that the sessions will be a starting point for participants to form their own informal groups of piano learners.In addition, learners from both groups will be invited to become some of the 50 pianists who will perform Piano Phasing on 25 massed pianos at hcmf 2009. The project’s online element will feature a series of learning resources that will not only support people taking part in the workshops and surgeries, but also remote learners wishing to play in the Piano Phasing performance. The web material will include multimedia demonstrations by both tutors and learners; podcast interviews with composers and pianists; exercises and games; downloadable parts for Piano Phasing and information and links about new music for piano. These resources will available online from the hcmf website at the start of November. The final part of the project will be the Keyboard Choreography Collection, a week-long music and dance project for both adults and children, led by Hugh Nankivell and scheduled for February 2010.For more information about the project or if you would like to take part in the performance of Piano Phasing, please contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or click here to email. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:42:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/83 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/83 The hcmf 2009 curriculum guidance document is now available, containing information about relevant and accessible performances at the UK's largest international festival of new and experimental music.Once again hcmf brings you some of the most exciting international performers and composers in contemporary music today. This year’s composer in residence is Jonathan Harvey - one of the most successful and enduring composers to come out of the UK.Other highlights include performances in honour of Louis Andriessen’s 70th Birthday, a major new vocal work by Alvin Curran for young people and Huddersfield Choral Society and a re-working of the thrilling Brothers Grimm tale Rumpelstiltskin by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.  Many of this year's performances feature music relevant to GCSE, AS / A2 Level and BTEC syllabi, and the curriculum guidance document highlights links to specific areas of study. School and college groups can benefit from our discounted ticket offers: Groups of 5 or more receive 10% discount and groups of 10 or more receive 20% discount.This year we are also offering several free events, as well as a packed programme of talks and films with composers featured at this year’s festival. If you’d like a free copy of the hcmf curriculum guidance document or would like to discuss bringing a group to the Festival, please contact Heidi Johnson or call 01484 471116. Tickets can be ordered from the Box Office by calling 01484 430528. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/82 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/82 The hcmf Vocalise resource pack is now available for music leaders to download free of charge. The pack, written by Kate Pearson, explores the enormous range of possibilities offered by working with the voices and contains a wealth of ideas to try. Aimed at music leaders working with Year groups 6 - 13, the pack is divided into three sections:• word play – the musical treatment of spoken narratives and words• sound play – using the voice to make a variety of wordless sounds• song play – concentrating on sounds which are traditionally sungEach section is further divided into a series of ‘explorations’ that build skills, imagination, and awareness of the enormous possibilities offered by working with the voice. The pack also contains listening suggestions of details of performances at hcmf 2009 which feature the voice.Supported by Youth Music Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/80 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/80 This autumn hcmf launches a range of piano-related activities aimed at any adult who would like to learn to play keyboards. First-time learners can take part in weekly workshops, with monthly piano surgeries on offer to revive the ivory-tinkling skills of lapsed players. The sessions are free of charge and help with transport costs is available to people of limited means, so if you have ever wanted to learn piano but didn’t think you could afford lessons, then now’s your chance. The activities are linked to the hcmf 2009 performance of Piano Phasing, a piece by Dutch composer Kristoffer Zegers which will see 50 pianists and 25 pianos take the stage simultaneously in November. Some learners at the weekly and monthly sessions will also have the opportunity to take part in the festival performanceHeidi Johnson, Education and Outreach Officer for hcmf, says, “This is a fantastic opportunity for adults to gain new skills in playing an instrument, whether they've never had the opportunity before, are looking for ways to get back into playing, or are simply seeking new and exciting performance opportunities.”Running as part of hcmf’s Learning & Participation programme, the project has been made possible by the Transformation Fund, launched by the Government to offer funding for innovative informal adult learning projects in England. This brings to life The Learning Revolution, a White Paper presented to Parliament in March 2009. The partners are Kirklees Council Adult Learning and Skills Team, Hoot and the University of Huddersfield.In addition, November will see the launch of online learning resources that can be used either to complement the workshops or for independent study. The final strand to be introduced will be the Keyboard Choreography Collection, a week-long music and dance project for adults and children led by Hugh Nankivell, which is scheduled for February 2010.The weekly Creative Keyboard Workshops start on Thursday 29 October and will be led by Julian Coburn-Hough. They run from 6pm to 8pm at the Out of the Blue Creative Space, Hoot, Bates Mill, Milford Street, Huddersfield, HD1 3DX. Learners are welcome to join at any time.The monthly Piano Surgeries take place in the Creative Arts Building, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH and are led by the University of Huddersfield’s Pianist-in-Residence, Jonathan Fisher. If you’re interested in attending, then make a 30-minute appointment for between 5pm and 8pm on one of the following dates:Monday 26 OctoberMonday 16 NovemberMonday 14 December Monday 18 JanuaryMonday 15 FebruaryThursday 11 MarchTo sign up for the workshops or if you would like to take part in the performance of Piano Phasing, please contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or by email. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/79 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/79 Are you the next Four Tet, Mira Calix or Flying Lotus? Or maybe you use a laptop to create a completely different kind of music? If so, then don’t miss the chance to become part of Laptop Revolutionaries, hcmf’s showcase for new work, new talent and new thinking.Working in partnership with The Media Centre, Huddersfield, hcmf is looking for laptop-based musicians aged 16-25 and living in Kirklees who can perform short sets at this year’s festival. The Laptop Revolutions showcase takes place at 8pm on Wednesday 18 November at Café Ollo, The Media Centre, Northumberland Street, Huddersfield. Entry is £2 on the door.To apply, just send a proposal for a 10-minute set, some original audio material and a photo of you performing to:Laptop RevolutionsHCMFRoom TC/09University of HuddersfieldHuddersfieldHD1 3DH The deadline for proposals is Monday 19 October. Please include your name, address, telephone number and email. For further information contact HCMF on 01484 471116 or email h.johnson@hud.ac.ukListen to our Laptop Revolutionaries Spotify playlist Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:39:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/78 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/78 text here Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:57:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/75 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/75 David Sawer Rumpelstiltskin: A grotesque fable for our times Birming ham Contemporary Music GroupMartyn Brabbins conductorThe thrilling Brothers Grimm tale of greed and come-uppance, with its age-old themes of transformation, ritual and revelation, told as you've never heard it before through dance, action and music alone.This world premiere tour of Rumpelstiltskin is created by the internationally renowned David Sawer (composer), Richard Jones (director) and Stewart Laing (designer) and performed by 6 dancers and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, conducted by Martyn Brabbins.Produced by hcmf// in association with BCMG and Tramway Glasgow; commissioned through BCMG's Sound Investment Scheme; supported by The National Lottery through Arts Council England, Britten-Pears Foundation, John Feeney Charitable Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust, PRS Foundation - Scottish Arts Council - Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Joint Commissioning Scheme, RVW Trust and Ernst Von Siemens Musikstiftung; also supported by British CouncilSally Marie has sadly had to withdraw from the role of Rumpelstiltskin at short notice. We are very grateful to Sarah Fahie for taking over the role for the Birmingham performances, and to Lucy Burge for the performances in Glasgow and Huddersfield.Please note: Tickets for this performance have now sold out Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:35:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/84 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/84 Anthony Braxton Composition No 50 (UK Premiere)Frank Gratkowski new work (hcmf commission) (World Premiere)Christian Wolff ExercisesAnthony Braxton Composition No 322 (+139) (UK Premiere)Apartment House + Frank GratkowskiThe Braxton Project (World Premiere)ELISON + John ButcherApartment House restructure their inner- (sub)conscious hypothetical space, with a new sounding throughthe work of Anthony Braxton, Christian Wolff and sax/clarinet musicomposer-(re)performer Frank Gratkowski.Presenting highly structured, yet liberated, sub-contexualised musings and sonica, through the quatro-voicings of guitar, piano, cello, sax/bass clarinet including a newly commissioned work by Gratkowski.ELISION performs interpretations and composed responses to the work of Anthony Braxton. Curated by saxophonist and composer Timothy O'Dwyer, this extended piece explores scores for small and large ensembles from the past 4 decades of the Braxton canon, interspersed with compositions and improvisations by the Elision Ensemble, inspired by the organisational concepts of Braxton's recent large group compositions - particularly that of 9 Compositions (Iridium).Produced by hcmf// Frank Gratkowski's new work is co-commissioned by hcmf and November Music; supported by British Council  Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/85 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/85 Kristoffer Zegers Piano Phasing (UK Premiere) Piano Phasing is based on a vision of the work's composer, Kristoffer Zegers. As a child, Zegers was fascinated by the rhythmic phases of church-bells, which never ring in time. When he began to compose, he noticed that even pieces of music with minimal rhythmical differences are sometimes subject to these phases. It is this ‘weakness' (which often appears just by playing) that is the strongest element of Piano Phasing, making rhythmical variations possible despite the piece being fully composed and notated. 50 pianists and 25 pianos come together in this exciting large-scale performance.Produced by hcmf// supported by Muziek Centrum Nederland, NFPK+ and Besbrode Pianos Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/88 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/88 These short performances provide up and coming musicians and ensembles with a valuable platform to perform at the UK's leading new music festival. The series takes place on one intensive day of activity, and is accompanied by a marketplace where emerging artists can meet industry representatives to find out about exciting opportunities available to them. LBT 1pmCR:ACC EnsembleChristian Wolff BurdocksChristian Wolff's seminal work, Burdocks, will be performed by a new and exciting improvising group from Glasgow. Burdocks was first performed in August 1971, and consists of ten sections. Whilst it is the most performed of his indeterminate scores, Wolff's output is rarely heard today. Phipps Hall 1.40pmJonathan Sage clarinetRichard Glover Bi-linear Steve Reich New York CounterpointMimimal and MinimalistNew York Counterpoint is written for 11 clarinet parts, with the performer pre-recording and multi-tracking the 10 accompanying parts and then playing the solo part over the top. Richard Glover's Bi-linear on the other hand, although not minimalist, is a piece with minimal pitch and rhythm content. CAB Room CAA 2/01 2.30pmG. Douglas Barrett A Few SilenceA Few Silence is a piece in which the very site of performance becomes the subject of documentation. In it performer create ‘live' written transcriptions of the sounds of their surroundings and then perform their respective scores using various instruments and objects. Whether it is performed in a gallery, concert hall or urban setting, I regard the piece as the following-through of an experimental process set up to observe the space of performance through sound. Phipps Hall 3pmRichard Uttley pianoJoe Cutler Clavinova Music Thomas Adès Traced Overhead, op.15 Chris Willis Burning UpThree recent British works centring on various manifestations of ecstasy. Phipps Hall 3.40pmIgnacio Agrimbau Anatomy of the SelfAnatomy of the Self is the name given to a performance / recording project based around the electronic elaboration and manipulation of originally acoustic material, which is usually half-improvised. The pieces presented here, Anatomy of the Self II and III, is based on Oud and Ma-Wu performances with added drums. CAB Atrium 4.20pmWorkers Union EnsembleDavid Ibbett new workOur collaboration focuses on the enlargement, refinement, re-organisation and intensification of the ensemble's sound via electronics. Through juxtapositions and dialogues between the instruments and their recorded selves, an extended timbral palette is created with increased scope, technique and texture - creating a world which is rich yet unified. Produced by hcmf// Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/87 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/87 Michael Pisaro pi (1-2594)Philip Thomas pianoMichael Pisaro's pi (1-2594), composed in 1998, is a collection of pieces for one piano, each setting a certain number of decimal places of the constant pi (π, or Archimedes constant). Each day a piece or pieces will be chosen for performance using chance methods, resulting in a performance which will last anywhere between five minutes and one hour.Produced by hcmf// Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/86 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/86 Ben Isaacs new work (world premiere)Jenny Jackson new work (world premiere)Lauren Redhead the empiricist view (world premiere)Dimitris Maronidis Anamorphosis (world premiere) Nieuw Ensemble Bas Wiegers conductorJoël Bons artistic directorFour world premieres from the region's most exciting emerging composers mark the culmination of the first year of the hcmf & Nieuw Ensemble Composers' Professional Development Programme.Earlier this year, Ben Isaacs, Jenny Jackson, Dimitris Maronidis and Lauren Redhead participated in a series of workshops in Amsterdam, where they had the opportunity to try out new ideas with the ensemble and receive advice and guidance from the tutors.Produced by hcmf// supported by Muziek Centrum Nederland, NFPK+ and Musicians Benevolent FundOpen rehearsalYou can drop in to hear the Nieuw Ensemble rehearsing the first works from the hcmf & Nieuw Ensemble Compsers' Professional Development Programme on Sunday 22 November, St Paul's Hall, 7pm-10pm Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/89 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/89 Sam Hayden Actio (UK Premiere)blablabor Hirsch hirn hornisse (UK Premiere) canto battutoChristoph Brunner percussionEva Nievergelt voiceAt the core of le grain de la voix there are immediate physical expressions. It is not the distinctiveness of the message that is the aim, but the conjuction of body and language in a ‘stereophony of sensuousness' (Roland Barthes).In Sam Hayden's Actio this is achieved not only by repeatedly scanning the underlying text but also by intensifying the vocal and instrumental sounds that are being recorded from close-by. The term ‘sounding material' is hence taken quite literally.Questions and statements in four languages serve as a starting point in the performance-like work of the explorative radio duo blablabor.The singer and percussionist distil melodies and rhythms from spoken language. Semantics is temporarily interrupted in order to achieve a topography of language with canyons, plains, mountains and valleys.Produced by hcmf// commissioned by canto battuto; supported by British CouncilPlease note: tickets for this performance have now sold out  Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/83 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/83 Enno Poppe / Wolfgang Heiniger Tiere sitzen nicht (UK Premiere)musikFabrikDeveloped over almost a year, Tiere sitzen nicht (animals don't sit) is a co-production of the work of composers Enno Poppe and Wolfgang Heiniger and the ensemble musikFabrik.Both the musicians and the composers were led by the idea of creating an artistic process which lacks a single directing authority and is instead influenced by the sounds and movements of the musicians themselves, using a computer program developed especially for this work to enable the participants to bring forth their own ideas. Produced by hcmf// Enno Poppe's attendance is supported by Goethe-Institut Manchester// musikFabrik supported by The German Federal Foreign Office  Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/106 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/106 Alvin Curran OH MAN OH MANKIND OH YEAH A Community Sing (hcmf commission) (World Premiere) hcmf// vocaliseHuddersfield Choral SocietyInstrumentalists from The University of HuddersfieldOH MAN OH MANKIND OH YEAH is a contemporary community-sing for over one hundred voices of the Huddersfield Choral Society, hcmf// vocalise, a singing ram's horn and an instrumental ensemble of six players and four bass drums.This work is about singing, transforming ponderous mass into weightless matter, singing invisibly together, singing in reckless conflict and sweet harmony, singing with you...so join in at the end if you like!hcmf// vocalise was formed earlier in 2009 as part of an initiative for young people in North Kirklees to create and explore new vocal music. Produced by hcmf// supported by Youth Music Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/105 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/105 Frederic Rzewski Nanosonatas Books III - VIFrederic Rzewski pianoAmerican composer and virtuoso pianist Frederic Rzewski performs his own music in a rare and special performance at HCMF.'The basic idea of a nanosonata is a form in which different elements come together as they do in a sonata, but do not develop. Instead of developing, they are left hanging, something like the characters that frequently appear in Tolstoy, who are described in a few words in a way that makes it clear that a whole book could be written about them, but isn't. A nanosonata should seem too short.' Frederic Rzewski Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/104 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/104 Alvin CurranFredric RzewskiRichard TeitelbaumSpanning continents, styles, high and low technologies and around for four decades, Musica Elettronica Viva occupies a unique place in contemporary music.Founded in Rome in 1966 to play avant-garde composition, the group evolved into an improvising ensemble deploying sophisticated synthesiser technology alongside tin cans and panes of glass, leaving no potential sound-source unexplored.Recent collaborations with veteran British improvisers AMM and festival appearances by members Alvin Curran, Frederic Rzewski and Richard Teitelbaum attest to the durability of MEV's generous aesthetic.Produced by hcmf// Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/102 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/102 Anthony Braxton The Trip (UK Premiere) Geneviève Foccroulle piano"The composition Trip is a composite interpretation of all of the notated piano music compositions. This is a ‘Trip' into the notated domain of the music system..."Anthony Braxton "The process of creativity is so interesting for the pianist - having to choose extracts from pieces, make decisions about form, the order of the different parts, and realise a new interpretation - changing for each concert. As a pianist-performer-improviser, playing precise notated scores with creative perspective at the same time is maybe the most exciting thing in Anthony's piano music!" Geneviève FoccroulleProduced by hcmf//Please note: only a few tickets are left for this performance - please book now to avoid disappointment  Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/82 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/82 Roger Redgate Concerto for Improvising Soloist and 2 Ensembles (hcmf commission) (World Premiere)David Gorton Schmetterlingsspiel (World Premiere)Paul Archbold new work (World Premiere)Ensemble ExposéChristopher Redgate oboeRoger Redgate artistic director Writing at the cutting edge of the performable, the composers Roger Redgate, Paul Archbold and David Gorton have created works that explore instrumental techniques, challenge traditional chamber music boundaries and rethink relationships between soloist and ensemble, improvisation and notation, and the relationships between electronics and acoustic instruments. Redgate's work is for improvising soloist and two ensembles (one instrumental and the other laptops, turntables and VJ). Gorton's Schmetterlingsspiel describes a chaotic relationship between the solo oboe and the ensemble. Archbold's work for oboe, ensemble and electronics (laptop and keyboard) will explore the oboe's multi-phonic potential which is, in turn, developed by the ensemble.Co-produced by hcmf// and sound and music; Concerto for Improvising Soloist and 2 Ensembles is commissioned by hcmf// with funds from the Britten-Pears Foundation; supported by British Council; part of sound and music's Cutting Edge Tour Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/81 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/81 Michel van der Aa Transit (World Premiere)Atau Tanaka new work for pianist and sensors (World Premiere)Pierre Alexandre Tremblay Un clou, son marteau, et le bétonSarah Nicolls piano Sarah Nicolls aims to embed instinctive performance into technology. Her most recent collaboration with Atau Tanaka sees the hands and arms in a fluid relationship with the piano, teasing out sound from the space around - as well as inside - the instrument. Tremblay brings the sonic focus right to the instrument by using a tight-knit array of speakers, creating drama in both improvised and vocal passages and Michael van der Aa's Transit sets the pianist as live component in a poignant film about loneliness.Please note: seated capacity for this performance is limited, up to 30 spaces may be standing Please note: strobe lighting will be used in this performance Produced by hcmf// supported by Muziek Centrum Nederland and NFPK+; also supported by British CouncilPlease note: tickets for this performance have now sold out  Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/80 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/80 Anthony Braxton Composition No 1 (UK Premiere)Anthony Braxton Composition No 2 (UK Premiere)Anthony Braxton Composition No 3 (UK Premiere) Geneviève Foccroulle pianoGeneviève Foccroulle performs three contrasting works for solo piano by Anthony Braxton. Composition No 1 is inspired by the post-Schoenberg European avant-garde. Composition No 10 is a graphically scored piece consisting of 68 pictures that allow the performer to make improvised decisions not only about which pictures they will play, but also about key, rhythm, harmony and duration. Composition No 32 creates chords that are sustained throughout the piece.Produced by hcmf// Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/79 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/79 Launch EventSt Thomas' Church4pm Open daily throughout the Festival 2pm-6pmNearly thirty years after its realisation, Jonathan Harvey's electronic tape piece Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco remains one of the most fascinating adventures in electro-acoustics and one of the composer's best pieces. At the invitation of the 2008 Gaida Festival (Vilnius), guest curator Lieven Bertels and the video collective Visual Kitchen (Brussels) devised a video installation to complement this piece and to invite listeners to engage with the ‘surround sound' nature of the piece more actively. The audience is invited to become part of an enchanting sequence of abstract video tableaus projected on a square surface on the floor.Produced by hcmf// commissioned by Gaida Festival; supported by Réseau Varèse; also supported by British Council Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/78 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/78 Launch EventHuddersfield Art Gallery2.30pmRuns until Saturday 9 January 2010Open daily throughout the Festival; otherwise closed Sundays and Bank HolidaysMonday - Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday10am - 4pm This exhibition brings together recent work by Tim Head exploring the contrary nature of the digital medium, its elusive material substance and its unsettled relationship with both ourselves and with the physical world. The exhibition includes recent digital work alongside a selection of drawings and an outside projection on the Library and Art Gallery building. The exhibition is curated by Sotiris Kyriacou with the support of Sarah Brown and Robert Hall, Huddersfield Art Gallery, in collaboration with Kettles Yard, Cambridge and funded by Arts Council, England and the Henry Moore Foundation.   Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/76 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/76 Bill Thompson Shifting Currents (hcmf commission) Bill Thompson electronicsRick Reed electronicsKeith Rowe guitar / electronicsDevised in collaboration with Le Weekend in Stirling and sound in Aberdeen, this new commission looks at the very idea of place as part of its starting concept. Bates Mill in Huddersfield, the Church of the Holy Rude in Stirling and the Fraserborough Lighthouse share nothing in common except possibly their uniqueness. Bill Thompson has taken field recordings from each location and has built a sound world, which will create the backbone for the three musicians to explore the shifting sonic environment.Produced my hcmf// co-commissioned by hcmf, Le Weekend and sound; supported by PRS Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Scottish Arts Council Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/90 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/90 Liza Lim weaver-of-fictions (UK Premiere)Brett Dean & Bob Scott Miss Genevieve's Nocturne (European Premiere)John Rodgers The Grey Thrush (European Premiere)Damian Barbeler Confession 2 (European Premiere)John Rodgers The Magpie (European Premiere)Steve 'Stelios' Adam et dogn (European Premiere)John Surman In the Distance (European Premiere)Fausto Romitelli SeascapeJohn Rodgers Jackie Winter and friends (European Premiere)John Rodgers Little Brown Honeyeater (European Premiere)Liza Lim the long forgetting (UK Premiere) Genevieve Lacey recorderThis programme is born of a recording project, which was half a decade in the making. Titled weaver-of-fictions, it takes its name from a haunting solo by Liza Lim, prelude to her opera The Navigator. We finish with another solo from the same opera, and in between the journey takes us via Australian bird miniatures from John Rodgers, to electro-acoustic works by Brett Dean, Bob Scott, Steve Adam and Damian Barbeler, and another solo for the beautifully expressive Ganassi recorder, by UK jazz cult figure, John Surman. The programme also includes a single contemporary recorder classic, Romitelli's Seascape (1994), for amplified contrabass. Apart from this, all the works were written for Genevieve Lacey.Produced by hcmf// Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/91 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/91 Joseph Kudirka fidelity (World Premiere)Christian Wolff Small Preludes 1-5 (World Premiere)Larry Polansky tooaytoods 1-4 (UK Premiere)Douglas Barrett Derivation IIIa (UK Premiere)Larry Polansky tooaytoods 5-8 (UK Premiere)Christian Wolff Small Preludes 6-10 (World Premiere)Craig Shephard Weehawken (World Premiere)Travis Just and I am not being frivlous now, either. (World Premiere)Douglas Barrett Derivation IIIb (UK Premiere) Christian Wolff Small Preludes 11-15 (World Premiere)Michael Winter A chance happening...(UK Premiere)Douglas Barrett Derivation IIIc (UK Premiere)Christian Wolff Small Preludes 16-20 (World Premiere)Larry Polansky tooaytoods 9-11,14a, 14b (UK Premiere)Michael Pisaro fields have ears (UK Premiere)Philip Thomas pianoMonty Adkins electronics This programme of American music introduces a number of emerging young experimentalists to the UK alongside recent pieces by three key figures whose influence upon experimental music in the USA is undisputed. Christian Wolff, Larry Polansky and Michael Pisaro, as well as being utterly original composers, are well known as teachers, performers, publishers (Polansky's Frog Peak Publications is a treasure-trove of American music) and advocates of the experimental tradition. Produced by hcmf// Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/92 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/92 Thomas Wenk Taurus CT-600 (UK Premiere)Benjamin Lang ABDucensparese (UK Premiere)Johannes Kreidler Klavierstück 5 (UK Premiere)Michael Maierhof splitting 28.1 (UK Premiere)Enno Poppe Arbeit (UK Premiere) Sebastian Berweck piano, cassette recorders, keyboardsHow to escape the romantic piano? Five young composers from Germany give five radical and radically different answers by (mis)using the piano and other veritable instruments. So let's go inside the piano, turn the volume up and use a pianist's skills to extend the piano and its great heritage into our time. Because it's about time. Produced by hcmf// in association with The University of Huddersfield Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/94 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/94 Jexper Holmen Lullabies (World Premiere)Jexper Holmen Eris (World Premiere)Jexper Holmen Oort Cloud (World Premiere) Frode Haltli accordionFrode Andersen accordionTorben Snekkestad soprano saxophoneJexper Holmen accordionEjnar Kanding sound engineerFrode Haltli, Torben Snekkestad, Frode Andersen and Enjar Kanding perform the premieres of three pieces for accordions, saxophone and electronics by Danish composer Jexper Holmen.‘Lullabies explores the unspoken ghastliness of the lullaby. Eris is named after the ancient Greek goddess of strife. Oort is a 40-minute sphere of sound, inspired by the cloud of comets believed to surround the solar system a light-year away. The music is extremely slow and relentless, not unlike a cosmic disaster' Jexper HolmenProduced by hcmf// supported by SNYK and the Danish Composers' Society Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/101 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/101 Rolf Hind A jasmine petal, a single hair, seven mattresses, a pea (UK Premiere)Hans Thomalla Piano counterpart (UK Premiere)Mauro Lanza PredellinoLiza Lim The Four Seasons (after Cy Twombly), 2009 (UK Premiere) Rolf Hind piano‘New pieces from Italy, Germany, Australia and the UK, all trying to make sense of the piano's place in the repertoire. Liza Lim's first piece for piano is a major work, typically thoughtful, energetic and beautiful. My own piece is a kind of fairytale and the first overtly virtuosic thing I've ever written for the piano. In Thomalla's piece the piano and its repertoire is deconstructed and the instrument becomes, literally and figuratively, an echo chamber, while Mauro Lanza's piece is fast, funny and hurtles relentlessly to a brutal conclusion.' Rolf HindProduced by hcmf// Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/100 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/100 Seung-Ah Oh Words and Beyond: Hwang Jin-Yi (UK Premiere) Slagwerkgroep Den HaagMagriet van Riesen voiceKenzo Kusuda dancerWords and Beyond: Hwang Jin-Yi is inspired by the life and poems of a very notable courtesan from ancient Korea. A lower class woman, Hwang Jin-Yi worked her way into the world of aristocracy, literature and politics, developing into an enlightened thinker whose fame still appeals in 21st-century. A singer, a dancer and four percussionists express Hwang Jin-Yi's transition, her inner conflict and feelings of despair. The performers act as slowly moving sculptures in a set that is designed as an art installation, with the audience surrounding them.‘Intriguing Asian atmosphere and emotions very much in control' VolkskrantProduced by hcmf// supported by Music Centre the Netherlands and NFPK+ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/99 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/99 Timothy McCormack Disfix (UK Premiere)Bryn Harrison new work (World Premiere)Liza Lim Invisibility (World Premiere)Einar Torfi Einarsson new work (World Premiere)Aaron Cassidy Because they mark the zone where the force is in the process of striking (or Second Study for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (World Premiere)Aaron Cassidy What then renders these forces visible is a strange smile (or First Study for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion) (UK Premiere) ELISIONA programme of premieres conducted by Manuel Nawri exploring the physicality of sound: the choreography of action and timbre pushing the limits of instrumental possibility, sometimes violently, sometimes gently, but often with unpredictable or unstable sonic outcomes. New works from Liza Lim, Aaron Cassidy, Bryn Harrison, Timothy McCormack and Einar Torfi Einarsson.Produced by hcmf// in association with The University of Huddersfield Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/98 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/98 A-level students and primary school pupils perform a series of pieces inspired by digital artist Tim Head's work, following a series of workshops with sonic artists Duncan Chapman, including explorations of twitching speakers and tiny fragments of sound! Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/97 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/97 Igor Stravinsky Fanfare for a New TheatreIgor Stravinsky (arr. Igor Stravinsky) Agon Louis Andriessen A very sharp trumpet sonataLouis Andriessen A very sad trumpet sonataLouis Andriessen (arr. The Piano Duo) De StaatLouis Andriessen Hoketus Louis Andriessen (arr. James Poke) Velocity (De Snelheid)Louis Andriessen The Hague Hacking Scrap The Piano DuoGerard Bouwhuis pianoCees van Zeeland pianoIcebreakerThe evening Andriessen event brings in his old friend Stravinsky followed by some groundbreaking pieces from the 70s and 80s. De Staat will be performed in the exciting two-piano version by two former members of the group Hoketus, Gerard Bouwhuis and Cees van Zeeland, who will also join Icebreaker in a performance of the piece Hoketus. Icebreaker will return to the origins of the group with James Poke's arrangement of Velocity. Produced by hcmf// supported by Muziek Centrum Nederland and NFPK+ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/96 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/96 Louis Andriessen Passeggiata (trio version) (UK Premiere)Louis Andriessen TrepidusLouis Andriessen Image de MoreauLouis Andriessen Bells for HaarlemLouis Andriessen XENIALouis Andriessen Double Track Louis Andriessen Letter from CathyLouis Andriessen Le voile du bonheurLouis Andriessen Y DespuesJay Allan Yim Driving School (World Premiere)Johann Sebastian Bach trio sonata ‘Hadewijch' slow part Martijn Padding MordantsJulia Wolfe Hope and Trust (UK Premiere) Louis AndriessenCristina Zavalloni voiceMonica Germino violinGerard Bouwhuis pianoHeleen Hulst violinErnestine Stoop harpmembers of Icebreaker In June 2009, Louis Andriessen had his 70th birthday. hcmf has invited some of his best friends to present his work in two concerts, with some birthday presents included. The afternoon brings some diamonds from his lesser-known small-scale work, featuring Ensemble Nieuw Amsterdams Peil (NAP), pianist Gerard Bouwhuis, violinist Heleen Hulst and the two soloists for whom Andriessen has written many works in the last decade: singer Cristina Zavalloni and violinist Monica Germino. And, not to forget: Andriessen himself.Produced by hcmf// supported by Muziek Centrum Nederland and NFPK+ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/95 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/95 Luca Francesconi A fuoco (UK Premiere)Gérard Pesson Récréations françaises (UK Premiere)Stefano Bellon En roscas de cristal serpiente breve (UK Premiere)Ercin Kaya Brackets - [], (), {}, <> (UK Premiere)Natalia Dominguez Rangel Speech Perceptions (UK Premiere)Seung-Ah Oh JungGa (UK Premiere)Nieuw EnsembleBas Wiegers conductorJoël Bons artistic directorl'Ecriture, the composers craftsmanship that is traditionally held in high esteem in France and Italy, is omnipresent in two breathtaking virtuoso works by Italians Bellon and Francesconi. With his poetic and original sound world Gérard Pesson sets an example to the younger French generation. The programme is completed by the masterly oboe concerto by Korean composer Seung-Ah Oh and two works of young composers from Turkey and Colombia.Produced by hcmf// supported by Muziek Centrum Nederland and NFPK+ Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/93 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/93 Antonio Augusto Aguiar PandoraLuis Tinoco O curso da águasRebecca Saunders FuryEmmanuel Nunes Versus IIEmmanuel Nunes Rubato, registres et résonancesRemix Ensemble Rolf Gupta musical director  A varied programme of chamber music from Portuguese composers starts with a musical game of cards by one of the performers and includes major works from the world renowned composer Emmanuel Nunes. The wind quartet The Drift of the Waters by Luís Tinoco provokes the imagination with strong references to visual imagery.Produced by hcmf// part of the Emmanuel Nunes Portrait supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:54:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/69 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/69 Jonathan Harvey Bhakti Richard Barrett Mesopotamia (World Premiere) Broadcast Live by Radio3 Richard Barrett & fORCH fOKT 6London Sinfonietta fORCH Richard Barrett electronicsA concert to celebrate Richard Barrett's versatility both as a composer and performer, in his 50th year.  Inspired by artefacts found on ancient archeological sites, Richard Barrett's Mesopotamia has a dense, multi-layered structure that imitates the successive destruction and re-building of communities throughout history. Scored for 17 instruments and electronics, the piece forms the fifth part of a series of compositions collectively entitled resistance & vision, and has been commissioned by the London Sinfonietta with generous support from the London Sinfonietta Commissioning Circle. Mesopotamia will be played alongside Jonathan Harvey's Bhakti - a reflective, spiritual exploration of Sanskrit hymns, some of the world's oldest religious texts.fORCH was formed in 2005, based around the electro-acoustic duo FURT (Richard Barrett & Paul Obermayer). The duo is combined with two vocalists and four instrumentalists, all leading players in experimental music who have developed their own unprecedented sounds and techniques, so that the boundary between electronic and acoustic sound may be constantly crossed from either direction. Produced by hcmf// Mesopotamia is commissioned by the London Sinfonietta with generous support from the London Sinfonietta Commissioning Circle; part of this concert will be broadcast live by BBC Radio 3. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:47:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/68 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/68 Jonathan Harvey Sringara Chaconne (UK Premiere) Rebecca Saunders Disclosure (European Premiere) Liza Lim Songs found in Dream Richard Glover Gradual Music (World Premiere) (hcmf commission)musikFabrik  musikFabrik perform pieces from some of the finest English-speaking composers of our time, spanning three generations and reflecting the variety in new music today. Most far-reaching and open to outer-European influences is Liza Lim; deeply rooted in European contemporary music is Jonathan Harvey; and from the younger generation is Rebecca Saunders. What the new voices have to offer can be heard in the world premiere of Richard Glover's new work.Produced by hcmf// supported by The German Federal Foreign Office Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:46:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/67 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/67 Jonathan Harvey Jubilus Jonathan Harvey Moving Trees Emmanuel Nunes Nachtmusik I James Dillon ÜberschreitenRemix Ensemble Rolf Gupta musical director  The music of Jonathan Harvey performed by the portuguese Remix Ensemble takes you on a fantastic journey through distant and exotic landscapes. The isolation and awe-inspiring austerity of a Buddhist monastery is portrayed in Jubilus. Moving Trees was written to accompany a dance film by Anne Teresa de Keersmaker that showed three beautiful girls moving amongst trees and leaves. These two introspective works provide an effective contrast with the pieces by Nunes and Dillon.Produced by hcmf// part of the Emmanuel Nunes Portrait supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:46:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/66 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/66 Naaman Sluchin violin Yun-Peng Zhao violin Franck Chevalier viola Pierre Morlet cello Matthew Shlomowitz Theme Street Parade (World Premiere) Alberto Posadas Arborescencias (UK Premiere) Thomas Simaku String Quartet No. 2 RadiusEmmanuel Nunes Improvisation IV - l'électricité de la pensée humaine (UK Premiere)Quatuor Diotima's 21st-century programme features a BBC-commissioned quartet by Matthew Shlomowitz, the fourth section of Alberto Posadas' Liturgia Fractal (full cycle now available on Kairos), Radius by York-based composer Thomas Simaku, and the UK première of Improvisation IV by Emmanuel Nunes, which was first performed at the Quincena Musical San Sebastián.Produced by hcmf// part of the Emmanuel Nunes Portrait supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:45:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/65 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/65 Emmanuel Nunes Litanies du feu et de la mer I Thomas Simaku Stepping Up (World Premiere) Emmanuel Nunes Litanies du feu et de la mer II James Dillon Charm (World Premiere)James Dillon Dragon-fly (World Premiere) Noriko Kawai piano Noriko Kawai returns to the festival to give a solo recital featuring two large-scale works by Emmanuel Nunes, Litanies du feu et de la mer I and II, dating from 1969 and 1971. The programme also includes three world premieres: a new work by Thomas Simaku and two miniatures from James Dillon.Produced by hcmf// part of the Emmanuel Nunes Portrait supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/64 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/64 Kaija Saariaho Nuits, adieux Kaija Saariaho Sept Papillons Jonathan Harvey The Summer Cloud's Awakening New London Chamber ChoirJames Weeks directorOliver Coates celloNew London Chamber Choir celebrates the 70th birthday of its long-time collaborator Jonathan Harvey with a rare UK performance of his masterpiece The Summer Cloud's Awakening, for flute, cello, choir and electronics, setting Buddhist texts and a line from Richard Wagner. Saariaho's mystical Roubaud setting Nuits, adieux (a cappella version) and Sept Papillons for solo cello complete the programme.Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:34:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/63 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/63 Richard Barrett Opening of the Mouth (UK Premiere)ELISIONOpening of the Mouth, commissioned by David Blenkinsop for the 1997 Perth Festival, fittingly receives its UK premiere at HCMF. Composed for an ensemble of two singers, nine musicians and live electronics, it is a major cycle and a landmark piece in the ongoing artistic relationship between composer Richard Barrett and the ELISION ensemble. The work takes its point of departure from an ancient Egyptian ritual performed during the process of mummification. The ritual restored the power of speech to the dead soul, enabling them to bear witness to their life before the judges of the Underworld. The texts are taken from the poet Paul Celan, whose own 'mouth was opened' by the holocaust: to those whose mouths were empty before being closed. Celan's language itself is a tongue from beyond the fascist destruction of the German language-in Celan's words the ‘thousand darknesses of deathbringing speech.'Produced by hcmf// supported by British Council Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:19:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/74 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/74 Wolfgang Rihm -ET LUX- (UK Premiere) Arditti Quartet:Irvine Arditti violinAshot Sarkissjan violinRalf Ehlers violaLucas Fels celloHilliard Ensemble:David James countertenorRogers Covey-Crump tenorSteven Harrold tenorGordon Jones baritoneThe Hilliard Ensemble and the Arditti Quartet, two of the most distinguished ensembles in their respective fields, join together to perform the UK premiere of -ET LUX-, by one of the world's greatest composers, Wolfgang Rihm. The Ensemble's continuing collaboration with the Quartet has made it possible to add a number of new commissions to their core repertoire around which they can build a variety of new programmes.Presented by hcmf// -ET LUX- is commissioned by KölnMusik, Festival d'Automne à Paris and Carnegie Hall; supported by British Council and Goethe Institut, LondonPlease note: only a few tickets are left for this performance - please book now to avoid disappointment   Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:15:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/73 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/73 Tickets are now on sale for all events at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the UK’s largest festival of new and experimental music, which takes place this year from Friday 20 November to Sunday 29 November. Click here to see the full programme and to buy tickets online. In 2009, hcmf is once again at the forefront of international contemporary music and sound art. Many of the festival events are premieres, including the world premiere of Richard Barrett’s Mesopotamia and the first UK performances of Wolfgang Rihm’s –ET LUX– and of three solo piano pieces by Anthony Braxton.This year’s programme also highlights the long and innovative careers of several leading composers, including hcmf Composer in Residence Jonathan Harvey, who celebrates his 70th birthday this year; the Netherlands’ Louis Andriessen, also turning 70; and Emmanuel Nunes, Portugal’s greatest living composer.An international bill of performers includes London Sinfonietta, Arditti Quartet, Musica Elettronica Viva, ELISION, Sarah Nicolls, Frederic Rzewski and Remix Ensemble. They are joined at hcmf 2009 by a host of new and emerging talents from the world of contemporary music.For the full festival line-up, the hcmf 2009 brochure can be viewed online here, or contact us to request a paper copy and to keep updated with the latest festival news.Tickets can also be purchased by ringing 01484 430528 (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm) or by post from HCMF Box Office, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen’s Square, Queen Street, Huddersfield HD1 2SP. Tickets can be bought in person from the LBT box office between 10am and 5pm Monday to Saturday or from the Visitor Information Service, Huddersfield Library, Princess Alexandra Walk, Huddersfield between 9.15am and 5pm Monday to Saturday.Concessions are available for students, under 17s, 17–25 year olds (limited numbers), senior citizens, claimants of unemployment or supplementary benefits and Kirklees Passport holders. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more, or for educational and community groups of five or more.In addition, discounted tickets can still be purchased online for selected events until Friday 23 October, subject to availability. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/77 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/77 For the 2nd year running The Wire is working with hcmf as a media partner, building on last year’s successful relationship and many previous years of close co-operation.The partnership will see hcmf events presented as being supported by The Wire in the magazine and online, with reciprocal support and promotion in the lead up to and during this year’s Festival.Welcoming the partnership, hcmf Artistic Director Graham McKenzie commented: “The Wire readership has long been a receptive audience for hcmf’s adventurous programming  and we’re excited at the prospect of being able to develop an even stronger relationship with them through this partnership.”Editor in Chief and Publisher of The Wire, Tony Herrington, adds: “ hcmf is the most radical music festival in the UK. The Wire is honoured to be associated with it.” Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/74 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/74 The programme for HCMF 2009 is as international in scope as ever, featuring performers and composers from Australia, Germany, Portugal, the USA, the Netherlands and many other countries. Such wide-ranging connections and collaborations are not always easy to achieve. But on a European level, the festival’s ambitions have been supported for several years through membership of Réseau Varèse , the cross-European network devoted to contemporary music.Set up in 1999 with funding from the Culture 2000 programme of the European Commission and from the French ministry of culture and communication, Réseau Varèse brings together 21 partners from 17 European states: festivals such as HCMF, theatre companies, concert venues and artistic institutions. Varying in size, location and artistic focus, all of the organisations nevertheless share a commitment to producing works of contemporary music. Réseau Varèse presents the opportunity for its members to pool their knowledge, talent and resources, and for a work to reach audiences far beyond its original setting. As of June this year, Réseau Varèse has supported 42 unique projects, resulting in to more than 360 public performances across the continent. Sixteen musical shows (dance, opera and musical theatre) and 26 concert programmes have showcased the work of 53 different composers, including the premieres of 46 new works. HCMF has been a Réseau Varèse member since 2000, the other UK representative being the Southbank Centre in London. That year the festival played host to Ensemble Modern ’s Tribute to Wolfgang Rihm (whose requiem Et Lux receives its UK premiere at this year’s festival) following previous performances in Oslo and Strasbourg. On the other hand, next year sees an HCMF 2008 world premiere, John Butcher ’s Composition for eight musicians, travel to Vienna’s Wien Modern and Berlin’s MaerzMusik festivals.Réseau Varèse provides practical support for bringing new productions to fruition. But it also has the wider artistic aim of matching the modern, unified Europe with a genuinely European contemporary repertoire, as Antoine Gindt, director of Paris-based music theatre company T&M and president of Réseau Varèse, explains:“When we say that we want to make a European repertoire, it’s very important to us that we can share ideas and possibilities,” he says. “For example, a piece by a French composer, performed by a Portuguese orchestra, conducted by a German conductor and with a stage director from Great Britain. I think this can make a new idea about Europe, not based upon the idea of different countries but upon different possibilities of making connections.”As a cross-border network, Réseau Varèse works to make its members “share the same mood of artistic invention or creativity, to lose what I call the national reflex,” Gindt says. “We are all supported by a city, a country or a geographical territory, but a European repertoire asks you to forget this nationality. It’s very interesting to see how different artistic influences have developed in different areas of Europe. Most of the members keep an element of this, and we have to work to encourage them not to think, ‘I can use a Spanish composer because I am Spanish’ and so on, but, ‘How can I share something that is different?’ In a way, that is more universal, whilst keeping some specificity.”The network is run in a way that Gindt describes as “ultra-democratic”, with regular General Assemblies to discuss decisions and make plans, and public lectures held during members’ events (such as HCMF 2008) dedicated to exploring issues of cultural cooperation. Members have a free choice whether or not to join in with each new project, which only comes under the Réseau Varèse banner if other members are interested: “We have some internal rules: we decided that one programme should always be shared by at least three members, from two different countries. But the central point is to keep the independence of each member,” Gindt says.Coordinating 21 members in 17 countries brings its own administrative challenges, the president acknowledges. “But I hope I can say that we’ve found how to make these difficulties less present.” However, a sole and shared focus upon contemporary music means that both large and small organisations can contribute appropriately without either dominating the agenda or being overlooked. “Most of the time, the big institutions are involved with Réseau Varèse for only a few projects, whereas the small institutions are involved with each one,” Gindt says. “If you take the Southbank Centre, 99 percent of its programme is not adapted for the Réseau Varèse, but what is important is the possibility of two or three other projects.”“That’s why we decided, ten years ago, not to make a network with very similar institutions, but with institutions who want to be involved in contemporary music projects. So we have the big concert halls, but also smaller companies and very specific institutions such as IRCAM. What is important is the project and where it can be performed or produced, not all these institutions.”Earlier this year, Réseau Varèse received €2.5 million funding from the European Commission's Culture Programme to support the next five years’ activities. As the first decade of both the network’s existence and a new millennium for Europeans draws to a close, does Gindt see his organisation’s successful cooperation as a role model for music audiences of how different nationalities can work together in other ways?“Yes it should be, as a model of positive attitude regarding European institutions. As the president I can also say modestly whether I feel that European Union is in good health or not. That is to say, if a few of us are convinced by a common project, then everything is going fast, with exciting possibilities. If there is just discussion about what each member makes in his country that he would like to give to his neighbour, it just starts to be a very restrictive activity. It can be a metaphor for everyday life. It is a work in progress.”Other Réseau Varèse membersArena Festival , LatviaArs Musica , BelgiumBudapest Autumn Festival , HungaryCasa da Música , PortugalGaida , LithuaniaHolland Festival , The NetherlandsIRCAM , FranceMaerzMusik , GermanyMegaron Athens Concert Hall , GreeceMusica Nova , FinlandMusica , FranceMusicadhoy , SpainNYYD Festival , EstoniaRai Trade , ItalyRomaEuropa , ItalySchauspielfrankfurt , GermanySouthbank Centre , UKT&M , FranceUltima , NorwayWien Modern , Austria Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:29:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/73 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/73 Sound artist and musician Janek Schaefer, the creator of the award-winning HCMF 2007 installation Extended Play, will once again be bringing his work to West Yorkshire. Schaefer has designed Bradford SoundPool , an audio installation played through underground and elevated speakers set around the edge of an 80-metre wide mirror pool, the focal point of a new public space planned for the centre of Bradford.“It’s a real culmination of my architectural training and desires, and it’s permanent, which is amazing,” he says of the park feature, which is scheduled to open in 2012. During the day, the speakers will play an audio collage of water birds from across the globe, whilst a soft drone will surround the pool as it drains each dusk and refills the following dawn. At other times, the installation will broadcast sounds collected by local residents as part of a project run by Schaefer; recordings of the seashore from Bradford’s Irish twin town Galway; and the Bradford Blowhole, a brass band piece timed to accompany spurting fountains.Having studied architecture at the Royal College of Art, Schaefer’s work often hinges around the power of distorted and dissociated sounds to evoke memories of people and places. His first piece, 1995’s Recorded Delivery, involved the noises captured en route by a voice-activated dictaphone hidden inside a parcel posted to the exhibition venue. Other works include Vacant Space, an installation of sound and images from empty buildings, and Cold Storage, a site-specific composition for a brick warehouse cellar in Rome.Commissioned for HCMF 2007, Extended Play is a poignant, but ultimately uplifting tribute to child survivors of conflict. It was inspired by Schaefer’s reflections upon the contrast between the circumstances surrounding the birth of his daughter in Surrey in 2005, and that of his mother, born in war-torn Warsaw in 1942.Schaefer took a phrase from a Polish tango song that formed part of Jodoform, a system of coded messages transmitted to underground resistance fighters by the BBC World Service. This particular song was broadcast on the day his mother was born. Working with arranger Michael Jennings, he adapted it into a piece for violin, cello and piano. Each part was recorded separately and pressed onto a onto a 12” vinyl EP. For the installation, nine identical record players in Huddersfield Art Gallery simultaneously played copies of the three recordings at 33, 45 and 78 rpm, creating a bittersweet blend of harmony and dissonance that echoed the uncertainties faced by children born into conflict. Additionally, motion sensors attached to each turntable caused the music to halt briefly when visitors passed, underlining the impact of each individual upon the lives of others.Extended Play went on to win Schaefer both the 2008 British Composer of the Year Award for Sonic Art and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for composition. “It gave me a wonderful standing in the community,” he jokes, “I can walk into any shop or meet any tradesman, and they’ll know what British Composer of the Year means.”As with many of his works, Schaefer also created a CD version of Extended Play, based upon recordings of the vinyl being played. “I wanted to make it quite visceral, so I didn’t want to just play back the recordings of the instruments,” he explains. “You can hear the record players clunking, clicking and scratching, and when their power is cut you can hear the record slowing down. I think character comes when you add and add, or take away and take away, rather than having a pure copy.”After a two-year absence, the installation itself returns this autumn, when it will be hosted by the November Music festival in the Netherlands, before forming part of a career retrospective for Schaefer at Liverpool’s Bluecoat gallery in December.Janek Schaefer website Bradford city park plans Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:04:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/72 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/72 Jonathan Harvey Four Images after Yeats Jonathan Harvey Haiku Jonathan Harvey Homage to Cage...À Chopin (und Ligeti ist auch dabei) Jonathan Harvey Tombeau de Messiaen Jonathan Harvey FF Jonathan Harvey Vers Pierre Boulez Second Sonata Ralph van Raat piano Sharing Schoenberg and Messiaen as two of their most important early influences, Harvey and Boulez both derive their musical language from serial and spectralist influences, both having been influenced by music and thought from the Orient. However, where Boulez is foremost concerned with breaking away from the role of the past and inducing a musical revolution, Harvey has always, in non-tonal colours, seeked for spiritual impulse and expression of the visionary. In this spectacular concert with an overview of Harvey's complete piano music, combined with Boulez's historical and monumental Second Sonata for piano, one conclusion certainly is evident: both composers demand the utmost virtuosity from their interpreters.  Produced by hcmf// supported by Muziek Centrum Nederland and NFPK+; also supported by British CouncilPlease note: only a few tickets are left for this performance - please book now to avoid disappointment  Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:22:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/61 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/61 Hilda Paredes In Memoriam Thomas KakushkaJames Clarke String Quartet No 2 (World Premiere) HCMF Commission James Dillon String Quartet No 5 (World Premiere) Jonathan Harvey String Quartet No 4Irvine Arditti violinAshot Sarkissjan violinRalf Ehlers violaLucas Fels cello IRCAM technical teamJérémie Henrot sound engineerArshia Cont computer productionGilbert Nouno computer music designer  The world renowned Arditti Quartet present a captivating programme including world premieres of James Clarke's String Quartet No 2, written for and dedicated to the Arditti Quartet, James Dillon's String Quartet No 5, written for and premiered here at the quartet's 35th anniversary, and Hilda Paredes' tribute to the late Thomas Kakushka of the Alban Berg Quartet. A performance of hcmf Composer in Residence Jonathan Harvey's spiritual String Quartet No 4 completes this exceptional programme.Produced by hcmf// String Quartet No 2 is co-commissioned by hcmf and MaerzMusik Berliner Festspiele; String Quartet No 4 is commissioned by BBC Symphony Scottish Orchestra, Ircam-Centre Pompidou and Radio France; supported by British Council Please note: tickets for this performance have now sold out Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:58:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/62 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/62 HCMF is looking for 50 pianists to take part in a performance of Dutch composer Kristoffer Zegers’ Piano Phasing at this year’s festival. Any player over 12 years old and of ABRSM Grade 5 or equivalent standard can volunteer for the event, which takes place on Monday 23 November at 6.30pm in Huddersfield Town Hall.With 50 pianists playing 25 instruments simultaneously, Piano Phasing creates a powerful and imposing sound. According to Zegers, the music was inspired by his childhood.“When I was a little kid I would walk to the local church,” he explains. “I heard the bells ringing along with those from other churches and they were always out of phase. Even when I was young I was fascinated by this music.”Each player performs the same melody, but at a tempo of their choice, producing a canon effect“If you have enough people, the differences will make the phasing appear without doing it on purpose.” The piece consists of a fast section, which Zegers describes as sounding “like fireworks”, and a slower one. “The effect is like a cloud of sound. Sometimes music can be complex to make, but it sounds easy. It’s like looking at the sea’s surface, with all the little waves: they seem very beautiful, but in fact the theory of the wave motion is very difficult.”It might be tempting to think that Piano Phasing is a response to Steve Reich’s 1967 work Piano Phase, but Zegers insists that the similar titles are a coincidence. “The funny thing, and people don’t believe it, is that I wrote Piano Phasing and then afterwards I heard Piano Phase. I wasn’t very happy that it existed, but then I heard it and I was a little less unhappy, because I think I made a completely different piece.” Whereas Reich’s composition relies upon two parts being played with absolute precision to move in and out of phase, Zegers’ piece uses the differences that arise naturally between a large group of non-professional musicians for its effect.With the pianos all supplied by Leeds specialists Besbrode Pianos, taking part in Piano Phasing promises to be a unique and exciting experience for the collected pianists. “I think it’s an excellent way of making music, to experience the other players,” says Zegers. “When the piece has taken place in Holland, the people in the room all talk about what it was like.”Participants will need to attend the following rehearsals and performance:•    Sunday 15 November, 1pm – 4pm, Besbrode Pianos Showroom, Unit A, Holbeck New Mills, Braithwaite Street, Leeds, LS11 9XE•    & Sunday 22 November, 1pm – 4pm at Besbrode Pianos Showroom•    Monday 23 November; 4.00pm – 6.00pm rehearsal at Huddersfield Town Hall; 6.30pm performance at Huddersfield Town HallRefreshments and a CD of the final performance will be provided.To register your interest in performing at this event, please contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116; or email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk by Friday 6 November.Produced by hcmf// supported by Besbrode PianosBesbrode Pianos Kristoffer Zegers’ website (features sound clip of Piano Phasing) Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/71 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/71 Brice Pauset new work (UK Premiere)James Dillon The Leuven Triptych (UK Premiere) Ictus EnsembleTwo pioneering composers with a strong reputation in new music, James Dillon and Brice Pauset, will encounter the Flemish Primitive painter Roger Van der Weyden. For James Dillon, the job of resolutely working out the aesthetic principles characteristic of Van der Weyden in a modern musical language resulted in a monumental 46-minute work. He sought inspiration in the music of the Master's contemporaries (Guillaume Dufay, among others). The job couldn't have found a better fit than with Brice Pauset, who has been fascinated for a long time with the Last Judgement (Hospice de Dieu, Beaune) and canon techniques in 15th-century music. The Ictus Ensemble is totally enthusiastic about these UK premieres, which they will perform with passion.Produced by hcmf// The Passion of the Master is co-commissioned by BBC Radio 3, Transit and Ictus Ensemble// supported by British Council  Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:56:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/75 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/75 Work on my Nieuw Ensemble piece is in its last phase; roughly a quarter of the notation is complete. Pictured are two pages of an overall plan. Each box represents a single phrase, a small gestural compound characterised by a low dynamic and a slow but noticeable rate of change. This may be a soft tremolo beating on a muted glockenspiel, a focused strumming of an upper-register mandolin note, or a slowly sliding harmonic fingering on a bowed string. The highlighted boxes are those in which pitched material is present, with the uncoloured phrases contributing to the muffled darkness from which individual details emerge. The distribution of pitched material, in its gradual diffusion across the ensemble, mirrors the fragile unpredictability one finds within each phrase, the whole piece then becoming a slowly fluctuating, tense aggregate. Inspired by:James Saunders – #211007Joanna Bailie – Five Famous AdagiosEvan Johnson – Colophons (“That other that ich not whenne”), reflecting pool / monumentRoland Barthes – The Pleasure of the TextMark Z. Danielewski – House of LeavesBen Isaacs Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:44:20 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/25 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/25 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and Sing Up are presenting a series of Continuing Professional Development workshops, providing an introduction to different approaches to using the voice in creative music projects. Each session has a different focus designed to inspire and enthuse and will be delivered by a leading practitioner.All sessions can be accessed by secondary school music teachers, primary school music co-ordinators, community musicians and music students working with children and young people. Participants do not need to be vocal specialists and can attend as many sessions as they choose. Plus all workshop participants will also receive a copy of the HCMF Vocalise Resource Pack written by Kate Pearson, which contains a wealth of imaginative ideas for running creative vocal projects with children and young people.All sessions are held at the University of Huddersfield from 16:30 – 18:30 All sessions are free of charge. Refreshments are provided. Wednesday 30 SeptemberKate Pearson: Paper PiecesA participatory session focusing on using paper sculpting techniques to model textures and structures for vocal work. Paper provided!Wednesday 14 OctoberBarry Russell: Aural LandscapesCreating and running workshop sessions where imaginations are free to wander and voices free to experiment!Thursday 12 NovemberAnna Myatt: Songs and GamesLearn songs and games for helping with in-tune singing, part-singing and composing. Particularly relevant for those working with Primary school children.Thursday 26 NovemberPhil Minton: Phil Minton’s Feral ChoirLearn about Phil Minton’s Feral Choir project whereby non-professionals are encouraged to take a vocal leap and explore vocal possibilities through exercises and improvisations. As featured this year at FuseLeeds 09 and the Humber Mouth Festival!To book a place on any of the workshops please contact Heidi Johnsonemail: h.johnson@hud.ac.uk or call 01484 471116 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/70 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/70 You can now listen online to tracks produced by Mathew Adkins and students from Huddersfield’s Greenhead College as part of HCMF 2008 commission the [60] Project.Huddersfield-based composer Adkins devised the [60] Project to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first public transmission of musique concrète. In October 1948, French national radio broadcast Pierre Schaeffer’s Etudes de Bruits , exposing listeners to a groundbreaking set of pieces based upon non-instrumental real-world sounds.Adkins’ tribute involved contributions from more than 60 of the world’s leading sound artists, including Janek Schaefer, Christian Fennesz, Mira Calix and Rhodri Davies. Each provided a clip based upon a single sound, lasting up to one minute. Once collected, these were passed back to the artists for further treatment before being arranged by Adkins. The final 60-minute piece received its world premiere at HCMF 2008.As well as the main commission, Adkins worked with students at Greenhead College, using the same sounds as raw material for students’ individual pieces. For some, this HCMF project was an inspiring first experience of musique concrete:“Contemporary music came as a real shock at first,” says Ben Parker, who created a piece titled Unfinished Business. “As I became interested in this whole new genre, tone and rhythm became less of a priority, and that was when ideas began to flourish.” Sue Roberts, composer of Les bulles musicales de concrète adds, “Experiencing the sounds available was like eating a box of the most delicious sonic chocolates.” http://www.60project.com Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:19:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/69 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/69 Weekend jazz workshops organised by HCMF and the University of Huddersfield have enabled one local young musician to hold his own against a choir, a steel pan orchestra and a group of taiko drummers at a concert in Birmingham.Fourteen year-old drummer Joe Barstow, from Huddersfield, was selected to take part in the performance as part of the annual National Festival of Music for Youth on 11 July. Compered by drum ‘n' bass star and BBC Maestro finalist Goldie, the concert marked the 10th birthday of Music for Youth , an educational charity whose work includes providing opportunities for young musicians to play in concerts and festivals.Players from the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, the National Youth Jazz Collective, the National Youth Orchestra, the South Asian Music Orchestra and chamber music school Pro Corda came together for the first time to form Encounters Ensemble. They had one day to rehearse a new piece, devised by Brian Irvine, at Birmingham Conservatoire before the evening concert at Birmingham Town Hall.Joe has been playing drums for about six years and is a member of several groups. It was through one of these that he first heard about the National Youth Jazz Collective workshops, which took place earlier this year. Participants had the chance to work alongside jazz tutors David Hassell (drums), Mike Walker (guitar), Steve Berry (bass) and Iain Dixon (saxophone). "I went along the first time and I really, really enjoyed it," he says. "It was mostly improvisation in small groups. It worked really nicely. Luckily for me, [musician and educator] Issie Barratt was there and she asked me to come along for Birmingham."Despite being the only jazz drummer in Encounters Ensemble, Joe kept up his confidence through the rehearsal and performance. "There wasn't that much improvisation in the piece, but I had to improvise the drum part," he says, adding, "The concert went really well and I think most people enjoyed it."He agrees that the chance to be a part of the NYJC workshops and the concert have benefited his developing musicianship. "It's made me appreciate a different side of jazz and big band music, and that it doesn't have to just have saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section. It doesn't have to have a pronounced melody, it can be obscure."Joe is hoping to eventually study at the Royal Northern College of Music before turning professional and joining bands in London or Germany - "Just broaden my musical horizons, really" - an ambition boosted by his HCMF workshop experience. Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:49:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/68 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/68 The shared commitment of HCMF and the University of Huddersfield to supporting cutting-edge music is about to make a real difference to one upcoming composer's work.HCMF and the university's long-running association was strengthened last year by the signing of a three-year sponsorship deal. Now Greek composer Lefteris Papadimitriou is the first musician to benefit from a new joint PhD scholarship run by HCMF and the University of Huddersfield, starting this autumn. Papadimitriou will carry out studies within CeReNeM , the Centre for Research in New Music, and work closely with Graham McKenzie, Artistic Director of HCMF."I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to work with Lefteris on the development of his artistic practice, and in assisting him in finding the most appropriate context for his work," says McKenzie. "I first became aware of his music in 2006 in Amsterdam when he won the Gaudeamus International Composers Award with his work for piano and orchestra, Black and White. It surprised a lot of people when it won, I think ... but in a good way. He is also an interesting performer - playing laptop - and I think we can help develop that side of his work while he is at Huddersfield."Born in Volos, Greece, Lefteris Papadimitriou is a graduate of the music department at the University of Athens. Writing for both live instruments and electronics, his talent has previously been recognized by Amsterdam's Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, who awarded him a commission in 2008."I consider that my music can be perceived in the larger tradition of European art music, though it's not strongly tied to any particular movement," says Papadimitriou. "I think I have been influenced by American minimal music of the 70s, the European avant-garde like Stockhausen and Xenakis and also a lot of experimental electronic music of the 90s. Of course, like many composers of my generation, I have also been influenced by the computer as a new kind of instrument and as a music making tool."He describes his work as "constructed by functional cycles of transformation of various musical parameters. These transformations are usually achieved by a predefined ‘engravement' of the musical space where the various parameters can move through a piece."Papadimitriou will find himself among many like minds at CeReNeM. The centre's areas of specialist research span improvisation, composition, sound spatialisation, advances in sonic technology and the cultural position of new music. In addition, CeReNem's annual GEMdays festival showcases advances in electroacoustic music.Professor Liza Lim, Director of CeReNem, explains what the PhD research will involve: "Lefteris' music works with the physical impact of sounds and the 'dramas': the sensory, emotional, historical, contextual elements that he perceives to be encoded by sounds. His doctoral research will examine the microstructure of sounds as a way of making a language of gesture explored through both instrumental and electronic means."She adds, "The university has excellent studio facilities and a strong performance workshop programme to support this area of research which also connects with a number of CeReNeM staff projects. The scholarship also offers a fantastic opportunity for Lefteris' work to find a public platform through HCMF and for his development as an artist to be mentored by the festival director, Graham McKenzie." Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:32:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/66 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/66 Radio 3 have just featured HCMF Composer in Residence Jonathan Harvey as their Composer of the Week.Harvey joined presenter Donald Macleod to discuss some of his key works. Listen to the podcast here . Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:04:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/65 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/65 To celebrate the release of online tickets for HCMF 2009, we've compiled a selection of tracks from some of this year's guest composers and artists. Click here to open a Spotify playlist featuring recordings of work by Jonathan Harvey, Anthony Braxton, Emmanuel Nunes and more. Spotify is a free, legal streaming service offering access to music by a range of past and present HCMF artists. If you haven't used it before, you will need to create a username to listen to the playlist.As ever, this year's festival (20 to 29 November) has a programme packed with new commissions and UK or world premieres. So if the playlist whets your appetite, be sure to take advantage of the early booking discounts available through this site. And watch out for more HCMF playlists in coming weeks. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:35:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/64 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/64 Six artists have been selected for this year's HCMF Shorts, the festival's one-day showcase of emerging talent. The international line-up of composers and performers was chosen from a record number of applicants and includes instrumental soloists, electroacoustic musicians and two student ensembles. On 23 November each will perform either work of their own creation or a fresh interpretation of existing contemporary pieces. The concerts take place in Lawrence Batley Theatre and the atrium and Phipps Hall of the Creative Arts Building, University of Huddersfield, and admission is free.Here are the six successful artists and their planned HCMF Shorts programmes:Richard Uttley, pianoJoe Cutler, Clavinova MusicThomas Adès, Traced Overhead, op.15Chris Willis, Burning UpOriginally from Huddersfield, Richard Uttley graduated in music from Clare College, Cambridge in 2008 and now studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He won the 2006 British Contemporary Piano Competition and has released two CDs . His HCMF Shorts performance features three recent British pieces centering on various manifestations of ecstasy. "Over the last few years I have dreamt of getting a chance to play at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. I grew up in Huddersfield, where I studied with Ian Buckle, and went to HCMF concerts during my time at Greenhead College."G Douglas Barrett, A Few SilenceG Douglas Barrett is an American PhD candidate and teaching assistant at the University of New York, Buffalo. His music has been performed in settings ranging from festivals and concert halls to galleries and streets, by artists including The Barton Workshop , FLUX Quartet , Christine Tavolacci and Mark So . "A Few Silence is a piece in which the very site of performance becomes the subject of documentation. In it performers create ‘live' written transcriptions of the sounds of their surroundings and then perform their respective scores using various instruments and objects."Jonathan Sage, clarinetRichard Glover, Bi-linear Steve Reich, New York CounterpointWith an MA in performance from the University of York, Jonathan Sage has toured Ireland with a solo programme of contemporary clarinet music and appeared at festivals throughout the UK and Europe, as well as acting as concert soloist for orchestras including the London Mozart Players ."Minimal and minimalist are two similar words but with very different musical meanings. Steve Reich is a giant of 20th century minimalist composition, taking minimal musical ideas and manipulating them in a repetitive way. New York Counterpoint is written for 11 clarinet parts, with the performer pre-recording and multi-tracking 10 accompanying parts and then playing over the top. Richard Glover's Bi-linear, although not minimalist, is a piece with minimal pitch and rhythm content." Ignacio Agrimbau, Anatomy of the Self II and IIIBorn in Buenos Aires in 1977, Ignacio Agrimbau studied composition with Manuel Juarez and Michael Finnissy . In 2005 he founded the experimental ensemble Hola, and is currently working on a commission for the choir EXAUDI."Anatomy of the Self is the name given to a performance/recording project based around the electronic elaboration and manipulation of originally acoustic material, which is usually half-improvised. The pieces presented here are based on Oud and Ma-Wu performances with added drums."Workers Union EnsembleDavid Ibbett, New WorkContemporary music group The Workers Union Ensemble comprises current and ex-students of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. David Ibbett is currently completing his Masters in composition at Guildhall. "Our collaboration focuses on the enlargement, refinement, reorganisation and intensification of the ensemble's sound via electronics. Through juxtapositions and dialogues between the instruments and their recorded selves, an extended timbral palette is created with increased scope and technique and texture, creating a world which is rich yet unified."CR:ACC EnsembleChristian Wolff, BurdocksFormed by four music students at the University of Glasgow, the CR:ACC Ensemble perform contemporary compositions, free improvisations and works with indeterminate scores, often incorporating electroacoustic and multimedia elements. "Christian Wolff 's seminal work Burdocks was first performed in August 1971, and consists of ten sections. Whilst it is the most performed of his indeterminate scores, Wolff's output is rarely heard today." Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:22:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/63 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/63 Covers admission to all ticketed events on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 NovemberThe full programme for HCMF 2009 will be announced in early September 2009 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:35:16 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/72 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/72 For the first time, tickets have been released for some of the highlight events at this year's HCMF, ahead of the full programme being announced. Another exciting first for HCMF is the introduction of discounted prices for tickets purchased online, offering exceptional value for money. By purchasing your tickets online you can make savings of up to £6 on individual tickets, or £10 on a Weekend Saver and a huge £60 on a full Festival Saver.There is a limited number of online tickets available for all events and they will be up until Friday 23 October 2009 latest (or earlier if limits are reached before that date). Tickets can also be purchased by calling the Box Office on 01484 430528 or by visiting the Box Office in person, at Lawrence Batley Theatre, Queen Street, Huddersfield, HD1 2SP. Ticket prices - with online savingsFull Festival Saver Online price: £230.00Usual price (purchased by phone or in person from Box Office): £290.00Save: £60Covers admission to all ticketed events and a Festival Programme BookWeekend Savers 1 & 2 Online price: £70.00Usual price (purchased by phone or in person from Box Office): £80.00Save: £10Covers admission to all eight ticketed events on Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 November , excluding Studio 2 concerts, or on Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 November ) Individual Events Online prices from £9 - £12Usual prices (purchased by phone or in person from Box Office): £14 - £18Save: up to £6Festival HighlightsThis year's HCMF, which takes place from 21 - 29 November, will feature in-depth explorations of the work of two leading voices in contemporary music - the British composer Jonathan Harvey and Portugal's most celebrated living composer, Emmanuel Nunes. Born in Warwickshire in 1939, Jonathan Harvey is one of the most successful and enduring composers to come out of the United Kingdom and is HCMF's Composer in Residence. In constant demand throughout the world, his music is extensively performed by all of the major ensembles of our time. He has worked closely with Artistic Director Graham McKenzie to curate a comprehensive profile of his work, which will include large-scale ensemble, chamber, choral, electronic and multi-media - presented by some of the foremost British and European ensembles and artists. Highlights will include performances by the Arditti Quartet, New London Chamber Choir, London Sinfonietta, Re-Mix Ensemble and musikFabrik (New Work 2009 - European Premiere). Jonathan will be a significant presence at the Festival, through a series of talks, open workshops and film related events, including the World Premiere of a new film about him by Barrie Gavin. Emmanuel Nunes, born in 1941 in Lisbon, is one of Portugal's greatest living composers and yet his work has rarely been performed in the UK. Portugal's foremost contemporary chamber music group, Re-Mix Ensemble, will present two concerts during the Festival, placing Nunes' work in the context of works by other leading European and Portugese composers. Other performances will include a solo piano concert by Noriko Kawai and the Diotima Quartet. Events available now - with discounted online pricesArditti Quartet & The Hilliard Ensemble 20 November 2009 St Paul's Hall 6pmOnline £12; Full price £18; Concessions £16 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Barrett / ELISION 1 20 November 2009 Bates Mill 8pm Online £12; Full price £18; Concessions £16 ----------------------------------------------------------------------Ralph van Raat: Jonathan Harvey Piano Solo 21 November 2009 Phipps Hall 6pmOnline £9; Full price £14; Concession £12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------Arditti Quartet: Jonathan Harvey 4th String Quartet 21 November 2009 St Paul's Hall 8pmOnline £12; Full price £18; Concessions £16 ----------------------------------------------------------------------Ictus Ensemble 22 November 2009 Lawrence Batley Theatre 12 noonOnline £9; Full price £14; Concessions £12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------New London Chamber Choir: Jonathan Harvey 22 November 2009 St Paul's Hall 5pmOnline £9; Full price £14; Concessions £12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------Noriko Kawai: Nunes 26 November 2009 St Paul's Hall 6pmOnline £9; Full price £14; Concessions £12----------------------------------------------------------------------Quatuor Diotima 28 November 2009 St Paul's Hall 2pmOnline £9; Full price £14; Concessions £12----------------------------------------------------------------------Remix Ensemble 1 28 November 2009 Town Hall 4pmOnline £12; Full price £18; Concessions £16----------------------------------------------------------------------musikFabrik 1: Sringara Chaconne 28 November 2009 St Paul's Hall 7pmOnline £12; Full price £18; Concessions £16----------------------------------------------------------------------London Sinfonietta / fORCH 28 November 2009 Bates Mill 9.15pmOnline £12; Full price £18; Concessions £16----------------------------------------------------------------------Remix Ensemble 2 29 November 2009 St Paul's Hall 1pmOnline £12; Full price £18; Concessions £16---------------------------------------------------------------------- Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:52:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/62 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/62 With the workshop weekends fading into the distance and the impending first performance looming dangerously in the not so distant future I am, officially, starting to write the piece for the Nieuw Ensemble. Soon...I'm currently in the throes of pre PhD viva panic (preparation) and feel (hope) that the floodgates will open once this has happened (14th July - all goodwill messages gratefully received). At the moment I can't remember how you start... Eek.Jenny Jackson Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:16:10 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/24 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/24 Spotify Playlist #11More hcmf// 2011 related music for your delight, including Annie Gosfield, Mary Bellamy and Anton Lukoszevieze. Spotify Playlist #10Our first playlist for hcmf// 2011! And we're happy to report that there is an abundance of Festival-related music to be found on Spotify these days. Just a shame they standardised the Premium accounts. Still, save your free minutes for this - you'll like it. More to come.Spotify Playlist #9Part two of our playlists celebrating this year's Norway connection. This time we take in the wider Norwegian scene, including Jaga Jazzist, In The Country and Lindstrom. Spotify Playlist #8More artists from hcmf// 2010.Spotify Playlist #7This year's hcmf// has a strong Norway connection - our latest sampler gives you a taster of Arne Nordheim, Frode Haltli, Rolf Wallin and others.  Spotify Playlist #6Sample some of the artists and composers at hcmf// 2010.Spotify Playlist #5 Dr Fred Frith received an honorary doctorate from the University of Huddersfield in 2010. Here's a selection of music from his illustrious career.Spotify Playlist #4A John Cage retrospective.Spotify Playlist #3An hcmf alumni playlist, featuring works by John Cage, Brian Eno and Noriko Kawai.Spotify Playlist #2'Laptop Revolutionaries', featuring Four Tet, Mira Calix and Flying Lotus.Spotify Playlist #1Featuring Anthony Braxton, Louis Andriessen and ELISION. Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:02:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/95 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/95 With its network of pipes and cables crawling over the outside of the building, the Pompidou Centre is one of Paris's most memorable landmarks. Visitors confronted with it might be forgiven for overlooking the more understated building next door. Yet however taciturn it may appear on the outside, the inner workings of IRCAM have had as dramatic an effect upon the world of sound as the inside-out Pompidou Centre had on architecture.Since opening in 1977, IRCAM - the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (Institute for Music/Acoustic Research and Coordination) - has been a place where contemporary composers can realise ideas beyond the reach of traditional instruments and vocalists. Housed in a building also designed by Pompidou Centre architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, it was founded when the French president, Georges Pompidou, invited the composer Pierre Boulez to oversee an institution dedicated to sound research.In addition to his work in serialism and aleatory (chance-based) music, Boulez was interested in electronics and sound manipulation. In the years following its foundation, IRCAM made breakthroughs in areas such as real-time processing: instead of being limited to recording electronic pieces on tape, composers could create dynamic works in which computers reacted to a sound within microseconds of its production. Composers were invited to the institute, where technicians would assist them in realising new commissions using cutting-edge technology. They could make instruments sound like they never had before, or combine sources to create new ones. Over many years, HCMF has had a close association with IRCAM and two of this year's featured composers, Jonathan Harvey and Emmanuel Nunes, have produced several works in this environment, including Harvey's Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco; Bhakti; Ritual Melodies and Advaya; and Nunes' Lichtung I and Lichtung II.IRCAM is more than a sandbox for technicians and composers, however. The institute's Ensemble InterContemporain is a chamber orchestra whose flexible size and configuration has proved influential. A concert season and annual festival, AGORA, provide an essential outlet for developments in contemporary music. And many of IRCAM's innovations are available to musicians working beyond its walls: their website currently offers software packages such as voice processor SuperVP, and Modalys, which enables users to create a virtual musical instrument out of everyday objects. In the wider world, IRCAM expertise allowed viewers of the 1994 film Farinelli to hear the lost voice of a castrato, recreated by merging the waveforms of male and female singers.Today the kind of effects pioneered by IRCAM in the 1970s may be available to every bedroom producer with a laptop, but the institute continues to explore the limits of sonic knowledge. Under present-day director Frank Madlener, current research areas include the psychology of sound perception, work on room acoustics that could enhance our experience of concert halls and studies in instrumental acoustics that answer questions such as how a specific sound arises from the breath that produced it.IRCAM's website offers a wealth of resources, incorporating a multimedia library, composer information and specialised search tools for contemporary music. The institute plays a vital part in the Europe-wide CASPAR project, which aims to ensure the preservation of digital data into the future. On the performance side, recent works include Hypermusic, a collaboration between composer Hèctor Parra and physicist Lisa Randall billed as ‘A Projective Opera in Seven Planes'. It seems that these days the Pompidou Centre's mysterious neighbour shows its inner workings in endless ways.Book tickets now for events featuring the work of Jonathan Harvey and Emmanuel Nunes. Online prices from £9. IRCAM website in English.  Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:11:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/61 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/61 Young people in Kirklees have found their voice...and it sounds like machinery. They've been taking part in weekly vocal workshops with an experimental edge as part of Vocalise, a project run by HCMF and Kirklees Music School and funded by Youth Music.Over the past couple of months, participants aged between eight and 18 have been working with local music leaders Laura Sillitoe and Sarah Turnbull to explore a range of vocal and contemporary music techniques. Inspired by the Honda Civic advert in which a choir imitated the sounds of the car being driven, the vocalists have devised their own piece around the theme of machinery, to be performed at Kirklees Music School's end-of-term concert on 10 July."We took the Honda advert as a stimulus, but we came at it from a different angle," says Laura Sillitoe. "We wrote some stories and are now developing something into a graphic score." The workshops are divided into two groups, covering school years five to seven and eight to 13, and the older students have taken a role in creating music for the younger ones. "We've been keen to push the fact that the process is just as important as the piece," Sillitoe says. "For the performance, we won't necessarily perform something that we've ever done before; we'll be going through the process that we've been working on. So each time we perform it, it might be different." She adds, "Every week they do something new. They've taken some things in directions that would never have occurred to me."As the workshops progress the participants will be putting their extended vocal skills to the test with a new piece by Alvin Curran, the American composer and co-founder of Musica Elettronica Viva. The as-yet-untitled work will be performed on 29 November at an HCMF concert also featuring Huddersfield Choral Society in Huddersfield Town Hall.In the meantime, more young people will have the chance to extend their vocal horizons through a set of Vocalise summer holiday workshops taking place from 27-30 July at Thornhill Junior School. These will be led by innovative trio Juice, whose work ranges from cross-genre a cappella performances to part-improvised live film scores combining voice and electronics.The Vocalise programme will also feature a series of Continuing Professional Development workshops for music leaders this autumn, focusing on different approaches to using the voice in creative music projects and accompanied by a resource pack written by Kate Pearson.It's not too late to join in with either the weekly workshops or the summer holiday sessions. Both are free of charge and no experience is needed. For more information on how to join, please contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116; email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk. Alternatively complete the booking form below.Read more about Juice and Kirklees Music School.  Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:24:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/60 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/60 Jonathan Harvey knows when he heard his future calling. He was eleven, and a chorister."I remember exactly the moment," he says. "I was coming out of the church and the organist hit a wild dissonance. With that chord, I said to myself, ‘I'm going to be a composer', and I wrote it down mentally. I remembered it for two years, five years, ten years, and now sixty years."Appointed Composer in Residence at HCMF 2009 and with an honorary doctorate from the University of Huddersfield among his many accolades, the career of one of the world's leading contemporary composers spans orchestral, choral, chamber, opera and tape works, in settings ranging from concert hall and campus to sacred spaces and the ultra-modernist bunker of IRCAM. Harvey's music sees ancient spiritual texts newly illuminated through electroacoustic experimentation, and inanimate instruments digitally wedded to living voices.Born in 1939, Harvey was introduced to music by his father, an amateur pianist and composer. At the age of eight he became a chorister at St Michael's College in Tenbury Wells, a school established by Frederick Ouseley in 1856 for the preservation and perfection of Anglican church music. Pupils sang in daily services and rehearsals, a timetable he describes as "a real immersion in music. We covered an enormous repertoire - in fact, people said it was a larger repertoire than any cathedral in the country."Even with this wealth of musical experience, Harvey yearned for more adventurous sounds. "I was always impatient with the church music because the modern pieces, mostly by contemporary living organists, seemed to me to be so tame," he says. "I can remember this childish frustration very well. I heard modernistic works, like The Rite Of Spring and a lot of Sibelius and Bartok, and none of the modern church music seemed to come near to that degree of sophistication."He was, perhaps surprisingly, encouraged by the choirmaster to pursue his interest. "I used to go into the organ loft and improvise. I had the key to this dark, huge building and I would play happily away. It was an awe-inspiring experience."Later, as Harvey went on to study at St John's College, Cambridge, he benefited from the guidance of Benjamin Britten, who suggested he receive private instruction from Erwin Stein, then, after Stein's death in 1958, Hans Keller. Both were Austrian refugees living in London, and their knowledge of the Second Viennese School made a great impression on him. "I went very deeply into Schoenberg; he remains an extraordinary figure for me," he says.Nevertheless, Harvey found the early 20th century composers' theories did not entirely satisfy his sense of how music could be. "I was never a thoroughgoing serialist, for instance. I wrote serial works, but not ones that were very close to Schoenberg in technique," he explains. "But I did follow the serial path, right through to Milton Babbitt, with whom I studied." Harvey gained his PhD from Glasgow University in 1964, whilst working as a cellist with the BBC Scottish Orchestra, and then took up a lecturing post at Southampton. In 1969 he was awarded a Harkness Fellowship to study at Princeton, where Babbitt was part of the faculty."I wanted to gather from Babbitt how much one could hear, how possible was it to get to a real sense of structural depth, which one has almost automatically in the great tonal works. I came away, having made my own experiments in composition, with a feeling that that was not really the path. Keller, with whom I was in contact, certainly urged me that the important thing was spontaneity, inner logic rather than outer logic, and freedom. These things were very important, and he was quite an influence in making me forge a way beyond serialism."In the mid-1960s he also had a growing fascination with Stockhausen, and started working on a book, The Music of Stockhausen, published in 1975. "My serialism became more Stockhausen-esque, and at the same time more free," he notes. Ultimately he found his own balance between formal rigour and freedom:"I tested all my serial ideas with my perceptions and asked myself how much I could really hear; how much did this mean to me? And that's why I began to only keep those things which genuinely contributed. Sometimes they can be quite deep things, systems that are going on under the surface, but nevertheless they immediately give the listener a sense of unity and logic. He adds, "It's important to have nourishment for the impulse towards freedom and imagination and inspiration, to finding the thing which we all long for, which is deeply hidden inside us."Harvey had an early encounter with computer music at Princeton and would later work with analogue electronics at Cardiff University. However, an invitation from Pierre Boulez, the director of IRCAM, the Parisian electroacoustic research institute, marked the start of a deeper engagement with electronic music. Over the course of several years Harvey realised eight works at IRCAM, the first of which was 1980's Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco.Taking its name from an engraving on the side of the largest bell in Winchester Cathedral, the tape piece (which will be presented at HCMF 2009 as an audiovisual installation by Visual Kitchen) used spectral analysis and digital synthesis to create a haunting fusion of the bell's sound and the voice of Harvey's son, also a chorister."From these two very familiar and, for me, sacred and beloved sounds I made a fantasy, a poem, with the aid of computer manipulation. I see the bell and boy as connected by electronics. Two completely different things: the great dead black thing, the Mortuos, and the lovely little boy who's very much alive - and now is a charming man - to take these very different entities and unite them through numbers in the computer. Integration of the opposites is very important, to show how, in some deep sense, everything is connected. And everything is fluid."Harvey finds unfettered possibilities for realising his musical aims in the electronic medium. "I love music which dissolves and makes ambiguous whatever exists. Electronic music does that: it can turn anything into anything else; it can make sounds which remind you vaguely of something but which are not exactly that thing. Well known instruments can be made ambiguous, made to be both themselves and something else."As technology develops at such a rate that the software and processing power which was previously only available to Harvey at IRCAM can now be carried around in a laptop, can he see any limits to what electronic music can achieve? "Actually, no. Which is an extraordinary revolution," he replies."All the last inventions, such as the invention of horns with valves, or the use of alternative techniques on a violin, all have their limits. With electronics that's not the case, and more and more it's possible to simulate the complexity of real instruments, and having done that, to actually make those instruments evolve into something far beyond what they are today."With so much of the choristers' time devoted to religious music, those early years at St Michael's didn't just imbue Harvey with a taste for dissonance. "I never got over that sense of making music for the glory of God," he says, "because we had nobody to listen except God." In his adult life, that sense of spirituality would expand beyond Christianity to include study of Hindu, Buddhist and Sufi beliefs in an ongoing quest to understand what he calls "the human aspect. I'm struggling along the path, like everyone else, and what interests me is the nature of suffering in an unsatisfactory life, and the vision that liberation or enlightenment offers us."In Harvey's view, computers are as valid a companion on the spiritual journey as acoustic instruments and human voices. "There are many techniques with which one can manifest this expression of my sensibility. They are in electronics, by dissolving the sound-world; in other combinations of instruments and voices, by dissolving the reality of the known world; and through a choice of texts with ambiguous meanings. There's also the ritual element which is common to my works, to give the audience a sense of belonging, of being part of a function, in a way. And the function is being together in a certain mantric activity, the attempt to come together in a unified rhythm of perception."Many of these elements combine in Harvey's 1982 work Bhakti, where electronics realised at IRCAM underpin twelve interconnected orchestral sections inspired by the sacred Hindu Rig Veda, texts he was studying as part of his practice of meditation. "They're very ambiguous texts, literally, because the words of Sanskrit were not confined to a single meaning. But that's quite intentional on the part of the poets, I think, because they aimed to unify the world, to bring about connections. It's not the modern idea of words which point to a single object. It was much more the words are there to show the nature of the world as it is beyond labelling. So I wanted to try and capture that."For Harvey, the discipline of meditation has a beneficial effect upon the job of composing. "I find that ideas come during meditation and, vice versa I often find that experience of meditation is the object of the music. The music tries to describe the state of consciousness which I experienced."Hindu philosophy and Western culture meet once more in Harvey's newest work, Sringara Chaconne, which will enjoy its first UK performance at HCMF 2009. "The word ‘sringara' means ‘love', and that love can be between a man and a woman, or it can be between a mother and child. It's a flavour, what they call a rasa, which can be explored in poetry or music," he explains. "So I took this Indian way of doing art and tried to compose a piece with it. It's called Sringara Chaconne because it's based on just four, rather gentle chords repeated over and over again, which is what a chaconne [a type of dance from the Baroque period] tends to do. There are many transformations and plenty of variety in the piece, but it is nevertheless in one sense static."Six decades after that galvanising, dissonant organ chord, does he feel as though he finally understands the mysteries of music? "I think the more you understand, the mysterious music becomes, actually. It's a fundamentally very mysterious thing, because it reflects what I call the emptiness of the world, a Buddhist term, the non-existence of the objective world. Nobody can say what music is, or what its fascination lies in."Read more about IRCAM here.Book tickets now for events featuring the work of Jonathan Harvey. Online prices from £9. Fri, 29 May 2009 10:57:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/59 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/59 HCMF and Kirklees Music School are working together to form two new vocal ensembles for young people in North Kirklees in 2009.Funded by Youth Music, the aim of the new groups is to create and sing new vocal music and explore unusual vocal techniques in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.The groups are open to any young person in Kirklees in Years 5 - 13. Participants need have no previous experience to join and there is no charge to take part.The new groups will be led by inspirational local music leaders Laura Sillitoe and Sarah Turnbull. During workshop sessions participants will be able to experiment with different ways of using their voices including as a soundscape (for example the Honda advert!), and as an accompaniment to visual image. They'll be encouraged to compose, improvise and perform their own work over the course of the year. Both groups will also work towards a high-profile performance as part of HCMF in November 2009, singing an exciting new piece written by experimental composer Alvin Curran.The two groups cater for different ages; the first for Years 5 - 7 and the second for Years 8 - 13. They will meet weekly during term time on Friday evenings, starting on Friday 30 January, at the following times:Group 1: Years 5 - 7Fridays, 3.45pm - 4.45pm at Thornhill Junior & Infant School, Edge Lane, Thornhill, Dewsbury, WF12 0QTGroup 2: Years 8 - 13Fridays, 5.30pm - 6.30pm at The Mirfield Free Grammar, Kitson Hill Road, Mirfield, WF14 9EZFor more information on how to join either of the groups, please contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116; email h.johnson@hud.ac.uk. Alternatively you can complete the Booking Form below. Wed, 20 May 2009 15:30:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/49 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/49 The pan-European network Réseau Varèse has been selected as one of nine multi-annual cooperation projects to be subsidised between 2009 and 2014 as part of the European Commission's Culture Programme supporting musical creation and dissemination.Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival has been a Réseau Varèse member since 2000. Bringing together 21 members from 16 European countries, the network encourages exchanges and the circulation of contemporary music projects between countries and venues. The other UK member is the Southbank Centre, London.In 2008, HCMF joined other Réseau Varèse members in hosting a range of events celebrating and paying tribute to the late composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. In addition, an HCMF 2008 world premiere will this year travel to other Réseau Varèse locations. Members interested in presenting John Butcher's Composition for eight musicians, in which eight seasoned improvisers are encouraged to leave their collaborative comfort zones, include the Gaida Festival, Vilnius; the Arena Festival, Riga; Wien Modern in Vienna and Berlin's Maerzmusik.Since 2000, Réseau Varèse has benefited from funding from three successive European Commission Culture Programmes. Forty-two projects have been supported between 2000 and 2009. Sixteen of these have been musical shows, including opera, musical theatre and choreographic works; the other 26 were concert programmes including recitals, chamber music, symphonic and choral productions. These 42 projects led to 169 events, with over 360 public showings in Europe. 53 composers of 20 different nationalities benefited from support from Réseau Varèse during this period, and 42 new works were premiered within this framework.The budget for Réseau Varèse's actions from 2009-2014 has been set at €5,474,850, of which €2.5 million will be funded by the European Commission's Culture Programme.Past Réseau Varèse projects at HCMF:2008Homage to Stockhausen:Nicolas Hodges: 3. Stunde aus Klang: Naturliche Dauern Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart: STIMMUNGNew London Chamber Choir: Chore fur Doris / Litanei 972006Pan Sonic / Atli Ingolfsson / Yan Maresz / Giovanni Verrando / Riccardo Nova: Microwaves2005Helmut Lachenmann: PortraitOlga Neuwirth / Roberto Paci Dalo: Italia Anno Zero2004 Fausto Romitelli: An Index of MetalsHanspeter Kyburz / Quatuor Diotima: StreichquartettThe Contemporary Hardanger Fiddle2003Sir Harrison Birtwistle / London Sinfonietta: Theseus GameGeorges Aperghis / Willy Dorner: Ob:scenaMauricio Kagel / Christian Kesten: Mare NostrumJonathan Harvey / Quatuor Arditti: String Quartet #4 with computer music2002Martin Matalon: Le ScorpionEnsemble Recherche / Neue Berliner Kammerorchester: Unknown FeldmanEvan Parker: Memory-Vision / Staring onto the Time of the Future2001Salvatore Sciarrino / Ingrid von Wantoch Rekowski: LohengrinHeiner Goebbels: HashirigakiKaija Saariaho: From The Grammar Of Dreams2000Ensemble Modern: Tribute to Wolfgang Rihm Tue, 19 May 2009 10:06:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/58 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/58 The four composers taking part in the first HCMF + Nieuw Ensemble Composers' Programme have returned from a second trip to the group's studio in Amsterdam. After an intensive weekend working through their ideas with Nieuw Ensemble, they each now face the task of completing a piece to be premiered by the musicians at HCMF 2009. "When you hear your ideas played by an ensemble with so much experience and of such good quality, it makes them clear in a way that you're not able to imagine them previously," says Lauren Redhead, one of the four composers selected after a launch workshop at HCMF 2008. "Really experienced players can give you absolutely everything that you've written on the page, and a bit more."Run in partnership with Nieuw Ensemble and Yorkshire Universities and supported by NFPK and the Musicians' Benevolent Fund, the three-year programme offers professional development opportunities for emerging composers at higher education institutions in the region. Alongside Redhead, who is pursuing a practice-led PhD at University of Leeds, the chosen composers are Jenny Jackson (University of Sheffield), Ben Isaacs (University of Huddersfield) and Dimitris Maronidis (University of York).The first trip to Amsterdam in February saw the composers get to grips with Nieuw Ensemble's unusual instrumentation. With guitar, mandolin and harp alongside the more traditional strings, woodwind and percussion, the 12-piece ensemble has long been dedicated to building its own repertoire in partnership with composers."The whole ensemble sound was the challenge, and also a really exciting part of the project," recalls Redhead. "The first weekend, I spoke to the ensemble about how they musically interact with each other and the different ways that they would respond to notation. The music I then wrote for the second weekend tried to incorporate those ideas."April's workshop offered the composers opportunities to gain feedback from the players, from artistic director Joël Bons and from Richard Ayres, who teaches at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague."It's really quite an informal environment where you feel able to express your ideas any way you like," Redhead says. "The focus isn't so much on one piece as your whole musical language." The four also observed their counterparts from Nieuw Ensemble's Netherlands programme and attended performances at the Bimhuis and Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ.Redhead and her three fellow musical travellers will stay in contact with Nieuw Ensemble over the summer as they compose the pieces for November's premieres, helping to maintain the inspirational momentum of the workshops."Although I'm happy with some of the things I've written," she concludes, "I now have a lot of ideas for how I could take it further." Tue, 19 May 2009 09:53:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/57 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/57 Sound artist Bill Thompson has turned his microphones upon the silent and invisible world of electromagnetism for Shifting Currents, a new installation and performance coming to HCMF 2009.Commissioned in partnership with Le Weekend festival in Stirling and Aberdeen's sound festival, Shifting Currents features electromagnetic recordings of distinctive and atmospheric places from each of the three locations, alongside improvised responses from Thompson, Keith Rowe and Rick Reed.Shifting Currents explores the unstable, unpredictable realm of electricity as a metaphor for the way in which music flows and changes around us. In keeping with the found sound aesthetic of his previous work, Aberdeen-based Thompson has used a stick-on telephone microphone to capture electromagnetic signals and interference, transforming the inaudible waveforms into delicate and harsh sonic textures. He recorded in Stirling's historic Church of the Holy Rude, where the infant James VI was crowned, and in Fraserburgh Lighthouse on the windswept Aberdeenshire coast. In Huddersfield he found inspiration in the university's engineering department.Shifting Currents receives its premiere on 30 May at Le Weekend before visiting HCMF and sound in November. The former wool blending shed at Bates Mill will play host to a constantly evolving multi-channel installation of Thompson's recordings, with Thompson, Rowe and Reed weaving the sounds into their own musical performances on guitar and electronics.Keith Rowe has been a key figure in British improvisation since the mid-1960s, when a new year's resolution to stop tuning his guitar set him on a journey away from the jazz he was playing with Mike Westbrook and towards free music. As well as several decades as part of the group AMM, Rowe's career includes the founding of M.I.M.E.O. (who performed at HCMF 2007), and numerous solo and collaborative recordings. The one-time art student's break with traditional playing techniques parallels the innovation of Jackson Pollock's floor canvases: laying his guitar flat upon a table, he incorporates found objects, electronics, contact mics and radio transmissions into his music-making.Rick Reed shares an artistic background with Rowe, and a home state, Texas, with Thompson. After college he moved to Austin and became involved in the city's experimental music scene, making music with synthesisers and tape machines, alongside video art and sound installations. Shifting Currents will also pay a visit to the November Music festival in the Netherlands, transmitting the intangible qualities and hidden music of Huddersfield, Stirling and Aberdeen to a new location.Shifting Currents will take place on Monday 23 November, 10pm at Bates Mill and is a free event. Shifting Currents is produced by hcmf// co-commissioned by hcmf//, Le Weekend and sound; supported by PRS Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn and Scottish Arts Council.        Tue, 19 May 2009 09:37:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/56 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/56 Visitors to the 2009 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival will be able to literally step inside a work by HCMF Composer in Residence Jonathan Harvey, when it forms part of an installation by Brussels-based video artists Visual Kitchen. Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco is a tape piece created by Harvey in 1980, during a period when he was invited to work at IRCAM, the Parisian electroacoustic research institute. The eight-channel music is composed of two digitally manipulated sound sources: Harvey's son, who was a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, and the cathedral's largest bell.Visual Kitchen's video accompaniment features a floor projection on a white square bounded by the loudspeakers, encouraging visitors to step between them and be surrounded by the music."It's the whole question of how people relate to a space that's only created by sound," says Sam Vanoverschelde, who founded Visual Kitchen with Jurgen Van Gemert in the late 1990s. "The most important thing was to figure out how we were going to do an eight-point installation with the sound coming from all angles, when we only had one video. It was the contrast between spatialised sound and having a flat surface with no depth."Vanoverschelde and Van Gemert started out as part of a VJ collective in nightclubs, moving on to create music videos and audiovisual performances. An artist-in-residency post at Bruges' Concertgebouw in 2003 marked the start of a continuing engagement with contemporary music that includes interpretations of Stockhausen, collaborations with fellow Brussels sound artist Eavesdropper and video for a new 2009 production of Karel Goeyvaerts' opera Aquarius.Premiering in St Catherine's Church, Vilnius in October 2008 as part of the city's annual Gaida festival, the finished video mixes together eight visual tracks. Its hypnotic, shifting imagery, including stars, radiating lines and a close-up of the iris of Vanoverschelde's young daughter, lures people to the spot where the music will be most striking. "It creates an atmosphere that draws people's attention to the middle of the cube," Vanoverschelde says.He found that some visitors appeared nervous about stepping onto the projection, due to either the disconcerting illusion of depth created by some of the imagery, or inhibitions about standing on a work of art. "In Vilnius we learned that maybe we should give people something, such as the plastic shoes you get in hospitals, so that it give people the permission to stand on it," he notes.Anyone bold enough to enter the installation unwittingly becomes part of it: "During daytime it's more something intriguing that people stand around before going onto the video. At night it's something to be submerged in. Since the projection is from above, people have light falling upon them. Sometimes it has little flecks like stars and sometimes the shapes alter people. If you look at it from afar and see people in the beam of light, it's like a divine light falling down."Jonathan Harvey – Visual KitchenMortuos Plango, Vivos VocoElectronic music (1980) by Jonathan Harvey, realised at the Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique / Musique (IRCAM), Paris, Distributed by Faber Music Ltd., LondonVideo installation (2008) by Visual Kitchen (Sam Vanoverschelde & Jurgen Van Gemert)Concept: Lieven Bertels - Production: The Holland Festival, AmsterdamWorld première of the installation: Gaida Festival, Vilnius (Lithuania), 25.X.2008Commissioned by Gaida Festival in the framework of the ISCM World Music Days 2008Book tickets now for events featuring the work of Jonathan Harvey. Online prices from £9. See the Mortuos Plango installation in Vilnius here . Visit Visual Kitchen's myspace and Vimeo page for lots more content. Fri, 15 May 2009 13:05:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/55 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/55 John Tilbury's book Cornelius Cardew: A Life Unfinished, launched at HCMF 2008, has been shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award in the Creative Communication category.Cornelius Cardew was a musician of genius for whom Life and Art were as one. He was a radical, both artistically and politically, becoming a tireless activist and uncompromising Marxist-Leninist. Passion and imagination governed all he did: his boldness and humanity continue to intrigue and inspire.John Tilbury, whose close friendship with Cardew dates from their first concert together, in January 1960, has worked for many years on this biography, and brings his subject vividly to life. In doing this, he has drawn extensively from Cardew's journals and letters, and obtained first-hand accounts from friends and colleagues. The handling of this material is thoughtful and meticulous. Tilbury is a master story-teller and this particular story is of epic scale and character. We begin in 1932, appropriately on May Day, with the first meeting of his parents. Later, we encounter the intrepid schoolboy and student, who impressed sufficiently at the Royal Academy of Music to receive funds to study in Cologne with Karlheinz Stockhausen. The narrative during this period is delightfully picaresque, a colourful prelude to the years of family responsibilities and extraordinary musical endeavour and achievement (AMM, Treatise, the Scratch Orchestra and The Great Learning). As events unfold, discussion of the music is given due weight, but is never unduly weighty.Towards the end, there is an implacable gain in momentum as Cardew's political work makes increasing demands on his time and apparently limitless reserves of energy.Cornelius Cardew: A Life Unfinished can be ordered from Matchless Recordings: http://www.matchlessrecordings.com/cornelius-cardew-life-unfinished The winners of the RPS Music Awards will be announced on the 12 May 2009 at a dinner at the Dorchester Hotel. Since 1989 the RPS Music Awards have recognised not only the calibre of today's classical musicians but also those who push creative boundaries to produce work which excites and engages audiences. The shortlists for the 13 categories honour inspirational performers, composers, programmers, communicators and outreach work The shortlisted nominations for all categories of the RPS Music Awards can be seen here: http://www.rpsmusicawards.com/2009/shortlists/shortlist2.html  Wed, 06 May 2009 10:02:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/54 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/54 Having recently returned from the second workshop weekend, for which I prepared a further four sketches, I am in the process of listening back to recordings and evaluating the results. The eight sketches I have written overall enabled a familiarisation with the distinctive sound of the Nieuw Ensemble and it has been a fun and informative process. Somehow I persuaded myself that the sketches were just for the workshops and found them easy to produce as they carried no value beyond the purpose of discovery and experimentation. Now, however, I am faced with the reality of writing the final piece and the thought of the first perfomance is making the task appear both exciting and daunting, possibly to the point of immobilisation. I'll try not to project too much...Jenny Jackson Wed, 06 May 2009 09:42:45 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/23 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/23 Lefteris Papadimitriou is the winner of the inaugural 2009 CeReNeM/HCMF Scholarship. The scholarship covers three years tuition fees for doctoral study at Huddersfield with stipend and enables him to work closely with HCMF's Artistic Director, Graham McKenzie.Lefteris Papadimitriou was born in Greece and is a graduate at the music department of the University of Athens where he studied composition with Iannis Ioanidis. He was the winner of the 2006 Gaudeamus prize for his composition for piano and orchestra "Black and white". He was awarded a commission from the Asko/Schoenberg Ensemble, Amsterdam 2008 and participated in the 2007 "Acanthes" composition workshops under Michael Jarell, Marco Stroppa and Yan Maresz.He has written many works for instruments and various electronic media, which have been performed in Greece and abroad. Together with Marios Tsagaris he performs live electronic works and improvisations with laptops. http://www.lefterispapadimitriou.com/ The Centre for Research in New Music (CeReNeM) at the University of Huddersfield aims to conduct and disseminate research of the highest international standing into composition, contemporary performance, and new technologies. CeReNeM promotes discourse between departmental staff and visiting artists by supporting the creation and presentation of work through residencies, publications, workshops, seminars and concerts.CeReNem website: http://www.hud.ac.uk/mh/music/cerenem/ Fri, 01 May 2009 15:53:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/53 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/53 Only two lines are now missing from my sketch for the second weekend of workshops. A lot of time, ink, and tippex, as well as four sheets of (now ripped and curled) A2 paper have been used. I have expanded my string quartet sketch from the first weekend (where constantly shifting harmonic phrases move quietly and unpredictably between pitched and un-pitched sound) to create a longer, more substantial passage in which consistently intricate internal detail creates a largely homogenous, slowly moving surface. The result, I hope, is an intense and perhaps unstable environment, somehow imposing yet dominated by microscopic gestures. I can't wait to hear it! Fri, 01 May 2009 15:04:49 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/22 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/22 The first weekend workshops were excellent and provided me with a catalogue of live sounds and colour combinations which I can now go and play with. The microtones on the cor anglais sounded wonderful and just how I'd imagined, although a couple of them were impossible to play - just what I needed to find out! The challenge now (before the next workshop weekend in April) is to tackle the pluckers (the harp, mandolin and guitar). They can so easily be lost within the texture of the larger ensemble but also offer a real delicacy and lightness. The guitar is out of the cupboard, so this is serious! Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:15:34 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/21 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/21 I wrote a piece last year for the violist Bridget Carey that was full of extremely high harmonics and had a great fragile and delicate feel to it. I'm really looking forward to trying similar ideas across the four bowed strings in the Nieuw Ensemble - I have no idea what it will sound like! This is a fantastic opportunity to write a large-scale piece - I've never written for more than six players before - and I'm still trying to figure out how to cope with so many musicians. Hopefully things will become clearer when I meet the group! Roll on Amsterdam... Ben Isaacs is currently studying for a Masters degree in Composition at the University of Huddersfield with Aaron Cassidy, and enjoys playing in the University's edges ensemble and Split, his free-improvising, notation-reading, experimenting trumpet trio. Ben is one of four composers selected to join this year's HCMF & Nieuw Ensemble Composers' Professional Development Programme, which sees emerging composers spending two weekends of workshops in Amsterdam working alongside the Nieuw Ensemble, trying out new ideas with the ensemble and receiving advice and guidance from the tutors. Each composer will have their piece performed by the Nieuw Ensemble at HCMF 2009. The first set of workshops runs from 20-22 February and the second set from 24-26 April. Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:32:05 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/20 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/20 With the first workshop weekend in Amsterdam fast approaching, the PhD writing up is officially ‘on hold' (my decision: what a brilliant excuse!) and I'm having a go at a few sketches to take with me instead. After weeks of writing words it's such a relief to be working with sound again and I'm particularly looking forward to experimenting with the huge range of colours available within the Nieuw Ensemble. Of course, I do have to get over my guitar ‘thing'... It will be good to meet the ensemble next week and to start the collaboration, and to meet the other composers too. I hope to be inspired and educated, and to come back armed with ideas and a better working knowledge of the guitar and mandolin. And, of course, going to Amsterdam can't be bad... Wahey!!Jenny Jackson (b. 1971) is currently studying part-time for a PhD in composition with George Nicholson at the University of Sheffield. She is one of four composers selected to join this year's HCMF & Nieuw Ensemble Composers' Professional Development Programme, which sees emerging composers spending two weekends of workshops in Amsterdam working alongside the Nieuw Ensemble, trying out new ideas with the ensemble and receiving advice and guidance from the tutors. Each composer will have their piece performed by the Nieuw Ensemble at HCMF 2009. The first set of workshops runs from 20-22 February and the second set from 24-26 April.   Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:18:08 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/19 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/19 Janek Schaefer has won the British Composer of The Year Award for Sonic Art 2008 for his work Extended Play, which was commissioned for HCMF 2007.The winners of the 2008 British Composer Awards were announced on Tuesday 2 December 2008 in a ceremony hosted by the British Academy of Composers & Songwriters at the Law Society, London.Now in its sixth year, the Awards are sponsored annually by the Performing Right Society (PRS), and are run in association with BBC Radio 3. As winner of the Award for Sonic Art, Schaefer will receive £5,000 from the PRS Foundation towards a new commission or towards a project which contributes to the furtherance of the artist's career.Extended Play Extended Play (Triptych for the children of war) is an uplifting and enveloping bittersweet tribute to the child survivors of conflict and war.I started my own family recently, and have been very aware of how lucky we are in our own situation. I have been comparing this to the fact that my mum was born in Warsaw in 1942. How opposite can two beginnings be? It dazzles me and inspired me. Also, in our new garden is a derelict WWII bomb shelter. I used to think it was a nuisance, until I appreciated what it represented for the first residents to move in.As I turn on the TV, what I see reported is the never ending cycle of war, terror and conflict of one type or another. I'm not convinced you could make a 24hr News Channel about only the 'very very best' things that are happening globally, right now. So, Extended Play contemplates and celebrates hope, survival, and new beginnings. In the installation, a cello, a violin, and a piano are recorded individually playing their part of a 10-minute composition inspired by the WWII system of musical codes called 'Jodoform'. These were musical messages broadcast between London and Warsaw by the BBC World Service after the midday news. Extended Play lifts and propagates a three note phrase from a jolly Polish Tango that was broadcast on the day my mother was born. The score was developed in close collaboration with the talented young composer Michael Jennings.The string parts are played by two brothers, Simon Hewitt Jones and Thomas Hewitt Jones with Michael Jennings on piano. Each instrument solo is then cut onto a 12' vinyl record and played back repeatedly on three retro record players at various different speeds. This mechanical technique alters both the pitch and the speed of the instrument parts. Each of the nine record players (three for each instrument) is sensitive to the presence of people - get too close and it stops playing until you stand still or move away. The result is a continuously shifting mass of evolving sound that is never the same twice. © Janek Schaefer 'a piece to return to again and again... haunting and lulling' The WireBritish Composer Awards: http://www.britishacademy.com/awards/britishcomposerawards/Janek Schaeffer, Extended Play:http://www.audioh.com/projects/extendedplay.html  Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:25:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/51 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/51 Clarinet and piano duo Wake Up performed at a prestigious event in the Netherlands as a result of their HCMF Shorts performance during HCMF 2008.Heather Roche (clarinet) & Kate Ledger (piano) were invited to perform at a concert celebrating the award of the Johan Wagenaar prize to Louis Andriessen at the Theater De Regentes, The Hague on 24 January. Heather and Kate performed Andriessen's Double for clarinet and piano.   Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:52:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/50 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/50 Four composers studying at Yorkshire Universities visited the Netherlands recently to take part in HCMF's new high-profile Composers' Professional Development Programme.Jenny Jackson (University of Sheffield), Ben Isaacs (University of Huddersfield), Dimitris Maronidis (University of York) and Lauren Redhead (University of Leeds) flew to Amsterdam at the end of February for a series of workshops with the Nieuw Ensemble at their studio. During the workshops they tried out new ideas and sketches with the ensemble and received advice and guidance from the tutors. Whilst in Amsterdam they also observed workshops with other composers from the Nieuw Ensemble's existing Netherlands programme and attended performances at the Bimhuis and Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ.Ben Isaacs commented: ‘The players were really helpful and I was very encouraged by their response to what I'd written. The atmosphere during the workshops was friendly and supportive and every effort was made to realise my intentions. Having never written for such a large ensemble before, I learned a lot in a relatively short space of time. After the workshops, I now have the confidence to continue the work I have started, and have a clearer conception of my ultimate aims for my final piece.'The aim is of the programme is to provide sustained and valuable professional development opportunities for emerging composers, learning from and working alongside a leading international contemporary music ensemble in one of Europe's most vibrant cultural centres. You can read Ben Isaac's blog here: http://www.hcmf.co.uk/category/show/4 and you can read Jenny Jackson's blog here: http://www.hcmf.co.uk/category/show/3Composer InformationBen Isaacs has recently written music for Bridget Carey, Philip Thomas, Barrie Webb and Wake Up, who premiered Peel at the Darmstadt Summer Courses for New Music 2008. He is currently studying for a Masters degree in Composition at the University of Huddersfield with Aaron Cassidy, and enjoys playing in the university's edges ensemble and Split, his free-improvising, notation-reading, experimenting trumpet trio.Jenny Jackson (b. 1971) is currently studying part-time for a PhD in composition with George Nicholson at the University of Sheffield. Her music reflects an enthusiasm for the visual and performing arts and literature which often serve as stimuli for new pieces. Recent work includes short pieces for chamber ensembles, including Fluxus Boxes (2007) for clarinet trio & flexible wind orchestra, and to break a young horse... (2007) for string quartet & string orchestra, and she has also written three pieces of music theatre including an adaptation of Alexander Pope's mock-heroic poem The Rape of the Lock (2006). She was selected to participate on the Jerwood Opera Writing Programme based in Aldeburgh in 2007, and received tuition from Harrison Birtwistle.Dimitris Maronidis was born in Thessaloniki in 1980. He studied Counterpoint, Harmony, Orchestration and Composition at the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki with Prof. Kostas Siembis and Kostas Tsougras. From years 1998 to 2006 he had studied at the Music Department of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and he graduated after the successful completion of his thesis regarding the use of Markov Chains in interactive music environments composed/constructed with Max/msp.He is currently studying for the Ph.D degree in music composition at the Music Department of York University under the supervision of Dr. Thoma Simaku with funds from the State Scholarships Foundation of Greece (IKY). Lauren Redhead is originally from Manchester but now lives in West Yorkshire. She is the president of the Forum of Composers and Musicians (FOCAM); is undertaking postgraduate study at the University of Leeds with Mic Spencer; and is interested in non-linearity and the music of the 21st-century. Funded by NFPK+ and Musicians Benevolent Fund Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:32:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/47 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/47 HCMF would like to thank all the musicians who participated in the performace of James Tenney's In a large, open space on Monday 24 November with Quatuor Bozzini:David Canter (clarinet), Scott McLaughlin (cello), John Kendrick (clarinet), Joseph Kudirka (guitar), Susie Barrett (violin), Sue Watts (violin), Stephen Chase (melodica), Michael Straus (saxophone), Dana Jessen (bassoon), David Higginson (keyboard), Jane Halnan (violin), Jenny Brierley (double bass), Garett Sholdice (guitar), Deborah Nash (celtic harp), Amanda Vickers (violin) and Taylan Susam (clarinet). Thank you to you all!Later in the evening at Bates Mill twenty or so musicians (students and amateur) join Quatuor Bozzini to perform James Tenney’s work In a large, open space. The musicians are seated throughout the space and the audience are encouraged to move around them as the piece develops. It is an incredibly emotional and inclusive experience and when it comes to an end 60 or so minutes later – applause somehow seems intrusive and it really feels that we should all simply disappear into the night holding on to the warm feelings and the communal experience that we have shared.Taken from HCMF Artistic Director Graham McKenzie's blog for the Huddersfield Examiner. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:56:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/46 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/46 Interesting links to other projects you might be interested in:Isle of Dogs: You Are HearInteractive soundmap from Trinity College of Music's You Are Hear project: http://www.iodmusic.org/youarehear/   This contains location recordings, music and some time-lapse recordings of the courtyard at Trinity College of Music and is intended to be a repository for future work on the Isle of Dogs. Sound Diaries  http://www.sound-diaries.com/     The Sound Diaries initiative is focused around sound-recordings and sound-texts and the ways in which we can use sound as a document of our lives. It is hoped that you will join in with the project contributing your views, sound-recordings, sound-texts, project ideas and perspectives on the notion of Sound Diaries.What is a Sound Diary? Why create a Sound Diary? What period does it cover: minutes, hours, days, weeks, years? How much of that period will it capture? How do Sound Diaries relate to written diaries, or photo albums? What is a sonic snapshot? These are some of the issues that will be addressed during the Sound Diaries project - do get involved!If you have ever made a Sound Diary or worked with the notion of Sound Diaries, you can send us sound-recordings, sound-texts, images relating to your project, and a line of two of text introducing your contribution. We can then create a page for you on the website and link this to any upcoming events you are involved with.In 2009 the Sound Diaries project will be the subject of a symposium hosted by the Sonic Art Research Unit at Oxford Brookes University and of a publication featuring your contributions. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to get involved with the world of Sound Diaries; come and check out the site; send us your sound-recordings, sound-texts and comments. Felicity Ford & Paul Whitty  Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:10:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/45 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/45 So far this year's Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival has seen an array of international guests, innovative thought provoking performances and sold out events. Here are some of the highlights... • Some of Kirklees brightest emerging talent perform an astonishing array of musical styles and genres on laptops. We heard the first fruits of students working with the Abelton Live software package, and while generally rooted in ambient techno the results were very impressive.• On Saturday International producers, festival directors, and assorted international guests arrived for the opening weekend of HCMF. The first weekend of HCMF presented a strong British showcase of the some of the best contemporary and new music being created right now in the U.K.• The Arditti's played beautifully to great acclaim including a stunning work by Sir Harrison Birtwistle.• The world premiere of Christopher Fox's new commissioned work. The hall was absolutely packed, there was a huge demand for tickets and the concert ended to rapturous applause.• The new composition by saxophonist/improviser John Butcher, which we premiered the weekend before at November Music in Holland was sold out and a great success with everyone who attended raving about the performance. • Sunday afternoon saw the wonderful Hade Edge and the University of Huddersfield Brass Bands participating in Dror Feiler's composition Basurawhich. It was then followed by the second piece MULL performed by Klangforum Wein including full ensemble and garbage truck! Throughout the entire piece the mechanism of the truck was churning ‘rubbish'. This meant of course that the engine was running throughout, and we had to have a length of pipe to guide the fumes out of the space!! At the end the composer Dror Feiler received a standing ovation but perhaps the loudest cheer was for the refuse truck operator who rightly takes a bow from the stage.• Twenty or so musicians (students and amateur) joined Quatuor Bozzini to perform James Tenney's work in a large, open space. The musicians were seated throughout the space and the audience was encouraged to move around them as the piece developed. • The lunchtime concert for the piano baschet sold out. This concert was the first outing for the half instrument half sculpture in the U.K. and featured new works especially composed for the instrument. • The performance by Continuum featured collaboration between composer Richard Ayers and the controversial Canadian film maker Guy Maddin. The film featured scenes of a sexually explicit nature that apparently even shocked the normally liberal Amsterdam where it was recently performed. Anyway the occasion passed without incident and Huddersfield took it all in its stride!• John Tilbury played the music of Cornelius Cardew and talked about his recently published book on Cardew. I have been privileged to receive a copy some weeks ago and I highly recommend it!The pictures below do not do the concerts justice. Large pictures will be available on this site soon, alternativly go to myspace.com/hcmfuk to see them in all their glory. In order to experience the magic of this year's festival the only advice we can give is for you to come the last concerts over this coming weekend!!!   Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:32:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/44 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/44 This blog has reached a conclusion. Had a great time at the launch last Friday (thanks again to Heidi, HCMF, and Jay & Bill, Green Building Company, for last minute help) and Sunday morning with all the people that showed up for the soundwalk (thanks to you all). Full details of the project are now available at the:Colne Valley Listeners website (thanks for visiting) Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:11:20 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/18 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/18 Matthew Sansom's Colne Valley Listeners installation, commissioned by the River Colne Sculpture Trail and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, has been launched at Rotcher Picnic Site, Slaithwaite.Colne Valley Listeners employs active listening to explore and enhance the relationship between the valley's beauty and significance, with people past, present and future. Designed to reflect both the industrial heritage of the valley and the natural setting of the installation, it is an acoustic exploration of the environment, its diversity and our relationship to it. The project combines a permanent sculptural installation of two acoustic mirrors at the Rotcher Picnic Site with a guided soundwalk and accompanying audio.The River Colne Acoustic Mirrors are parabolic dishes fashioned in aluminium: one dish eavesdrops on walkers as they approach from the picnic site and the other listens out towards the trees and across the valley. Close-up, these devices focus and subtly amplify the soundscape at a focal point a short distance from the centre of the dish. Whilst drawing inspiration from the gigantic concrete acoustic radar dishes from between the World Wars and, in part, from playground sound mirrors, they are distinct in their three-way function as conceptual sound art, sculptural form and sound sculpture. Interaction with the acoustic mirrors helps direct awareness towards the surrounding soundscape, leaving a subtle perceptual imprint that listeners take with them as they continue their walk. The River Colne Soundwalk, available as a download or from Slaithwaite Library on pre-loaded mp3-players, explores the location of the installation. The guided soundwalk, incorporating the installation, includes audio tracks for playback at fixed locations and whilst walking. It combines material from local children's sonic explorations of the area, sound archive descriptions of the area and location recordings made along the walk.Download Matthew Sansom's River Colne Soundwalk here Soundwalk directions and MP3 players are available to borrow from Slaithwaite Library at the following times from 21 November onwards:MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 10AM - 12.30PM, 2PM - 5PMTHURSDAYS 10AM - 12.30PM, 2PM - 7.30PMFRIDAYS 2PM - 5PMSATURDAYS 10AM - 12.30PMAlternatively you can download the Soundwalk directions and audio yourself here: http://www.matthewsansom.info/colnevalley.htmFunded by an anonymous donor, Arts Council England, Yorkshire, Huddersfield Common Good Trust and the Patricia and Donald Shepherd Charitable TrustWith thanks to the Green Building Company and Green Building Store Also with thanks to The staff and Year 5 pupils at Nields Junior, Infant & Nursery School. Cate Clark, River Colne Sculpture Trail. Mick Smith, River Colne Project. Desmond Brett. Neil Windett, Kirklees Council Countryside Unit. Isobel Holland, Kirklees Sound Archive. Bill Butcher, Green Building Company. Phil Kemp, Artec Engineering Ltd.You can read Matthew Sansom's Colne Valley Listeners project blog here .   Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/41 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/41 Really busy finalising the dishes, still on target for Friday ... just! The dishes are looking superb. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:02:43 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/17 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/17 Artec have been working hard to meet the deadline - hugely appreciated by everybody involved in the project. They've sent through these images, not of the dishes, not yet, but of the form used to make the dishes. Tantalising! Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:02:11 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/16 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/16 Drafting the website for downloading the audio and soundwalk instructions: go here for a preview >> Soundwalk Downloads Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:01:30 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/15 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/15 I have loads I could put up here now... but the truth is, with the launch just 7 days away, I am just too busy. See you next weekend? Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:00:50 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/14 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/14 An HCMF short. As a performer, Scott McLaughlin is active in the field of live electronics and free improvisation. He performs regularly with the groups ‘Murmansk’ and the ‘Deserted Village Collective’. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:12:56 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/26 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/26 Pierre Alexandre Tremblay is never quite where you expect to find him. Each of his activities is influenced by the others and he loves that this shapes his creativity infinitely, keeping him from always staying in one place. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:08:57 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/25 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/25 In recent years Philip has pursued a passion for freely improvised music, after significant encounters with the music of AMM and Sheffield-based musicians Martin Archer, Mick Beck and John Jasnoch. Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:06:31 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/24 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/24 When I meet Dror Feiler he's already coming downstairs to the front door wearing a preoccupied frown. He spots me and asks ‘Who are you?' with a bewildered air. ‘Ah, yes, yes' he says when I tell him, ‘come and look at this!'.Without waiting for a reply he strides off across the courtyard.We're in the centre of an extraordinary rabbit warren of apartments tucked down a side-street in the south of Stockholm, where he's lived for the past decade.‘We also have a gallery here where we do installations', he says or rather shouts over one shoulder, without breaking his stride. We duck our heads to enter the building (it dates from the 17th century so the doors are lower than you expect, the long wooden-beamed passages interestingly crooked). The ‘gallery' is barely the size of a sitting-room. It's white and completely bare apart from a forest of partly-inflated balloons on the floor, each mounted on its own vertical mount like a windsock.‘We're still assembling this. It's by a German artist who I think is very interesting,' he says. We gaze at it for a while, and then suddenly Feiler remembers I'm there. ‘Ah yes, you want to talk. Come!' he says, in an eager and imperious tone.Back we go across the courtyard, and up some winding stairs to the apartment he shares with his wife, the Swedish artist Gunnila Skold-Feiler, who's as blonde and mild in manner as Feiler is dark and intense. The space is a beguiling mixture of Northern airiness and lightness and Middle-Eastern warmth, with rugs on the floors and walls.We go up more narrow curving stairs into his study, which is as modest as the gallery we've just left. Outsize scores of Feiler's music teeter precariously from a rough-hewn white-washed space above the door. Books in Hebrew, Swedish, German and English are crammed into the shelves, which cover every inch of wall space. Some of them look like family heirlooms, including the volumes of Marx.It's really no surprise when Feiler says, ‘My parents were typical Jewish intellectuals of the time. My father was leader of the local Communist party in Tel Aviv, and he was interested in all the modern trends in the art. He was a violinist, my mother was a singer. This impressed on me the idea that being musically avant-garde and politically avant-garde was completely normal, in fact it was more than normal, it was essential. You know that wonderful saying of d'Alembert about freedom?'I confess I don't.‘You don't? Oh it's wonderful! He said ‘All Freedoms are bound together. If you want to keep the monarchy, don't change the form of opera!' Feiler's own parents suffered for their left-wing politics. His father served a prison sentence for fraternising with Palestinians in the mid-80s and his aged mother still works for a charitable organization that dispenses health care to needy Palestinians.Feiler too would become a political activist, but through the medium of music.‘After my military service - by the way did you know I refused to serve in the Occupied Territories? I was one of the first refuseniks. Anyway, I came to Sweden to see some friends, not knowing quite what to do. I was already interested in new music, and active as an improvising saxophone player. I saw there were some interesting courses at a music college, the Fylkingen Institut, so I thought, why not stay for a while. Then I went on the University, and then to the Conservatoire, where I studied with some wonderful teachers like Brian Ferneyhough. By then I was already playing improvised music, and had set up my own group. So somehow or other I stayed, and now I have been here for 33 years!' he says with a resigned shrug. But the mild, sweetly reasonable, social-democrat air of Sweden hasn't mellowed Feiler. Nor have his long years in music education turned him into a conventional ‘new music' composer. Though he's now in his late 50s, he still has the air of an outsider, and his encounters with the august institutions of classical music haven't always been happy.‘Look at this,' he says, pulling down one of those outsize scores. ‘This was the piece commissioned by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra', he says. ‘Halat Hisar' (State of Siege) has more staves than any score I've ever seen, each of them so tiny that I can barely make out the notes. ‘Yes, that was a problem for the conductor' says Feiler, ‘I had to make a new score with bigger staves. But then they refused to play the music because it was too loud.' A kind of music that has to shout at 105 decibels might be thought to be nothing more than a sophisticated kind of sadism. But Feiler sees loudness as expressively potent.‘You know one of the first good reviews of my music was from Louis Andriessen,and he loves loudness too! I love to play loudly myself, I don't just ask others to do it. But also it's to do with the way we listen. We musicians always compare things, in a way we are the worst listeners, always saying when we hear something, ‘Ah, yes, that reminds me of...' But if I play really loud it shocks you, you stop thinking and comparing and really listen.'The political engagement and the aggressive high volume are all ways Feiler tries to break the mould of new music.‘There is such a stale atmosphere in new music world, that's why I have always found improvisation attractive. Derek Bailey, Anthony Braxton, Evan Parker, these were the people I really admired. Free improvisation creates a special intensity, something hot and molten like lava. I use written notation as a way of achieving a similar intensity by a different route.'Is that intensity hard to maintain in his own creative life?‘Of course! There's far too much music in the world, and most of it is created without any real existential need. For a long time I refused to accept commissions, to avoid exactly this problem. But then no-one takes you seriously, they think you have no confidence in yourself. So now I accept commissions, but try to subvert them and turn them to my own purposes.'Those purposes are always political as much as artistic. I wonder exactly what those politics are, and ask, has he inherited his father's communism? At this point Feiler smiles, spreads his arm wide and shrugs, as if to acknowledge that he's swimming against the tide of history.‘What can I say? Yes...yes, I am a communist, though I know it's supposed to be an impossible position these days...'He thinks for a moment, and suddenly becomes heated.‘Yes, I am a communist because it's to do with having real democracy in the world. What is the point in voting for governments when so much of the real power in the world lies with the multinational companies, who are responsible only to their shareholders? We need a democracy in wealth and ownership.' Feiler's involvement with politics has frequently got him into hot water. He's visited guerilla camps in Latin America with radical theatre companies, he's chairman of ‘European Jews for a Just Peace', and a recent art installation he created with his wife was the subject of a political storm. ‘Snow White and the Madness of Truth' showed a boat bearing a picture of a female suicide bomber crossing a blood-red sea, while Bach's ‘Mein Herz Schwimmt im Blut' played over loudspeakers. The Israeli ambassador to Sweden was so enraged by what he called this attempt to ‘beautify' suicide bombers that he vandalized it.‘The Swedish government then asked him to leave,' says Feiler, ‘and soon afterwards I was described by an Israeli commentator as ‘Israel's no 1 enemy in Europe.' I'm now regularly described as a ‘Jewish self-hater'. I'm even compared to Noam Chomsky, which I must say is very flattering.'Doesn't he ever long for the quiet life of the non-political artist? Feiler snorts with derision at the very idea. ‘I am not interested in just creating art objects, I want to use art as a way of revealing a truth about the world. My art and my politics are really the one thing. I want to be on the side of the all the people in the world who want to change things for the better.'Visit Dror Feiler's web-site at: http://www.tochnit-aleph.com/drorfeiler/Ivan Hewett Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:15:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/40 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/40 Lawrence English is media artist, composer and critic based in Brisbane, Australia. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:35:12 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/23 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/23 Mathew Adkins is a composer, performer, of electronica, electroacoustic and instrumental music. He was introduced to electronic and acousmatic music during his music studies at Pembroke College, Cambridge. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:34:23 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/22 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/22 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:32:54 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/21 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/21 The group Cranc (Angharad Davies, Rhodri Davies and Nikos Veliotis) invited Radu Malfatti to join them for a twelve-hour durational performance at the 2008 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. The performance was entitled ‘XII hours (for violoncello, room, hi-fi, trombone, dvd player, television, electric harp and violin)'.Before the event, Rhodri interviewed Radu about his work, his views on improvisation and composition, and the excitement of collaboration. Rhodri: I don't think you are invited to play enough in the UK and your work is too rarely performed here. I am therefore very happy that you are joining us for this project and glad that HCMF have offered us this opportunity.Would you like to say something about your pieces that we may be performing during XII hours? There are three of your pieces on our list of resources: Claude-Lorrain 1 (For Trombone and Sine-waves), the piece you wrote for Cranc in 2002, Dann Klopfte Sie Lange Beethoven, and your new quartet piece written especially for this event, Northumberland 4. Nikos is also keen to play your CD Indiscreet Silences during our performance.Radu: I am fully aware of the rare performances, but not only in the UK.Well, about my pieces, the new one, Northumberland 4, is very different to the older one Dann Klopfte Sie Lange Beethoven. In 2002 I had left microtonality behind me and was still working with chance operations. Gradually i moved to a kind of stringent, yet quite open architecture of silences and sounds.For instance, there would be the duration of a sound - 16 seconds - followed by a silence of 16 seconds. then the same sound appears but this time it lasts only 15 seconds, followed by a silence of 15 seconds and so on till the sound lasts, let's say, only four seconds. Then there is a pause of 2 minutes. After that the same sound starts again for four seconds, but one note changed. Then the sounds grow in length again till they reach the 16 second-duration. Again a pause of two minutes and a new sound appears with again just one note changed.So I am working a lot with perception and the thoughts behind. What do we hear, how do we hear, what do we realize while listening - and playing?Nobody will hear the difference between a sound lasting 20 seconds and 19 seconds. But a careful and attentive listener will certainly realize and think, "...the sound seems much shorter then the ones before..."And the two minutes pause is just about long enough to keep the memory of the last soundings in mind and realize that this sound is in a way different. If you play the two sounds immediately one after the other, then you and everybody else hears the obvious change.The piece i've written for Sage Gateshead worked along the same lines but instead of changing a note I changed a sound, which means the piece was for 21 strings and all the string players never touched the string during the whole piece which lasted 76 minutes. They all bowed different places of the body of their instruments, starting with a very low sound, gradually wandering (after the 2 minutes silence) to a higher sound. At the end all the strings played a very high pitched sound.The new piece is quite different though. Even if I still use a similar kind of architecture within the piece, it sounds different because the musicians don't play the sound at the same time anymore. And the silences are different too. The shorter the sound gets, the longer the silences are and vice versa. So it seems to be a much more open structure to listen to, but the underlying "strictness" is still audible.Rhodri: The configuration of music is clearly important to you: you studied architecture for a while and have used the analogy of the shape of a building to explain form, material and structure in music.How do you feel about your pieces sharing time and space with other pieces and improvisations within the larger structure of XII hours? Of course we have given much thought to our choice of compositions to make sure that they have a certain compatability, but what are your thoughts about other forms and structures interweaving with the inner logic of the pieces you talked about above?Radu: I don't feel like expanding too much on the difference between impro-visation and composition - it has been done over and over again. To some people there is no difference and to some there is an insurmountable gap in between.As usual, both sides are right and wrong. The question is not "is it improvisation or is it composition?" the question is whether there is room and space enough to share it with other people and other musics!As we all know, there are certain members of our society who are not able to listen - they like to talk and talk and talk and say nothing. Same with musicians and composers: some are just too much involved in the competitional aspect of their activities. Therefore they play and play: higher, faster, louder! The composers write and write, filling hundreds of pages with what we used to call "flyshit"!Of course I am interested in structures and materials - mainly in structure that is - and if I play improvised music I still tend to think or feel in certain kinds of structures. If I am able to work with the right settings of people, I have enough room and space to follow my own ideas and listening to their offerings at the same time. I once had a very nice experience in the primary school where I teach music. In order to stress my point of what to me is a very important aspect in music - the listening - I asked the kids to pronounce a word of their choice: all at the same time! After that, i asked different students whether they understood a word of let's say this person over there.Of course nobody could. I asked them to say the same word again, but this time individually one after the other. Everybody could now hear and understand all the words and one girl even remembered almost all the words that were spoken. By the way, the title of the course is "Sensibilisation of the Listenings".The other experiment was a concert in New York with my collegues Jürg Frey and Michael Pisaro. We all wrote a piece of 45 minutes and called it Three Back-grounds. We worked at it individually at home and nobody knew what the other was doing. We were quite curious how it all would come together during the performance. The result was quite amazing: the piece sounded like it was written by one - to be honest, sometimes a bit undecided - person. But it was wonderful!Interweaving musics can be very exciting and satisfying, but you have to be with the right people together.Which, of course, is true for any situation. Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:32:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/39 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/39 Got it! Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:55:29 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/13 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/13 Following fantastic performances by Grizzly Backere and The Invisible Worm at last week's Revolutionaries event, HCMF is pleased to announce that the second Revolutionaries event on Thursday 13 November will feature duo Ed Jenks & Matthew Barnard plus the the University of Huddersfield's laptop orchestra, HELO, directed by Scott Hewitt. Revolutionaries is a new initiative delivered in partnership with The Media Centre, aiming to showcase new work, new talent and new thinking by providing a platform for the best young creative talent in Kirklees. Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is hosting a series of Laptop Revolutions in the build up to HCMF 2008; showcasing emerging musicians aged 16-25 in Kirklees working with music technology and electroacoustic music. A selection of performers from the first two events will then be invited to perform at a final, recorded event on the eve of HCMF itself. Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:03:09 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/57 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/57 You may not be aware reading the blog recently that we still don't have planning permission. But a bit like another important announcement today coming from across the Atlantic, we will hear this morning from Kirklees Council if we've been successful... Will keep you posted! Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:50:32 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/12 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/12 Had a great visit to Slaithwaite on Monday 27th - fabulous autumnal weather, as you can see. 9 hours in the car round trip but well worth it. Finally met Desmond in the flesh! and now so close to installation. Me being the dishes:Everybody say, 'acoustic mirrors!'Desmond, Neil (Kirklees Council), Heidi (HCMF), and Cate (RCST) Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:49:37 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/11 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/11 Okay well here's a video of me talking about the project back in July. Thanks to Oliver Jones for this and for making me look like gurning soundscaper (oh, and for mispelling my name). All in a day's work. http://www.hcmf.co.uk/media/show/16 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:45:32 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/10 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/10 Pierre Alexandre Tremblay is never quite where you expect to find him. Each of his activities is influenced by the others and he loves that this shapes his creativity infinitely, keeping him from always staying in one place. Québécois by birth and by Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:20:16 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/19 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/19 In recent years Philip has pursued a passion for freely improvised music, after significant encounters with the music of AMM and Sheffield-based musicians Martin Archer, Mick Beck and John Jasnoch. He has worked with improvisers in a variety of contexts a Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:19:05 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/18 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/18 As a performer, Scott McLaughlin is active in the field of live electronics and free improvisation. He performs regularly with the groups ‘Murmansk’ and the ‘Deserted Village Collective’ and has released several albums on independent labels in Ire Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:18:25 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/17 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/17 Mathew Sansom is interested in refocusing attention away from external stimuli towards inwardly activated qualities. This involves listening to sounds and silences, their relationships, contexts and meanings in order to reflect on what they might reveal a Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:17:11 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/16 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/16 We go out and meet some of this year's steward volunteers who are currently in the process of getting ready for one of the best shows in town. Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:16:25 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/15 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/15 Stay tuned for artists, animations and more... Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:15:13 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/14 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/14 Performed by: Bart Visser (bicycle) and Edwin van der Heide (sound) Production: Nico Bink The performance was made possible with the support from: Nederlands Fonds voor Podiumkunsten Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Special thanks to: STEIM 4D-FilmVisi Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:08:51 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/13 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/13 Performed by: Bart Visser (bicycle) and Edwin van der Heide (sound) Production: Nico Bink The performance was made possible with the support from: Nederlands Fonds voor Podiumkunsten Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Special thanks to: STEIM 4D-FilmVisi Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:06:17 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/12 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/12 Performed by: Bart Visser (bicycle) and Edwin van der Heide (sound) Production: Nico Bink The performance was made possible with the support from: Nederlands Fonds voor Podiumkunsten Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Special thanks to: STEIM 4D-FilmVisio Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:17:13 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/11 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/11 INTONA Hommage to Dick Raaijmakers By Babeth M. VanLoo Musictheaterparformance by Dick Raaijmakers & paul Koek Editing: Geert Braam Produced by: FILM ART AMSTERDAM Special thanks to: Kasper van der Horst Anne Wellmer V2_ Joke B Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:14:06 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/10 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/10 Op zoek naar een vergeten toepassing (2000) Directed by Jacqueline Oskamp Camera Marc Felperlaan Sound Menno Euwe Montage Peter Rump Production Michiel Hobbelink Sander van Meurs Soundmontage Mark Dubbeldam Colorcorrection Ron Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:12:52 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/9 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/9 INTONA Hommage to Dick Raaijmakers By Babeth M. VanLoo Musictheaterparformance by Dick Raaijmakers & paul Koek Editing: Geert Braam Produced by: FILM ART AMSTERDAM Special thanks to: Kasper van der Horst Anne Wellmer V2_ Joke B Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:03:20 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/8 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/8                                               Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:27:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/38 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/38 Well, after holding my breath for a while things are rocketing forward ... a big relief. I now have dates in my diary for a site visit to peg out the space for the concrete pads that the dishes will sit on, and also for transportation of the dishes. Here are some realisations of what it all should look like at the site (thanks to Heidi at HCMF):   Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:51:35 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/9 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/9 Few years in modern history have been so sentimentally fetishized as 1968.The year of revolutions - most of them lacking any sort of ideological seriousness or consistency - the year of assassinations, the year of The White Album, Khe Sanh, the Tet offensive, My Lai.And back home in America - Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Second Wave Feminism at the Miss World pageant, Pope Paul VI's Humanae Vitae encyclical against birth control and the ‘post-pill paradise' of John Updike's Couples. While in Iraq, that anomalous creation of the Western powers, Saddam Hussein staged his coup.A forty years perspective lends those twelve months a strange and ironic cast, but was 1968 the epoch that those who experienced it, either in optimistic youth, or more vicariously, have subsequently claimed? Did the world sit any differently on its axis at year's end?The politics and culture of the 1960s have had powerful proponents - Arthur Marwick in the UK, Morris Dickstein more subtly and sceptically in the US - but a rising tide of revisionist history has started to set the key moments in the post-modern evolution a little further back in time.To some degree, this is mere book-making, the kind of comfortable regress that allows scholars - eager to notch up another bibliographic citation - to demonstrate that every cultural advance has a pre-history. There have been, however, more significant efforts to show that the 1950s, far from being a decade of bland prosperity, sleepy consensus and lack of adventure in the arts, were the real crucible of political experiment and creative endeavour.In his fine book Deliberate Speed, W T Lhamon jr suggests that the Eisenhower years witnessed not just the birth of the civil rights movement - along with feminism later, the only real engine of objective change in American life since the Progressive Era - but also the beginning of a period of artistic experiment which ran in parallel with political developments.Some of Lhamon's attempted connections may seem a little strained. It is hard to think of Ludwig Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations operating in the same intellectual universe as rock 'n' roll, for instance, but for the most part the case is securely made. The music of Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, the early fiction of Thomas Pynchon (some might argue that all that followed was hyper-extended footnotes), the gestural paintings of Jackson Pollock, and critically the advent of cheap hi-fi, the portable tape recorder and television.There are gaps in Lhamon's survey. He no more than glances in the direction of John Cage, omits Sun Ra and Stockhausen altogether, and having shown the impact of new and accessible technologies makes nothing of electronic music. But then, this is a very American account and ignores much that is non-native in origin or in spirit.The other overwhelming reality of the 1950s is that globalisation and the internationalisation of culture were becoming realities. The Global Village of the 1960s had arrived a decade before, when the hippies were still in grade school.It answers nothing more than narrative convenience to pick a single year as historically representative or exceptionally significant, but since 1968 is considered to be a cusp, why not look again at 1958, which happens to be the point de mire of the 2008 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.At first glance, it doesn't look in any way to be a year of soaring confidence. In 1958, a sharp global recession hit the United States with unexpected severity. America's powerful post-war trade boom faltered and stalled. Prices rose. Nevertheless, as George Katona reported in his 1960 book The Powerful Consumer, public confidence remained high despite ‘cumulative adverse expectations'. Wonderful phrase! Americans had money to spend; they simply elected not to for the moment.The balance of trade was not the only thing to fall. With the year only four days old, Sputnik I - the ‘second moon' celebrated in an early song by Dick Raaymakers, working as ‘Kid Baltan' - fell back to earth. This was only a Soviet failure in a symbolic sense, since the satellite was subject to a strict gravitational equation, but it lifted American spirits. The alien bleeps from overhead - the CIA was convinced the Russians were broadcasting coded passages from Das Kapital; in fact, the little metal ball was merely playing out its call sign, over and over - had been silenced for the moment and at the end of January America launched her own artificial satellite, Explorer I, followed in March by Vanguard I.In the year that saw the formation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) America had momentarily taken a lead over the Soviet Union. One of her most bizarre Cold Warriors, 14 year old Bobby Fischer won the national chess championship. It seemed only a matter of time before he was ready to take on the mighty Russians at what had become their own game. One young American had already done that, when in April 1958, Van Cliburn won the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. The cultural battle had already been taken to the Russians. For a curious, poised moment the balance between New World and Old held and then shifted subtly. Elvis Presley was inducted into the US Army and sent to Europe. What a wealth of symbolism in that moment! Middle America was quietly relieved that a priapic boy with Native American cheekbones had been shorn and tamed, his Cherokee whoop momentarily silenced. A ‘Red Indian' who sang and played ‘Negro' music had been sent over the ocean to make the world safe for democracy, and at the very moment when influential voices in the Old World seemed ungrateful for the gift of arms.Bertrand Russell only merits a fleeting reference in Deliberate Speed, but he fits Lhamon's argument every bit as well as his friend Wittgenstein. In 1958, Russell helped found the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and the Aldermaston marches began, under a banner which bore Gerald Holtom's crusading device, a combination of the semaphore positions for N and D, not copyrighted and now known universally as the ‘peace symbol'.The cultural energy was momentarily with Europe as well. The Brussels Expo, opened by King Baudouin, was to witness the extraordinary utopics created by Le Corbusier, Iannis Xenakis and Edgard Varèse in the Philips Pavilion. Pierre Boulez had just completed Doubles, his first major orchestral work after the lost symphony of 1947. Karlheinz Stockhausen had just seen Gruppen for three orchestras receive its premiere and was working on the electronic material for Kontakte. Olivier Messiaen had completed the Catalogue d'oiseaux and narrowed the distance between the first singers and human performance. Where else was music as primal and as powerful being made?If American culture is somehow divided between ‘Redskin' and ‘Paleface' tendencies, as Leslie A. Fiedler suggested, then the sidelining of Presley and with him symbolically the new rock and roll might mean that older forms and configurations of music might enjoy fresh prominence for a time. But a new spirit was abroad and had acquired a new kind of confidence.The idea of a ‘retrospective' of ‘avant-garde' music seems on the face of it absurd, but that is what Emile d'Antonio, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, acting together as ‘Impresarios Inc', intended to put on at Town Hall in New York. The Twenty-Five Year Retrospective was an opportunity to revisit the work of John Cage, going back to the Six Short Inventions of 1933, taking in Imaginary Landscape, The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs, the Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano, and coming right up to date with the premiere of Concert for Piano and Orchestra.The event has been likened to the premier of Stravinsky's Le Sacre du printemps, though generally more supportive. The organisers hadn't planned a claque for Cage, but the audience contained enough sympathetic painters, dancers and other artists to guarantee that the sceptics wouldn't shout it down.Cage was at the same time, of course, preparing his lecture Indeterminacy for the World's Fair in Brussels, another example of textual utopics that played with the concept of duration and form in narrative. If there are moments of Zeitgeist, this was surely one of them.The Retrospective was recorded by the distinguished engineer/producer George Avakian, who is perhaps best known for his work in jazz. And it is a jazz record, albeit most emphatically not one of Avakian's, that best sums up this remarkable moment in cultural history.Herman Sonny Blount, known as Sun Ra, had been making long-playing records for five years when he created the extraordinary Jazz in Silhouette. The music caught him and his Arkestra mid-way between the Fletcher Henderson-style swing arrangements of his earlier years (and to which he would return later) and the space-obsessed avant-gardism of the 1960s. It is music that is at once intellectual and visceral, still based on themes-and-solos but also the work of a collective in which individuality mattered less than common purpose.Sun Ra's personal mythography was, if you like, the opposite of Karlheinz Stockhausen's, though they seemed to move along similar vectors. The German composer, whose country had effectively started the space programme and then seen it colonised by the United States (Werner von Braun was behind both the V2 and the early American manned flights), saw it as human destiny to move beyond that new coinage ‘aerospace' and into the cosmos.It was a new version of Manifest Destiny, again reimported into the Old World. By contrast, Sun Ra's personal mythology - he claimed to have been born on Saturn - was the expression of a black man in a hostile white culture: he might as well come from Saturn, so little did he fit in. Cumulative adverse expectation led inevitably to dreams of exotic escape, but in the process connected Sun Ra directly back into the old Nilotic narratives, where gods and men live side by side, where the stars are neither abstract nor unimaginably distant, but part of the cycle of the days and the months.Extraordinary things were afoot in 1958 - contradictory, perverse, geographically diverse (the above takes no account of what was happening in China, Brazil, Australia, South Africa), resistant to straightforward readings - but it seems a time that speaks to us very directly. The most powerful impression one takes from Jazz in Silhouette is its timelessness. Like much of what happened in that year, it was conceived in the now and destined for the ages.Brian Morton Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:29:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/36 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/36 By Arjen Mulder and Joke BrouwerDick Raaymakers' oeuvre is a source of wonder and inspiration. It covers a period of almost fifty years, beginning with the first electronic pop song ever, "Song of the Second Moon" (1957) and ending with Ritual Moment (2005), which was performed just once, in a church, by three percussionists two in full view of the audience and the third hidden in darkness.The first points to Raaymakers' enduring preoccupation with the medium of electronics and everything it implied for contemporary music in terms of new possibilities and problems; the latter illustrates his preoccupation with the sound of falling, the way sounds move inside a space, the hypnotic power of repetition, and the religious origins of music theater. And what a diverse, poignant and highly complex oeuvre lies between these two extremes! Dick Raaymakers has, in fact, worked in six or seven different disciplines: electronic music - autonomous tape music and "popular electronics" - performances, installations, music theater, essays and poetry. And a good case can be made for including his innovative activities as a professor at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and his detailed and meaningful lectures as additional independent components of his oeuvre.Raaymakers calls many of his works "instructional pieces" or "learning exercises" he is not concerned with entertainment, as humorous as many of his compositions are. There is always something more at stake: a life or death confrontation between art and technology. Or, rather, for both art and technology, Raaymakers tries to create specific spaces, to develop new resources, and to rediscover old and forgotten methods. He analyzes each discipline to its very core. And then, using the insights he has obtained, he plays a game with strict rules, for the purposes of enjoyment, uplifting the mind and pushing the body to extremes.These strict rules are what make Raaymakers' work so vivid and at the same time so elusive and timeless, so absolutely human and yet so extraterrestial. It is almost impossible to tell which period it stems from, despite certain quaint details, like the fact that all of his electronic music has been made with analog means. Raaymakers uses archetypal images, primeval forms and primal emotions elements on which time has no grasp, which keep the works open for further development. In this essay we'll delve into some of Raaymakers' characteritic archetypes and primeval forms, both from his life and his work. The quotes in italics are all Raaymakers' own words.Early electronicsDick Raaymakers was born in Maastricht, the Netherlands, on September 1, 1930. The family lived in Maastricht until Dick was eight years old. His father was a high ranking civil servant there with the Social Security Board. My earliest memory. I see tiles, black shoes, endless trouser legs. And a cube. And I know that I pointed at that cube and I said: Radio!This radio contains music. And its shape, the cube, evokes the image. And I am pointing at it. And this pointing, one might say, already hints at the teacher I will be.I have been able to verify this memory. One day during office hours, my father came home with a radio, and in some way or other, I understood it. My very first memory. Radio, cube, pointing.In 1938, the family moved from colorful, exuberant Maastricht to the petit bourgeois industrial Dutch city of Eindhoven, where Raaymakers' father was now chairman of the Social Security Board. They moved into a new house, designed by the renowned modernist architect Willem Marinus Dudok. Apart from a few isolated periods, Raaymakers (partly because of his later tenure at Philips) continued to live in Eindhoven until 1963. He completed his studies at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague in late 1953, earning a diploma that qualified him to teach piano. In my last year as a student, I made an extensive exploration of the fields where music and technology professionally intersect. In those days, that mainly meant the worlds of radio recording technology and the record industry. I was hoping to pursue a meaningful career in one or the other after my studies at the conservatory ended. Obviously, the idea of having to spend my life as a moderately talented pianist and ditto piano teacher did not particularly appeal to me. On the other hand, the thought of entering fields that would do justice to a combination of my two talents in technology and music was exciting and inspiring. Hence my determination to choose a new direction no matter what; if need be, I would start as an unskilled laborer. Which is exactly what happened. The retraining of the in more than one way "untrained" Dick Raaymakers could begin.Beginning in early 1954, Raaymakers worked for two years on the assembly line in the radio and TV set production department of Philips in Eindhoven, gaining experience in the field of applied electronics. During the same period, he took a hands on course in "radio and measurement technique." By the end of 1955, he obtained a diploma as a "radio mechanic" from the Dutch Radio Society. The technical engineer Roelof Vermeulen, an authority and pioneer in the field of stereophony and artificial reverberation, showed him another possibility for combining electronics and music: electronic music. A few years later, when Raaymakers was working in the acoustics lab at Philips, Vermeulen asked him to explore the possibility of making popular music with the electronic equipment they had developed. In 1957, this led to "Song of the Second Moon," produced with a modified ondes Martenot and a few audio and measuring generators that were connected by some cutting and pasting and pieces of tape. The piece was finished right at the time the Russians launched Sputnik, which explains the title: the second moon was now a fact.In December of 1957, he followed "Song of the Second Moon" with "Night Train Blues," an electronic pop composition for three ondes Martenots and piano, originally intended as the B side of "Song of the Second Moon" but never released as such. Raaymakers began giving lectures on electronic music at various locations in the southern Netherlands; he continued to so almost without interruption until 2005. From 1966 on, he also teached at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague; his classes often took the form of small performances and public lectures. I have been privileged enough to witness the totally unexpected integration of two established disciplines, music and technology, from the beginning. And I have been able to follow this development from the sidelines. At the time, this integration was simply called electronic music. When it came about, it was more a kind of congealing, an odd form of reciprocal use, than a really close knit integration. Music had been using technology for reproductive purposes for several decades, and to this day there is a music industry, but at a creative level this integration did not come about until after World War II.Why do I say I was privileged? Because I was in a position to witness what happened when the peace of the traditional music world was rudely shattered by a kind of electronic meteorite that radically penetrated it. Technology penetrated music and caused a shock wave of expectations and utopian dreams, which people would not be able to express in words for some time to come. But also a shock wave of dismay and disapproval: "Music cannot be mechanized just like that! We will not be plugged into the mains!" said the director of the Royal Conservatory. And he said to me, "As long as I live, I will prevent this from happening violinists being plugged into the mains." This shock wave was very interesting.Graphic Method BicycleFrom 1963 until now, Raaymakers lives in The Hague. His studio for twenty years was a condemned property in the center of the town. Raaymakers moved in, in spite of continuous threats that this house would be demolished very soon. It was not entirely coincidence that the new studio was close to the Royal Conservatoire, with which the studio began a close collaboration a few years later. Despite the studio's simple facilities, key works were produced there in the next few years, such as Five Canons, Erlkönig Ballad, the film scores Bekaert and Sidmar, the three Mao pieces Chairman Mao Is Our Guide, The Long March and May Mao Live!, and also the interactive music pieces Quartet and Quintet, and the performances The Graphic Method Tractor and The Graphic Method Bicycle. My pieces can be divided into two categories; there's really no middle course. Either they're completely level and flat like Quartet, Quintet, The Long March and also the Five Canons or something ignites and violence breaks through, as in Flux and Plumes, and Erlkönig Ballad for loudspeakers. What happens then I call ecstasy. Ecstasy is the absolute opposite of technique. Or, more to the point, ecstasy is what is totally lacking in technique. Any emotion evoked by technique through a TV screen or speakers is false and sentimental. What you get is the reproduction of ecstasy, not ecstasy itself. Real ecstasy is about monastery cells, high mountains, immobility. It is different from catharsis. Catharsis has to do with breaking through, with liberation a long tailed comet, except in reverse. Catharsis is asymmetrical; ecstasy is symmetrical. Ecstasy is a process of growing and reducing, and it requires much more discipline than catharsis. Ecstasy is something you do; catharsis is something that happens to you. I know that people experienced this ecstasy at the performance of Chairman Mao Is Our Guide. You were led to this one moment, the shining of this huge red light, and time stood still. Something was released that was much greater than ... than what it was.In 1976 Raaymakers made the music theater piece The Graphic Method Tractor. The work shows 72 frames from Sergei Eisenstein's film The General Line (1928) in slow motion - showing a tractor emerging from the earth - while a musical box plays "The Internationale" slowed down hundred times. In the spring of 1979 he composed The Graphic Method Bicycle. In this performance, a nude cyclist steps off his bicycle in slow motion over a time span of over 20 minutes, while being pulled along by a wire. Audio sensors register his heartbeat, respiration and overall physical effort. This piece was inspired by an 1891 chronophotograph by Etienne Jules Marey.In 1878, the French physiologist Etienne Jules Marey (1830 1903) published a book with the title La méthode graphique, in which he described a number of techniques he developed to record physical movements in graphic time patterns by using purely mechanical devices (in a way that is somewhat related to the seismographic registrations of earthquakes). From around 1882, he started adding photo graphic technology, which led to his fame as a pioneer of cinema. Marey introduced new image media that allowed him to disconnect movement from the mover. With cinematographic devices he made human figures, animals and objects move, without movement being performed in reality.In both The Graphic Method Tractor and The Graphic Method Bicycle the objectives of Marey are extended and even reversed. The aim is to analyse the relationship between labor and its result by using technical and respectively living images in the world of the visual, acoustic and dramatic arts. As a research project, The Graphic Method Bicycle aims to record exactly what happens when one tries to bring back to life a photographically recorded movement in this case, a man getting off a bicycle (as if, through a reversal of time, an insect trapped in amber is suddenly released).Out of the hundreds of experiments Marey conducted, Raaymakers chose the one involving the dismounting cyclist for this project, because it best lent itself to a theatrical enlargement of the graphic method. Moreover, this experiment allows a reverse course to be taken, from fixed photograph to dynamic process in other words, from a static two dimensional photographic image (amber) to three dimensional living motion (the insect flying away).Connections to a number of physiological measuring instruments are clearly visible on the cyclist's body. These sensors monitor his heart, breathing, and muscular and emotional activity during the dismounting action, and acoustic signals are amplified and loudly transmitted to the audience. The aim of all this is to enlarge the human body to auditorium size. The essence of a cycling cyclist is that he travels without fear of losing his image along the way. That is biking: moving forward on a piece of technology with which and on which you are in balance, in the absolute certainty that you're taking your image along with you, that it will not be stolen along insight. And this addition, this quality, is not a commodity. It only becomes a commodity when you reproduce it on records.The fundamental difference between art and technology is that art results in unique objects that in a material sense are composed of materials of little value canvas, paint, music paper, ink. Science, on the other hand, and especially technology, results in large numbers of very sophisticated, very hard, very consistent and very valuable, completely identical products. Art leads to this one unique, irreplaceable product that you cannot own, however passionately you try to obtain it at auction. Art begins where the objective presence of that particular object ends. Technology, on the other hand, leads to a mass of identical things inviting you to take them. This is why every effort to integrate art and technology, like in the '60s, is doomed to fail. Their interests and their operations are irreconcilable.So, to visualize how compelling a technical insight can be, to demonstrate this and to show the true value of art, I perform reversal operations in which I drive technical images back into the image machines from which they came. This is not performance, this is Kaspar Hauser. He wanted the apples to go back on the trees, too.After The Graphic MethodIn 1982 Raaymakers developed a performance for two actors, a knocking over machine, lighting and soundscape. The piece, Ecstasy, was dedicated to Josine van Droffelaar, a member of the board of the Amsterdam arts foundation De Appel and a dear friend of Raaymakers. Van Droffelaar, her partner and the entire staff of De Appel died in a plane crash in Switzerland, on August 20, 1983.In Ecstacy a cyclist knocks over on his head in extreme slow motion, in some 20 minutes. He is linked with a chain to a lame man who slowly arises from his chair while the cyclist falls. When the cyclist eventually falls flat on his face on the stage, an old recording of the Henri Duparc song about love and death, "Extase", is played. Ecstasy is probably the most beautiful and moving work of Dick Raaymakers. Tumbling off your bike is something that just happens to you. One minute you're riding along and the next you're on the ground. Now something really strange happens if you slow down this action of tumbling enormously. Suddenly you become very involved, as the cyclist as well as the spectator. You experience everything. What happens then is nearly impossible: the inevitability of a fall suddenly seems avoidable. It goes so slowly that you think that you could interfere in every phase of this excruciatingly slow rotation. You can warn the cyclist, or try and persuade him that it would be better to desist from his rash behaviour and list all the advantages of interrupting the falling process.By putting a falling cyclist in slow motion on stage in reality, like in Ecstasy, you lead the audience to believe they can actually interfere. And at the same time you don't. Because it is theater too. On the other hand, it's also so terribly realistic, that it's literally life threatening. The bicycle only has to slip off its hook and the cyclist will break his neck. It is truly an incredibly dangerous performance, the way he very slowly rolls head over heels and makes a full circle like the big hand of a clock. It is that weird sensation that you recognize from dreams where you are falling, and the slow motion, and nearly the ability to intervene and to say... That this cyclist says: 'Well, actually, this is not really what I wanted or what I had in mind,' that's what I meant, that play of forces.Raaymakers went on to make a series of new projects, starting with Shhh! (1981). In all these productions, the soundtrack of Laurel and Hardy's Night Owls plays a central role. In the large scale theater production Soundmen (1984), nine soundmen on a huge stage set reproduce the heavy and voluminous falling sounds from the film by operating enormous constructions, machineries, levers, handles, pulleys and trapdoors. The Soundwall (1982-84) is a kinetic pneumatic construction in which heavy metal cubes move independently of each other. The cubes' movements are based on those of Laurel and Hardy: the scaling of walls, opening of doors and entering of windows. The music theater Ow! (1984) is based on the obstacles Laurel and Hardy must overcome in Night Owls: doors, windows, and walls. Each fall from a wall or slam of a door is reproduced by one of four percussionists "playing" wooden beams. In the last piece, The Microman (1982), a single performer reenacts Laurel and Hardy's antics in Night Owls on a miniature scale as a piece of "tabletop theater."Another important series of work was started by Raaymakers in 1991, when he made the first sketches for Der Fall Leiermann, a solo music theater piece in three acts that served as a study for the later work Dépons/Der Fall. A disassembled tape recorder is hand cranked like a street organ by a lonesome organ grinder as ambient sound fragments are played. On Dépons/Der Fall (1992) Raaymakers worked with percussionist/theater director Paul Koek and Theater Hollandia. In this music theater piece for three actors, consisting of a prologue and three scenes, Raaymakers comments on Pierre Boulez's composition Répons (1981 1984), using "falling machines" and techniques derived from Japanese bunraku theater. This was followed by a large scale music theater piece Der Fall/Dépons (1993). In its seven acts, the phenomenon of imitation is treated exhaustively.In 1995 Dick Raaymakers completed some of his biggest collective music theater pieces, including Der Stein and The Fall of Mussolini.Der Stein is a "suitcase opera" in five acts for two actors about a decisive event in the life of the virtually unknown eighteenth century German music teacher Anton Scheuer (1734 1810): the theft and relocation of the boundary stone of the town of Selters in Germany's Taunus Mountains.The Fall of Mussolini is a collaboration with Theater Company Hollandia and Toneelgroep Amsterdam that mixes, in thirteen "stations of the cross," the demise of Benito Mussolini, recordings at the Hal Roach film studios of a Laurel and Hardy movie, and a 1930's novel of the Dutch poet J. Slauerhoff on Mexican Indians in the town of Guadelajara. These works are all in some form derived from the archetype of humans falling. Falling makes human beings into human bodies, and liberates them from their wish to become machines themselves.Works of Dick RaaymakersCD box set: The Complete Tape Music of Dick Raaijmakers. Donemus/Near 1998, Basta 2006Cd box set: Popular Electronics: Early Dutch Electronic Music from Philips Research Laboratories, 1956 1963. Basta, 2004.Book: Arjen Mulder and Joke Brouwer (eds), Dick Raaymakers A Monograph. V2_Publishing, 2008.Image © Collège de France For more about The Graphic Method: Bicycle at HCMF 2008 click here For more about the Dick Raaijmakers documentary exhibition at HCMF 2008 click here Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:25:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/35 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/35 British saxophonist John Butcher has explored the outer limits of his instrument, the blurts, whistles, and clicks that fall outside the horn's regular vocabulary.Bill Meyer interviews this ubiquitous free-improviser; portrait photo by Avril Levi.Is anything in music really new? Albert Ayler stood jazz on its head by playing like a preacher from the Holiness Church; Mats Gustafsson freaked out improv fans with slap-tongue effects first introduced by long-dead vaudevillians like Rudy Wiedoeft. Scratch the young bark of innovation and you're likely to find ring upon ring of history.John Butcher is eminently aware of the perils that beset the quest to play something new, yet he founded his career upon a determination to make genuinely new music. Butcher, who will turn fifty this October, learned how to play the soprano and tenor saxophones in jazz bands, but well before he started recording in the mid-80s, he had purged most of the sax's familiar sounds from his vocabulary. In their place he built a new lexicon out of the sounds at the edge of the instrument's reach; barely there whistles, clicking keypads, harsh barks, and liquid bubbles. Unsatisfied with merely making novel sounds, he has organized them into a rigorously developed musical syntax that synthesizes both non-idiomatic components and readily identifiable stylistic elements taken from jazz, early electronic music, 20th century New Music composition, even the blues.Butcher played several other instruments before coming to the saxophone in his late teens. Whilst at University, where he studied Physics and eventually earned a PhD., Butcher played in jazz bands and met pianist Chris Burn, his future partner in evolving his creative persona. By the late 70s, both men gravitated towards free improvisation, a scene they joined as players in the next decade. In the mid-80s Butcher, Durrant, and guitarist John Russell formed the Acta label; Butcher has continued to operate it since their withdrawal. The saxophonist worked chiefly in Europe until the mid-90s, when he started coming to the US with increasing frequency. Around the same time he began working more and more with electronics. In the past couple years, Butcher has toured Japan, and music from a couple concerts there will comprise "Cavern and Nightlife", his first release on a new label devoted to his own work, Weight Of Wax.The saxophonist is no orientalist, but his music fits comfortably into the notion of yin and yang; everywhere you look in it, the balance of forces in apparent opposition generates a compelling creative tension. He picked up the saxophone in part to be able to play music socially, yet he's made four solo saxophone records. He's primarily played free improvisation, yet he willingly embraces - and devises - compositional structures; check out his work with compatriot Chris Burn's Ensemble and the Austrian group Polwechsel. Butcher gravitates to unamplified acoustic settings, yet he's on some of the most compelling records of electronic improvisation yet made. His instrumental vocabulary comprises both gnarled multiphonics and tones of classical purity; boldly contoured melodies and atomized sound particles; tiny squelchy kisses, like the ones he blends with Toshimaru Nakamura's minimal hums on "Cavern with Nightlife" release, and roaring statements like the ones that leap out of Andy Moor and Thomas Lehn's electronic storms on "Thermal".Butcher's versatile and malleable instrumental voice thrives in exchanges with players with whom he's developed a history, like Burn, violinist Phil Durrant, or percussionist Gino Robair; Robair and Butcher's latest collaboration, the duo CD "New Oakland Burr", distills their shared taste for extreme timbres and rapid-fire reaction into 16 exceptionally pithy tracks that'll put both your stereo speakers and your alertness to the test. But it also sounds remarkably right in disparate one-off encounters such as "Equation", a splendidly tactile concert recording with turntablist Mike Hansen and percussionist Tomasz Krakowiak that amounts to real-time musique concrete, or "Clearings", a stirringly poetic all-acoustic first meeting with violinist Christoph Irmer and pianist Agustí Fernández.I wonder if you could say a bit about what originally moved you to seek out unusual sounds on the saxophone?It's not so much to do with playing the saxophone, as the music I wanted to be involved in needed those kinds of sounds. So it didn't come so much from the point of view of OK, let's push the saxophone to some kind of limit. It was more a case of, for instance in my early days with Chris Burn, when he was working directly on the strings of the piano, this was in the early 80s, I wanted to work with a particular kind of language, and that language wasn't a natural one for the saxophone. But the challenge of trying to find a way of working, the challenge of trying to find a way to play with him on the saxophone became a stimulus in itself. Once you start doing that, you can get interested in exploring the saxophone for its own sake.Some ideas came from the sort of music I was listening to at the time, like 50s and 60s electronic music, where you could juxtapose very different kinds of material. If you're talking about musique concrete, the actual source of the sound could change quite drastically within the course of a phrase of the music as it were, and I was quite intrigued with trying to find ways of doing that on the saxophone. And then I came to realize that trying to do it on one instrument actually gives it a sort of coherence that you won't get if you're introducing other instruments, or in particular adding electronics.Everything I do sounds like the saxophone to me; and somehow, even if I'm using very divergent kinds of material, there is a certain satisfaction of continuity because they're derived from the saxophone. The quality of there being unusual sounds, I hardly notice that these days. To me they're all just different aspects of the saxophone, things that are related to having to physically make a piece of wood vibrate in your mouth and control it with your breath and then manipulate the air column.So you wanted to play a certain kind of music, and that lead you to a new range of possibilities?Negative things, and youthful arrogance, can also be a rather large stimulus. When I was 20, it seemed to me that there was very little left of interest for saxophone music. Jazz had fragmented and some of those fragments had fed into some very interesting directions, but what most people would accept as the history of the saxophone had run it's course. Certainly the saxophone as a sort of linear, semi-melodic instrument. So not wanting to work in those ways was a stimulus.So you didn't want to just sound like another guy who listened to John Coltrane or, I'm not sure who you might have been listening to at the time, maybe Trevor Watts?Certainly, that didn't seem to make any sense. The names you have mentioned are musicians who have been very inspiring, but part of their inspiration is how they themselves dealt with their time in music - not meaning to put Trevor in the past tense - and how they responded to circumstances when they were formulating their ways of playing. Just a generational difference of five years makes a big difference. The second half of the 70s was when I moved from a kind of student playing to the playing that was more to do with finding what I could contribute. I liked "Trout Mask Replica" as much as "Interstellar Space" as much as "Kontakte", so trying to copy a particular saxophonist's style didn't make much sense. Except in the way of digging into someone else's music, to learn about it.What's the difference between practicing and the solo concert you just played, for example?Actually, these days quite a lot of what I do is pretty conventional, playing the saxophone as this melodic instrument. I work at that because it keeps you very physically in touch with the instrument. Other times I've focused on the more extreme techniques that you'll hear when I play a solo concert, and I still need to practice those to some extent, because there's often a very thin dividing line between getting those sounds to speak and just some uncontrolled squeak. I still have spells of exploratory practice, but in recent years I've felt that I know those areas of the instrument well enough to be able to experiment with them in situ. If something comes along and surprises me, I can go with it and turn it into something workable.So I like to feel two things before a concert, that I am physically prepared on the instrument, and also mentally prepared for giving the concert. And the latter might mean it's been good not to have practiced much for two days, so that practice isn't in your head but music is. When I start playing now, I try to do it with as empty a mind as possible. I have enough of an idea just to make a start, and then try to allow ideas to present themselves. There's usually no kind of predetermined structure. In the course of playing a piece I may decide that I can give it a kind of shape. I try to let that happen in the moment. That's different from when I started, and it's come through fifteen years of playing solo.So in the late 80s, you might have played a solo concert with an idea of where you wanted that concert to go?I would probably have thought about different pieces delving into particular musical areas. But the trouble is if you do that, then you end up playing some sort of pseudo-composition. That might be interesting for one or two concerts, but for the performer the repetition gets numbing, and you feel that you're going through a certain routine. I hope that in a solo improvisation I can engage the audience in my thought processes so that a piece's development makes sense, so that they can hear that "Okay, he did that because previously he did this," and they can get the feeling of me making the decision in the moment, rather than thinking "Okay, he planned to play this material after that material." Most people who have been to this sort of thing before, I think they can detect that in a performance, It has a really different sense of organic growth if you're prepared to take the risk and not plan it out.Something else on that - what I want to avoid is where people notice the sounds before the music. They might just notice "oh that's an unusual sound" or "how does he do that" or whatever, and it's a danger for instrumentalists where you just get a catalog of their sound effects. They might be very interesting sounds, but it's really just like the old days of somebody just playing a string of their licks. And particularly with new instrumental techniques, that's one of the most deadening kinds of music you could hear. Sometimes you might find some particularly interesting sound but you don't really want to play it, because it's too strong, so you may just suggest it or nibble away at its edges a bit. I like to find material which you can really bend and flex and transform, that isn't just there in the listener's face. For me, some of this material needs to be able to be fuzzy around the edges, so it's not clear exactly what the saxophone is doing. It's strange, because I've heard performances where the unadorned presentation of some element of new material seems to be the whole content of the music. For me, that's turning it rather too self-consciously into some kind of art statement. I'm interested in ongoing performance-related music. I find it very hard to put my finger upon exactly what I find affecting about your music. You've got people like Albert Ayler, whose playing is understood to have a certain emotional content. Yet I can't say your music is about a particular emotion, or even what it references, but it has an affective engagement.I don't see how you can really perform with the idea of generating a specific kind of emotion, partly because that kind of thing is very subjective. Perhaps you can do it by referring to other people's music, other kinds of music which have a particular emotional quality attached to them. If you start actually thinking about your own emotional engagement too self-consciously, then you lessen the possibility of communicating something genuine. That has to come from some level that you're not consciously working at, it has to just be there, or not. In performance you're going to go through many states of mind. Maybe sometimes you can detect things, like somewhat darker performances or lighter performances, but I find all those qualities very mixed up in the music I like to listen to and in how I hear my own music when I hear it back. You know someone like Ayler is identified with a particular kind of emotional response, but he had a lot of different qualities in his music. People sometimes focus on that bit where the tap turns and he almost loses control, but he could turn the tap back and go immediately into one of these march type things.It's complex, because sound is intrinsically an emotional experience; neurologically it ties in with the mammalian brain of the limbic system, we're programmed to respond to certain sounds in certain ways, whether it's a cry or a loud sound, so to some extent I think you can't have a non-emotional sound. And you have learned responses to systems of sounds, cultural constructs, which seem to relate to particular emotional states. But any position on the expressive scale sounds bogus if you get self-conscious about it. The cool end often means just not creating any reasons for one sound to follow another, or working with drone material that pays little attention to what else is going on. I can be a cover for a lack of imagination. But overall, I'm sympathetic to the pared down approach, it heightens attention and the listener creates their own connections. But I'm not so keen when it gets toward Duchamp and his non-retinal art, so there's very little need to hear it once you have the idea. I like music that comes first from a love of sound.When I started improvising I remember being criticized for being too disengaged from the process. Part of it, I think, was the gap between the image of the saxophone or it's role in a group, and what I was doing. After all these years of electronics, people seem less hung up on the expectations of a particular instrument. But compared to some current trends, I suspect I'm now put in the over-expressive camp - over-expressive to some. So you know it's very relative to circumstances. "News From The Shed", without us really us discussing it, got involved in some very reduced areas, but with a definite tension. As there wasn't a consensus on where we were going. Radu Malfatti became disinterested in improvised music and went off into composition and very minimal performance strategies. So I feel familiar with the philosophy of playing like that and the practice of playing like that, but I am wary of formalizing a performance-based music too much. You can generate some very good pieces of music by working with highly defined concepts, but interesting ideas aren't so common, and they don't have so much to do with improvisation. There's great value in playing to the strengths of improvisation, which include not just importing your musical world into every situation, but discovering your musical world through the situations. You don't take a static version of yourself to each performance; part of the self that performs each night is created by the situation. You've just played several concerts with Kaffe Matthews. I don't know if she's doing this now, but when I saw her play part of her material was the actual sound of the venue that she was playing in, with microphones positions inside and outside of the venue. I wonder if you could say a bit about playing with her, or dealing with venues in general?Because it was trio, she was focusing more on taking elements of what I or Andy Moor were doing and then manipulating them, but certainly that's only a small part of the material that she's working with. The main thing about playing with Kaffe and Andy is that it's loud, and I'm using microphones and having to rely on PAs, which is something I don't usually do. I tend to prefer acoustic situations. Usually if you play a sound in an acoustic situation, you know that the sound that you're hearing is very similar to what the audience is hearing. Here it can be completely different. So there's a kind of certain feeling of abandon, because you know that some of the subtleties that I might get involved with won't having any meaning, so you kind of chase a lot of areas you wouldn't usually chase. What kind of risks might you be taking in that situation that you might not take in an unamplified setting?I might exploit the way the PA squeezes the saxophone sound. Go to areas I wouldn't usually like acoustically but, combined with the roughness of the amplified sound, the volume can give it a new quality. A free-jazz squall at the top of the instrument can sound like metal plates rubbed together. And I'll use the mic a lot, in terms of distance from the bell, so I can use feedback effects. That's one aspect of your music that really interests me. I've heard it on "Invisible Ear" and "Music on Seven Occasions". I don't know if you've done it much other than that.There's a piece that uses it on "Fonetiks", very first LP that I put out with Chris Burn, so I was experimenting with it a bit in 1984. I explored it on a few later recordings, but have only got into it again in live concerts over the last few years. I've been working more and more with musicians who use electronics, and it's an interesting way of entering a little bit into their sound worlds. And I enjoy the way it's different from playing the ordinary instrument, where I know where to go for specific things. When I'm using the keys to manipulate different feedback resonances, to me it's still the saxophone, just abstracted. It's different from the duo I had with Phil Durrant, with electro-manipulation where he was literally using processing effects on the instrument. Are you and Phil Durrant still working together?Yes. We began the electro-acoustic duo in '97, and I wanted it to be like a duo, not a processed saxophone, which is why I chose to do it with Phil, because we've had a lot of experience in playing together with him as a violinist. And also, he approaches electronics in a very fluid way. It's a system where, for instance he can have gates which cut on and off according to certain criteria. A simple one might come on if I play below middle C, and it cuts out if I play above middle C. I wouldn't necessarily know that he had it in, so I could be playing one note which is processed, move to another one expecting it to still be processed, and it cuts out. That was a simple picture of the unknown in it, and the other was he had it wired up so that the actual way his effects interacted depended on what I was playing. So if I changed what I was playing it might alter the whole tripping sequence of his effects, which he wasn't expecting. We were both doing things which the other one couldn't predict, so we had to respond through listening all the time; there was no way anybody could be in complete control of the system. It was a sort of chaotic system where a small change from one of us could actually create an unknown and large change in the overall music that was coming out. When you were talking about working with amplification and the surrender involved, I thought about working with Phil Durrant too. the duo sounded to me like a place where you might have started working on such systems. Yes. Another thing I found interesting was that there's certain things I do which I view as being harsh and having some emotional quality of tension, and others I might think of as being quite relaxed. But I might be playing with the intention of using one of these calm relaxed sounds and his processing actually turns it into something quite harsh and aggressive, and sometimes the opposite, so your whole subjective emotional language is distorted and not necessarily coming out the way you're intending it. We learned that sometimes simplicity was best, and if I played quite simply, we got the most interesting results. Then occasionally I'd introduce some more complex things, which already have a pseudo-electronic timbre, because it adds a much richer sound palette for the effects to work on. So I found different ways of balancing these sorts of material. After the records Phil moved from separate effects units to a computer, which seems less flexible. What struck me about the two records the two of you did was the griminess of the sound. people try to get that with a computer, but they usually don't. And the music is affecting, affectively engaging, but not obviously emotional. Not obvious but direct.Yeah, right. I really liked the grain to the sound, the inner life of the sound. And also the way it didn't always go into drones, which is often the direction computers lead to. The system would cut and chop and change.I suppose that when the signal path goes from effects box to effects box instead of through the computer, which is just one box, that might complicate the sound?Yes, and it's much more tactile the way you control the interface.I have been playing "ensemble at musica genera 2002" a lot and have found it very exciting. Could you talk a bit about working with Chris Burn, and about the importance of working with someone over time?There are two aspects to that. One is that I like to play, but not necessarily very often, with musicians I've known for a long time, because you've got this shared background of experience which you're bring into a new situation, but you're not working together enough to just be going through the motions of what you know does and doesn't work. You are hopefully pushing into something a little bit different when you meet up again, but with a shared history - that is vital. There's probably only half a dozen musicians I can say that about.With Chris Burn, we left behind our more jazz-based student days and went into exploring free improvisation at the same time, and did it quite a lot through just private rehearsals around at my house for almost a year before we had a concert, where he evolved towards not using the piano keys and working directly on the strings. As an improviser, I think he's a pioneer in this. And I tried to play without relying on any conventional vocabulary that I knew on saxophone, so probably for about six months we were playing extremely radical music, which it's probably just as well that nobody ever heard. It was really just throwing everything out and trying to see, ok, what's another way? And then when you are doing that, you lose a lot of your mannerisms. Then you start bringing other things back in, and they come back in a different way. For instance, Chris might be manipulating the overtone possibilities that strings have, and I'm trying to make the saxophone copy these multiple sounds, which eventually I built into this multiphonic vocabulary.What was really powerful for me was to do that whole experimental work with somebody with whom you weren't embarrassed to sound like a complete idiot. And it's not the kind of work you can do on your own, because you need the stimulus of another person, and you need to hear it in context. Making these discoveries whilst at the same time trying to relate to and interact with other musicians turns them into something that it's possible to create a musical language with rather than just a sequence of novel sound possibilities.You've put out a lot of records on very small labels. What do these records mean to you? What is the function of the record, and how much is it necessary to put out these records? When I started Acta records with Russell and Durrant we'd hardly played outside of England and that was mostly to make the music available to more people. We waited for a long time, until we thought we had some very good recordings to put out. In those days, with LPs, which are quite complex and expensive things to get together, it was a special event to put out a record. I think that attitude has stayed with me.How does one go about making records special when you put out a half dozen of them a year?Perhaps my criterion at this stage is ok, will this release add something to my musical output, or am I just covering ground I've already trod? Invisible Ear was a special record for me. I recorded the pieces reasonably quickly, but it was preceded by a lot of technical experimentation and was a concentration of the feedback and miking ideas that had only poked their head up here and there on other CDs.It may be special because it's a one-off event, like the duo with Dylan van der Schyff from Canada ("Points, Snags And Windings"), I was asked to do that by Jon Morgan's Meniscus label. It was a good session, and it brought out some different things in my playing. I'd avoided the more typical sax-drum relationship for many years, but felt more relaxed about going with it, on that date. And working with Gerry Hemingway, and in trio with John Edwards and Fabrizio Spera - or the one I had with Gino Robair and Matthew Sperry - are a way back into instrumentations that carry a lot of baggage that I deliberately avoided in earlier days.I read in an interview where you said that after you finished your physics degree you did some kind of teaching, and at a certain point you stopped doing that and went to music full time. you said something about being a better person for that. Can you elaborate?Probably what that was connected with was when I did my PhD., which was in theoretical physics and involved a lot of solitary sitting at a table with a piece of paper and a sharpened pencil, doing mathematics and reading technical papers in physics journals, which is really quite a solitary activity. It doesn't encourage sociability, and improvised music making is almost the only art form where it's a genuinely collaborative, creative process. Of course, you can have collaborations between all kinds of disciplines in the arts, but not in that kind of vulnerable, mutually dependent way that occurs in group improvising. You have to make decisions moment by moment in the music according to the other players' input, which may well upset and distort what your own intentions were. You have to find a way of modifying your intentions to have some meaningful correlation with what other people are doing. People with very strong musical opinions somehow have to coexist and find a way of playing that sounds like more than the sum of the parts. If it's working, it's got to come up with ideas that couldn't have been imagined by any of the individual members on their own. Getting to those parts that could only have been reached by going through what came before, that you couldn't have just started with. At the core, that's the motivation; those surprises you get, and not the same thing every night. I think that the different people you play with probably help to make sure you don't do the same thing every night. Jon Abbey told me that you were in Japan recently, and that you played with Taku Sugimoto. I imagine that the difference between playing with Taku Sugimoto and playing with Andy Moor, who you were with last night, must be vast. They're from different planets, really.I wonder what it's like for you to play for Andy's audience. someone who goes to an EX concert would most likely be more open to improvised music than someone going to a Dead Kennedys concert, but you're still facing a really different audience, playing in really different venues and circumstances.Sure. It's possible now to play your music in front of an extremely specialized, highly informed audience who follow improvised music. That has its values in that you're working in a very astute critical framework. That can spur you on to further developments in your own playing, and, if you pass the test, you get the support of these kinds of audiences. But there is a danger of the whole process becoming far too refined, in the sense that everybody's too concerned with the next smallest step on somewhere, and you get this kind of fevered critical attention from the small number of people who are interested in a particular little subgenre of a subgenre of a subgenre. I'm inclined to think that if this music has any value, it must be from qualities more intrinsic than something only noticed by hard-core followers.I went on this tour opening solo for the EX in Italy. You know that you're going to have 150 or 200 people there, three of whom might know me, most of them are waiting for the EX to come on, talking, drinking, feeling excited about the EX show, and then some bloke comes out and plays solo saxophone. It's a refreshing perspective change to one's normal performance context. Most of the time I was very encouraged by the response. And it was an indication of how much things have changed, certainly in terms of the sorts of sounds that people will now happily accept as musical. I used to get people saying "Oh, that's not music," based on the kinds of sounds I was using. Nobody pays much attention to that anymore. People will still get a bit twitchy if you're not working with repeated rhythms, but the whole nature of what sounds can be harnessed is almost not an issue anymore, certainly since the rise in sampling and electronics.But you can also convince people who never hear these kind of things, like recently with harpist Rhodri Davies, we played a lunch time classical music subscription series in Newcastle. Quite a few elderly ladies with blue rinsed hair, sitting there at the University, and it's usually Brahms and Mozart, and out of an audience of 50, maybe 6 or 7 walked out. There was a little old lady who came up afterwards and said "Ah, that was rather interesting." She's got no idea what context we're coming from, no idea that there is such a thing as improvised music, but she recognized that we were making music with these strange sounds, and I think the visual side creates extra ways in, gives clues to how to read it, like Rhodri bowing strings and me circular breathing.I think that actually being there to experience it allows people who could never deal with the records to become engaged. the same thing that you described happens here is the Chicago Cultural Center, which is at the old chicago public library. They put on all sorts of stuff, including improvised music, and because it's free you've got this huge crowd of people who show up simply because it's a free concert, and they have no idea what it is, they just sit down. Sometimes there's a mass exodus after the first piece, but a lot of people who you would never see at the bottle or the velvet lounge are there and they stay the whole time. It demonstrates the intrinsic value of this approach to music making, I think. It's not just this esoteric, specialized thing for a few enthusiasts. But I wouldn't want it to get too comfortable. I hope it still remains an irritant in many places. Reprinted from the Fall 2004 issue of Signal to Noise <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:70.9pt 2.0cm 2.0cm 2.0cm; mso-header-margin:35.45pt; mso-footer-margin:35.45pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> http://www.signaltonoisemagazine.org/home.html To see information about John Butcher at HCMF 2008 click here Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:54:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/34 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/34 Pierre Alexandre Tremblay performs his World Premiere for the Piano Baschet in Silent Noisy Music at the Creative Arts Building Recital Hall, Tuesday 25 November, 12 Noon Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:54:18 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/7 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/7 Scott McLaughlin performs with Crank in Silent Noisy Music at the Creative Arts Building Recital Hall, Tuesday 25 November, 12 Noon Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:53:01 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/5 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/5 Matt Sansom has been commissioned to create a permanent sound installation as part of the River Colne Sculpture Trail; Colne Valley Listners is launched on Friday 21 November, 1pm Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:52:36 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/4 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/4 Volunteers share their experiences of working at HCMF Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:51:07 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/3 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/3 Stay tuned for artists, animations and more... Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:50:11 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/2 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/2 Stay tuned for artists, animations and more... Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:38:22 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/1 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/video/show/1 To submit work to be considered for hcmf// 2012, please email the following information to hcmfinfo@hud.ac.uk using the subject line HCMF PROPOSAL:1. A short biography (50-80 words)2. A proposal summary (150 words maximum)3. A sound file attachment4. An image attachment (if appropriate to the proposal)5. Your contact detailsDue to the large number of proposals we receive, we are unable to respond to every one. Please be assured that we will be in touch should we require any further information about your work.   Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:26:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/32 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/32 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is proud to announce a new 3-year sponsorship deal with the   Universtiy of Huddersfield     Although the Festival has its offices on the University campus and has enjoyed close association with the University over its 30 year history, this new sponsorship deal marks a new period of partnership and collaboration between the two organisations. As well as the financial element of the arrangement, the University will also provide a range of in-kind benefits including premises, equipment and IT support.Graham McKenzie, HCMF's Artistic Director and Chief Executive is to be appointed as a visiting research fellow at the University. There will continue to be a wealth of opportunities for staff and students of the University to participate in the Festival, whether as performers, composers, stewards, volunteers or attenders, or through work experience placements. Workshops and events will be organised for staff and students, contributing to their studies and their professional development and the Festival will play an enhanced role in promoting and developing the University's international reputation for its music-based research and academic performance. The University is acknowledged as headline sponsor in the Festival's 90-page brochure, which has just been published and on its newly launched website - both of which carry details of all the 40+ events that make up this year's Festival, taking place from 21 - 30 November. Commenting on the sponsorship arrangements, Professor Bob Cryan, Vice-Chancellor of the University said:"It is wonderful that the town of Huddersfield is able to welcome so many composers and performers of world-wide renown to the town each November, and we are delighted to be able to continue to support the Festival. The University, and the town, have well deserved international reputations in the music world, and I am sure that our continuing collaboration with the Festival will bring new benefits to us all."Graham McKenzie added: "This is a really important development for HCMF, cementing our close working relationship with the University and contributing to our ambitious development plans for the future. For over 30 years, HCMF has provided Huddersfield and its University with a unique musical and cultural event; it remains the UK's foremost festival of new music and continues to build its international reputation for presenting UK and international work of the highest standard. We are looking forward to working ever more closely with the University to ensure that the Festival is a key focus of its work to attract top calibre students and staff, from both the UK and overseas."The 2008 HCMF will host composers and performers from over 20 countries around the world, including Canada, America, Australia, Israel, Holland, Sweden, Germany and Japan, as well as festival directors from Europe's top music festivals and the British Council hosting 20 VIP guests from overseas to a showcase of British music. With an expected audience of over 8,000 people and visits by music journalists and critics from all the major newspapers and music magazines, HCMF is set for another successful year. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:04:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/31 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/31 PLACES TO STAYContact Huddersfield Tourist Information Centre on +44 (0)1484 223200; email: huddersfield.tic@kirklees.gov.uk or search for accommodation at http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/visitorportal TRAVEL INFORMATIONPlan your journey at: http://www.metrojourneyplanner.info National Rail Enquiries+44 (0)8457 484950http://www.nationalrail.co.ukNational Express+44 (0)8705 808080http://www.nationalexpress.comWest Yorkshire trains and buses:Metroline +44 (0)113 245 7676http://www.wymetro.comFirst Huddersfield+44 (0)845 026 0099http://www.firstgroup.comTraveline bus enquiries:+44 (0)871 200 2233ACCESSIBILITYThe HCMF brochure and our separate Access Leaflet are available in large print, braille, on audio cassette and computer disk. Call +44 (0)1484 425082 for copies.Concessionary rates are available for attenders with a disability, plus one free ticket for a companion if required. Support dogs are welcome. Limited parking is available for attenders with a disability outside each venue and on the University campus. Call +44 (0)1484 425082 to reserve a place on campus.BURSARIESBursaries are available to assist students and those with limited means to attend the Festival.Call +44 (0)1484 425082 or further details.  Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:23:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/29 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/29 Click here to browse events and buy tickets for hcmf// 2011.And to keep fully up to date sign up to our newsletter here, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:20:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/28 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/28 A documentary exhibition on Dutch composer, theatre maker and theorist, Dick Raaijmakers (b.1930), generally acknowledged as one of the founders of electronic music in the Netherlands. He has, however, also created a most intriguing and inspiring body of work consisting of performances, visual art, music theatre and theoretical essays. He belongs to the group of composers that changed contemporary music over the past 50 years by relating music and technology to different genres and disciplines. Raaijmakers' diverse body of work can be characterised as highly original and he has received several lifetime achievement awards. Please note: Arjen Mulder is also the co-editor of Dick Raaijmakers: A Monograph published by V2. The English translation of the publication will be launched at the Exhibition opening. Curated by Anne Wellmer, thanks to V2, Basta, Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, Babeth van Loo For more about The Graphic Method: Bicycle at HCMF 2008 click here To read more about the life and work of Dick Raaijmakers click here Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:21:42 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/56 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/56 A Klee painting named ‘Angelus Novus' shows an angel looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating. His eyes are staring, his mouth is open, his wings are spread. This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage and hurls it in front of his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing in from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such a violence that the angel can no longer close them. The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress. Walter Benjamin: Theses on the Philosophy of History IX Filmed & Recorded 2001-2008 by Dror Feiler in Mexico, Norway, USA, Colombia, Guatemala, Spain & Israel. Edited & Mixed 2008 by Dror Feiler. Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:17:34 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/55 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/55 Lawrence English is media artist, composer and curator based in Brisbane, Australia. Working across a broad range of aesthetic investigations, English's work is eclectic and characterises a long-term exploration into various themes including audio/visual environments, found sound/vision, subtle transformation of public space and sonic art works that exist at the very edge of perception. ‘ambient twisted soundscapes and challenging sonic scree' Time Out Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:14:54 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/54 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/54 Join sound artist Matthew Sansom for a guided soundwalk around his new, permanent sound sculpture installation. For further information about Colne Valley Listeners, including opening times, click here To read more about the Matthew Sansom commission click here To read Matthew Sansom's blog click here Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:10:42 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/53 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/53 MP3 PLAYERS AVAILABLE FROM SLAITHWAITE LIBRARY MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS 10AM -12.30PM, 2PM - 5PM, THURSDAYS 10AM -12.30PM, 2PM - 7.30PM, FRIDAYS 2PM - 5PM, SATURDAYS 10AM -12.30PM Colne Valley Listeners is a new, permanent sound installation as part of the River Colne Sculpture Trail. Through Colne Valley Listeners, Matthew Sansom aims to provide a sound-led experiential engagement with the Colne Valley; employing active listening both as metaphor and as practice to deepen understanding of, and to enhance the relationship between, the commission's location, beauty and significance with people past, present and future. Co-commissioned with the River Colne Sculpture Trail Funded by an anonymous donor, Arts Council England, Yorkshire and the Huddersfield Common Good TrustWith thanks to the Green Building Company and Green Building Store To read more about the Matthew Sansom commission click here To read Matthew Sansom's blog click here Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:41:21 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/51 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/51 Electric AutumnOver 20 young people aged 13-16 years old took part in HCMF's Electric Autumn project for guitarists. Participants joined workshop leader Rob Crisp to form a new band during HCMF on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November, where they learnt new techniques, jammed, strummed, twanged and devised new work, before performing at a fantastic outcome event on Monday 24 November at St Paul's Hall.'It was great to be able to jam with other guys my age and the tutors were brill!' Electric Autumn participantIf you'd like to participate in future HCMF Education and Outreach events, please contact Heidi Johnson on 01484 471116 or email: h.johnson@hud.ac.uk     Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:57:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/25 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/25 Revolutionaries is a new initiative delivered in partnership with The Media Centre, aiming to showcase new work, new talent and new thinking by providing a platform for the best young creative talent in Kirklees. HCMF is hosting a series of Laptop Revolutions in the build up to HCMF 2008, showcasing emerging musicians aged 16 - 25 in Kirklees working with music technology and electro-acoustic music. A selection of performers from the first two events will then be invited to perform at a final, recorded event on the eve of HCMF, Thursday 20 November. Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:18:15 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/48 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/48 50-year retrospective of the 1958 New York Town Hall concert Part 1 4pm - 5.15pmJohn Cage: Six short inventions First Construction (in metal) Imaginary landscape No 1 The wonderful widow of eighteen springs She is asleep Music for carillon Williams [re]Mix[ed] (performed by Larry Austin) Part 2 6pm - 7pmHCMF and BBC Radio 3 co-commissions:Alvin Curran new work WORLD PREMIEREPhillip Corner new work WORLD PREMIEREHans W. Koch new work WORLD PREMIEREZbigniew Karkowski new work WORLD PREMIEREClaudia Molitor new work WORLD PREMIEREPart of the spnm Shortlist Portraits at HCMF: Markus Trunk Parhelion WORLD PREMIEREPart 3 7.30pm - 8.15pmJohn Cage Concert for piano and orchestraPhilip Thomas director / pianist Apartment House Lore Lixenberg voice University of Huddersfield Percussion EnsembleMathew Adkins electronics In 1958, artists Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Emile de Antonio arranged for a retrospective concert of John Cage's music in New York Town Hall. The concert covered a span of 25 years of compositions, from the early Six short inventions (written around the time Cage was studying with Schoenberg) and culminating in the premiere performance of the Concert for piano and orchestra. This event recreates that concert with some differences: the innovative tape piece Williams Mix will be performed in a cleaned up and extended version by Larry Austin; instead of extracts from the Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano, six composers from across the globe have been invited to compose responses to that work; and the Concert for piano and orchestra will be performed in an extended version with complete instrumentation - and with considerably more devotion to the music than that shown by the original musicians, who deliberately wrecked the first performance!          Produced by HCMF in association with BBC Radio 3 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:12:54 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/47 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/47 Mauricio Kagel Gegenstimmen Mauricio Kagel Burleske Karlheinz Stockhausen Chöre für Doris Karlheinz Stockhausen Litanei 97 New London Chamber Choir Directed by James Weeks Jane Chapman harpsichord Christian Forshaw baritone saxophone NLCC finds unexpected points of contact between two giants of European modernism in its exciting and theatrical programme. Kagel's witty Gegenstimmen pits conductor against choir (and harpsichord) to brilliant effect, while his more recent Burleske is an absurd theatre of choral gestures led by a virtuoso baritone saxophone. Two works by Stockhausen come from either end of his working life: the early Chöre für Doris set texts by Verlaine in a broadly traditional (though highly individual) style; Litanei 97 sets a text from Aus den sieben Tagen and is a mysterious and absorbing ritual for a chanting choir of robed acolytes. ‘One of the most adventurous, polished vocal ensembles performing today' Classical Music Produced by HCMF; Supported by Réseau Varèse Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:02:17 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/46 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/46 Frank Zappa:I was in a Drum UK PREMIERE Reagan at BitburgUK PREMIERE  Overture to Uncle Sam UK PREMIERE   Samba Funk UK PREMIERE Plus other works by Frank Zappa ascolta: Erik Borgir cello / electric cello Andrew Digby trombone / euphoniumBoris Müller percussion Markus Schwind trumpet Martin Homann percussion Hubert Steiner guitars / electric bassGuests:Matthias Stich saxophone / bass clarinet Lukas Schiske drum set Kavin Schweigart-Hilario flute  Philipp Vandré keyboards To some, Frank Zappa is a civil bugbear, to others he is a master at the rock guitar, and to even others he is a composer with a virtually unceasing amount of energy and ingenuity. In short: an American icon. ascolta performs a broad selection of Zappa's works from the late 60s to the early 90s. Personal connections that various performers had to Zappa are important, with regard to the arrangement, as both ascolta percussionists were part of a recording of works by Varèse under the artistic direction of Zappa. All programme pieces were transcribed and arranged by Andrew Digby and Hubert Steiner. Produced by HCMF Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:57:15 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/45 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/45 Karlheinz Stockhausen KLANG 9th Hour: HOPE UK PREMIERE Sun Ra Pleiades UK PREMIERE Sun Ra outer nothingness UK PREMIEREFrank Gratkowski saxophone musikfabrikStockhausen was fascinated by the idea of composing music for grand cycles of structured time. Like in LICHT, the big opera cycle of seven operas, which refers to the seven days of the week, he related a whole work-group of pieces to the 24 hours of a day. He was able to finish 21 pieces of KLANG. musikFabrik will play the 9th hour of it: HOPE. The other two works are a tribute to one of the pathfinders of free-jazz: Sun Ra. Marshall Allen, his musical companion for more than 30 years, wrote the arrangements of this evening for saxophone and musikFabrik. ‘I never wanted to be a part of planet Earth, but I am compelled to be here...I am of another dimension. I am on this planet because people need me' Sun Ra Produced by HCMF; Supported by Réseau Varèse  Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:47:52 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/44 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/44 Bernd Alois Zimmermann Intercomunicazione Samuel Beckett Not I Richard Barrett new work (HCMF commission) UK PREMIERE Arne Deforce cello Yutaka Oya piano Richard Barrett electronics With Intercomunicazione for cello and piano, Bernd Alois Zimmermann poses the question as to how much further the repertoire for cello and piano must go. In this ‘anti-sonata' he reveals the very different ways that both instruments produce sound. Making the cello independent as a solo instrument was a logical consequence. At Arne Deforce's request, the composer responds once again to the challenge of writing a work for cello and piano, without lapsing into traditional compositional paradigms. The British composer Richard Barrett here chooses the use of electronics as intermediary. The monologue Not I by Samuel Beckett is a search for identity and has an almost musical structure. Produced by HCMF; commissioned by the Concertgebouw Bruges and Transit: Festival van Vlaanderen Vlaams-Brabant Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:40:51 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/43 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/43 Egidija Medeksaite new work WORLD PREMIEREJuste Janulyte new workWORLD PREMIERERicardas Kabelis new work (HCMF commission) WORLD PREMIEREMathew Adkins new work WORLD PREMIEREKarlheinz Essl new work WORLD PREMIEREPiaras Hoban new work (HCMF commission) WORLD PREMIEREAnton Lukoszevieze celloMathew Adkins electronicsAnton Lukoszevieze presents a programme of new works for cello and live electronics. This focuses on innovative new pieces by three Lithuanian composers, extending his ongoing exploration of his own cultural heritage. In addition, there are two composers at the forefront of realtime interactive composition, Mathew Adkins and Karlheinz Essl (Austria's own guru of multi-media electronica) and, finally, Piaras Hoban, winner of the 2007 HCMF Young Composers' Workshop. Produced by HCMF; supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:49:25 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/42 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/42 [60] PROJECT (HCMF Commission) WORLD PREMIERECurated, mixed and performed by Mathew Adkins The [60] PROJECT is a celebration of the 60th anniversary of musique concrete and the pioneering work of Pierre Schaeffer. The work is curated and mixed by Mathew Adkins with sound contributions from over 60 of the world's leading sound artists. As one of the largest and most ambitious collaborative projects ever undertaken this work presents a unique cross-section of contemporary practice in sound art and brings together musicians from all around the globe. Plus Eliane Radigue Elemental II UK PREMIEREKasper T Toeplitz Electric Bass WORLD PREMIEREIt took me a long time to convince Eliane to write a piece for me. She had never before written for a live musician, or at least written anything without sounds coming from a synthesiser, without prerecorded sounds. Based on an earlier work dating from 1968, Elemental II is devised as an evocation of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Kasper T Toeplitz Dick Raaijmakers Ballade Erlkönig UK PREMIEREJohan van Kreij tape / slides Additional guests and performances to be announced soonProduced by HCMF A CD of the [60] PROJECT published by empreintes DIGITALes will be launched during this event. All those attending the event will receive a free copy.   Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:39:13 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/41 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/41 Dror Feiler MUSIC IS CASTRATED NOISE WORLD PREMIERESerge Bachtasarian electronics Tommy Björk percussion Dror Feiler saxophones / electronics Tommi Keranen electronics Raymond King electric cello Mats Lindström electronics Lasse Marhaug electronics Kasper Toeplitz electric bass / electronics Noise in the widest possible sense, is one of the central elements of Feiler's music. The abrasive raucousness in the music is an attempt to alter how people hear. Noise, as sound out of its familiar context, is confrontational, affective, and transformative. It has shock value, and defamiliarises the listener who expects from music an easy fluency, a secure familiarity, or any sort of mollification. Noise politicises the aural environment. ‘When I compose or play I do not look for beauty, but for truth' Dror Feiler   Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:32:23 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/40 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/40 Eivind Buene Into The Void WORLD PREMIERE POING:Frode Haltli accordion Rolk-Erik Nystrøm saxophone Håkon Thelin double bassNorwegian Wind Ensemble Christian Eggen conductor Samuel Rohrer drums The Norwegian Wind Ensemble commissioned Norwegian composer Eivind Buene to write a piece that would focus on improvisation as a formal element within a larger through-composed framework. In other words, a work where the lines between improvisational elements and fixed elements are blurred, in order to achieve a truly realtime music for a large ensemble. Eivind responded by inviting POING into the mix, and the result is a double concerto for the Norwegian Wind Ensemble and POING. Fine Swiss improviser and percussionist Samuel Rohrer was invited as well, and accepted. If this piece succeeds, you will hear about one hour of continuous music that explores the gravity and anti-gravity of improvisation as a formal element. Imagine, if you will, a black musical hole that expands and contracts randomly by the strict laws of Buene's physics. Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:27:44 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/39 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/39 Willem Boogman Sternenrest WORLD PREMIEREOlaf Tarenskeen electric guitar Arnold Marinissen glass-percussion SPECTRA Ensemble:Filip Rathé artistic director Jan Vercruysse flute Kris Deprey clarinetFrank Van Eycken percussion Pieter Jansen violin Bram Bossier viola Lieven Baert cello Asteroseismologist Connie Aerts studied the frequencies of star HD 129929. Her work inspired the Dutch composer Willem Boogman to write Sternenrest, a composition for electric guitar, glass-percussion, the SPECTRA Ensemble and electronics, projected through a refined spatialisation system of almost 200 loudspeakers (Wave Field Synthesis). The narrative structure of the work follows the ‘life-cycle' of star HD 129929, from the birth, through to supernova and her remnants, followed by dawn. Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:22:30 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/38 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/38 Nicola Sani AchaB WORLD PREMIERE Gareth Davis clarinet / bass clarinet / contra-bass clarinet Nicola Sani sound projection David Ryan video Nicola Sani's cycle of three compositions entitled AchaB, for clarinets, 8-channel digital sound and video, take their initial starting point from Bach. Sani then proceeds to create complex sound-worlds based on clarinettist Gareth Davis' approach to sonority, instrumental timbre, and breath, augmenting them with spatial amplification and displacement. A progressive expansion of sound and a deepening of sonorous possibilities develop as the three pieces unfold, which is also echoed in David Ryan's video component producing both a convergent and discontinuous counterpoint to the music. Produced by HCMF; supported by Federazione CEMAT (Sonara) Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:17:16 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/37 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/37 Marko Ciciliani and Terre Thaemlitz Jeanne of the Dark WORLD PREMIERE(HCMF and Barooni co-commission) Bakin Zub Barbara Lüneburg electric violin  Michael Blank electric guitar/ fretless bassMicha de Kanter sound design                                                                                                            Fedor Teunisse percussion                                                                                                                                            Marko Ciciliani electronics / light design / concept / compositionSpecial guestTerre Thaemlitz composition / video Shot by Louis Feuillade in the streets of World War 1 Paris, the legendary crime serial Les Vampires was initially banned by the police for glorifying crime, but became a smash hit in cinemas across France on its release in 1916. The film's central figure is the irresistible Irma Vep, personified by actress Jeanne Roques, alias Musidora. Her seductive, emancipated character made her one of the earliest liberated screen women and gave rise to a new genre in film, The Vamp! Jeanne of the Dark is Terre Thaemlitz and Marko Ciciliani's artistic investigation of the vamp, presenting a palette of imageries and stylistic and cultural references, spanning from gender issues around the bad/good girl syndrome, across eroticism and the heavy metal genre to cannibalism.  Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:13:50 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/36 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/36 Salvatore Sciarrino 12 MADRIGALI UK PREMIERENeue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart Being explorers in the field of experimental vocal music, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart work closely with composers. Every year they premiere around 20 new works written for the group. Friendship rather than just collaboration defines their relationship to Salvatore Sciarrino. He was one of the first composers to write for NVS, and the singers have presented his sensual, sonorous music all over the world. Sciarrino considers his madrigal book for the NVS, premiered in August 2008 at Salzburger Festspiele, as one of his most exciting recent works‘A bravura, quicksilver performance' The Wire Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:06:13 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/35 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/35 Stockhausen Naturliche Dauern Nicolas Hodges piano Premiered in New York in February 2006 Naturliche Dauern 1- 24 (Natural Durations 1-24) for piano is the Third Hour of Stockhausen's momentous KLANG (SOUND - the 24 Hours of the Day). Performed here in its entirety - in two parts - by one of the most exciting and virtuosic performers of his generation, Nicolas Hodges, Naturliche Dauern sounds like no other Stockhausen work for solo piano.  Produced by HCMF; Supported by Réseau Varèse Please note: This is a single work performed in two halves; admission to both performances is covered by purchasing one ticket. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 20:02:13 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/34 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/34 Karlheinz Stockhausen STIMMUNG Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart In a sense, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart has created a new ‘genre' of contemporary vocal chamber music after re-founding the ensemble with six to seven solo voices in the year 2000. Since then, they have commissioned and premiered more than 100 new pieces for the ensemble. Only a few contemporary vocal chamber works existed before, and one of the most powerful classics is Karlheinz Stockhausen's STIMMUNG for six voices. This performance is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the great Master, whose death almost one year ago abruptly cut short an extraordinarily creative life. Produced by HCMF; Supported by Réseau Varèse Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:57:37 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/33 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/33 Gilius van Bergeijk 6 Piano installations UK PREMIERENora Mulder pianoPauline piano 6 Piano Installations by Dutch composer and long time colleague of Raaijmakers, Gilius van Bergeijk, will be performed by piano duo Post & Mulder. These piano performance compositions, all with built in obstacles for the piano players, show the influence of Fluxus. Van Bergeijk, now a well known composer, was once Dick Raaijmakers' first composition student and his successor as director of the electronic music studio in the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. ‘The outrageous technical savvy of Post & Mulder' All Music Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:55:23 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/32 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/32 The Fused Ensemble has been bringing together young people to play a diverse array of music since their first performance in 2004 as part of the fuseleeds04 new music festival. Led by multi-talented music leader Jesse Bannister, they have played at the Hi-Fi Club (Leeds), with Dennis Rollins, Garforth Festival and a stunning performance at SAA-uk's Into the Light (The Venue, Leeds). The group have also recently produced their first studio recorded album and are always on the look out for new members with varied music experience to join them and produce new and innovative music. Produced in association with FuseLeeds Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:51:01 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/31 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/31 Cornelius Cardew: Material for Stella for solo guitar, arr. Tilbury Soon (there will be a high tide of revolution in our country), from Piano Album February Piece Fourth System, from February Pieces Bring the Land a New Life, from Piano Album Unintended Piano Music Octet '71, arr. Tilbury John Tilbury piano This selection of Cardew's works, not all for piano, was perceived as a whole, to be performed without a break. I sought to encapsulate, both in letter and spirit, the essence of Cardew's (often contradictory) musical achievement. The thread which runs throughout is a lack of predictability, even with the benefit of hindsight, and especially in those works from the early 60s, such as February Pieces and the solo guitar piece, when the presence of Stockhausen and Cage cast a particularly long shadow over the avant-garde. Note: Following this concert John Tilbury will discuss his long awaited publication on Cardew - Cornelius Cardew: A Life Unfinished - to be launched at HCMF. Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:54:37 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/30 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/30 Peter Adriaansz Prana UK PREMIERE(Texts from the Bhagavad Vita and St. Augustine's Confessions) Percussion Group The HagueThe Nederlands Vocal Laboratory Catch The title Prana stems from the Sanskrit, and indicates the breath, or flow, of life. ‘Pranayama,' the Buddhist breathing exercise, is an extension of this, purporting to extend life's power by the halting of breath, and consequently of time itself. Adriaansz's chosen combination of instruments is central to this idea, as their immense potential for the production of long, resonating sounds appears to halt the perception of time and helps both to focus the attention on a wealth of colour and sound and to realise the issues of time, sound, resonance and tuning at Prana's core. Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:45:17 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/29 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/29 James Rolfe raW Martin Arnold Moonlight on the BluffNicole Lizee Marsh Chapel ExperimentRichard Ayres new work UK PREMIEREMayke Nas new work UK PREMIEREContinuum Contemporary Music: Anne Thompson flute Max Christie clarinet Ryan Scott percussion Laurent Philippe piano Benjamin Bowman violin Paul Widner cello A concert by the six-member core ensemble of Continuum (Toronto) at HCMF highlights the cultural poles of Toronto and Montreal in works by James Rolfe, Martin Arnold and Nicole Lizée (the latter with video), as well as works generated by SHIFT, a festival of Canadian and Dutch arts that takes place immediately prior at the Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam. SHIFT works are by Mayke Nas and Richard Ayres, collaborating with acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin. ‘Ensemble Continuum performs magic with sound' De Telegraaf, Amsterdam Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:40:21 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/28 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/28 Pierre Malbos new work WORLD PREMIERE Pierre Alexandre Tremblay new work WORLD PREMIERE James Saunders #251108 WORLD PREMIERE Nick Williams new work WORLD PREMIERE  Wilhem Latchoumia Piano Baschet-Malbos Crank: Scott McLaughlin music box James Saunders music box Nick Williams music box At the intersection of sculpture and instrument making, the Piano Baschet is a unique object born of acoustical and aesthetic explorations by the French brothers Bernard and Francois Baschet in the 50s. This concert presents the instrument's complex noisy-quiet soundworld for the first time in the UK, with music by Malbos, Saunders, Tremblay and Williams, interweaved with short pieces for music box ensemble. ‘Electronic music is to acoustical music what chemistry is to cooking. It is acoustical music that nourishes the soul' Francois Baschet Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:17:59 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/27 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/27 James Tenney: Diaphonic Study UK PREMIEREChorale for Violin and Piano UK PREMIEREQuintext I-V UK PREMIEREBlues for Annie UK PREMIEREKoan UK PREMIEREEve Egoyan piano Miriam Shalinsky double bass Koan is based on a very simple ascending line for violin, a piece of the same name written in 1971 for violin solo as one of Tenney's Postal Pieces, a series of visionary masterpieces, each notated on a postcard. The quartet version of Koan harmonises this ascending line, thus creating a stunning and beautiful process composition.The Quatuor Bozzini recently recorded on collection qb label the complete string quartets and quintets of James Tenney which will be launched at the HCMF. Featuring some of these works, the 3 concerts represent the largest Tenney retrospective outside North America in the recent years."In a concert featuring the Bozzini Quartet, Tenney's specialists, the composer's ideas are engagingly performed." (Los Angeles Times)Produced by HCMF Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:04:43 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/26 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/26 James Tenney In a large, open space UK PREMIEREQuatuor Bozzini and friendsPraised for "its intense musicality and immense sensitivity" by Musicworks, the Quatuor Bozzini distinguishes itself through its specific, carefully considered repertoire and distinct style of playing. The group recently recorded on collection qb label the complete string quartets and quintets of James Tenney which will be launched at the HCMF. Featuring some of these works, the 3 concerts represent the largest Tenney retrospective outside North America in the recent years.This concert places a group of at least 12 performers in a large, open space. Because the audience is able to move about in the space, they can listen to the resulting sonic environment, which fill the space like light does, from a variety of perspectives.  Produced by HCMF   Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:48:39 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/25 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/25 James Tenney: Arbor Vitae UK PREMIERELove Me Do (Lennon/McCartney, arr. James Tenney) UK PREMIERECognate Canons UK PREMIERE Do You Want to Know a Secret (Lennon/McCartney, arr. James Tenney) UK PREMIERE Saxony UK PREMIERE Eve Egoyan piano Rick Sacks percussion At the occasion of the celebration concerts for his 70th birthday at the California Institute of the Arts in 2004, we created a short piece of James Tenney's from 1955 which he wrote as a student and had just found again amongst old sketches. We thought it would be appropriate to ask him for another quartet. Tenney chose the title Arbor Vitae (Tree of Life), since it draws upon an analogy of roots and branches for the piece's process and harmonic scheme. He also felt that it was representing his attitude towards life and music. He finished the score two weeks before he passed away in August 2006. Clemens Merkel   Produced by HCMF Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:42:27 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/24 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/24 Informal outcome performance from HCMF's Electric Autumn scratch band for guitarists aged 13-16, who have spent the previous weekend strumming, twanging and jamming under the leadership of Rob Crisp. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:35:07 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/23 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/23 These short performances provide up and coming musicians and ensembles with a valuable platform to perform at the UK's leading new music Festival. This year, the series takes place on one intensive day of activity, and is accompanied by a marketplace where emerging artists will be able to meet industry representatives to find out about opportunities available to them 2.30pmCoMA London Performing works from CoMA's Open Score series by Michael Nyman, Robert Szymanek, Tansy Davies and Philip Cashian. 3.10pmWake Up Heather Roche (clarinet) and Kate Ledger (piano) perform works by Jonathan Harvey and Louis Andriessen. 3.50pm Representations Nine Improvising double bassist Dominic Lash is joined by Javier Carmona, Alexander Hawkins and David Stent to perform the latest instalment of his modular composition Representations. 4.30pm Matthew Postle Focusing primarily on acoustic performance, Postle sets out to create a compelling interaction between body, trumpet and the audience. 5.10pm Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo make music which explores detail and difference through repetition and layering, using low quality equipment to create drones. 5.50pm Kudirka / Lely / Susam Three musicians from the UK, USA and the Netherlands perform their own work, inspired by Fluxus and Wandelweiser. 6.30pm Lucy McIntyre Works for solo flute by Oliver Knussen and Dai Fuijikara. 7.10pm Edges Ensemble Experimental music group from The Universtiy of Huddersfield, under the direction of Philip Thomas. Produced by HCMF Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:28:45 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/22 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/22 Thea Musgrave Taking Turns Sally Beamish Aquarium Kirsty Blackwood new work Pippa Murphy Changing Paths Scottish Flute Trio Laura Bailie flute Janet Larsson flute Ruth Morley flute Rhian MacLeod percussion Robert Irvine cello With some 20 commissions from leading composers under its collective belt so far, The Scottish Flute Trio have been building a whole new chamber repertoire with three flutes at the core. For this concert, the trio is joined by cellist Robert Irvine and percussionist Rhian Macleod to perform a programme entirely comprised of new commissions by female composers. Produced by HCMF; supported by Scottish Arts Council Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:19:41 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/21 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/21 Markus Trunk when air too stillJames Weeks new work James Saunders #231108Michael Finnissy NowClaudia Molitor Lorem ipsumEXAUDIJames Weeks DirectorThe premiere of Markus Trunk's extended Beckett setting when air too still, for three vocal quartets with sticks, forms the climax of EXAUDI's concert of recent British work. Also included are James Saunders' #231108 in a version for eight voices, pieces from two of the UK's most exciting young composers, James Weeks and Claudia Molitor, and a madrigal from the evergreen Michael Finnissy.‘deftly convincing performances of dizzyingly complex works' The Guardian Produced by HCMF; supported by British Council; part of the spnm Shortlist Portraits at HCMF Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:08:57 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/20 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/20 Bryn Harrison Open 2 Markus Trunk raw rowsBryn Harrison new work (HCMF commission)ensemble plus-minus plus guests from asamisimasa: Anders Førisdal electric guitar Tanja Orning Cello The quietly oscillating, hypnotic surfaces of Bryn Harrison's music attempt to draw the listener into a delicate web of abstract patterns and near repetitions. At once starkly simple, yet intricately complex, Harrison's latest 40-minute piece is one of his most ambitious projects to date. Created almost as an abstract canvas, the piece draws on Harrison's fascination with the passing of time, allowing the listener to become more and more absorbed in the texture of the music.Produced by HCMF; supported by British Council; part of the BMIC's Cutting Edge Tour and the spnm Shortlist Portraits at HCMF Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:00:09 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/19 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/19 Dror Feiler BASURA / MÜLL UK PREMIERE Klangforum Wien Rolf Gupta conductor Meira Asher voice Martin Winkler voice Dror Feiler laptop / electronics featuring local brass bands including The Hade Edge Band BATES MILL COURTYARD 4PM BASURA will start in the public space of Bates Mill Courtyard where people will be able to hear local marching bands playing alarmingly ‘out of tune', accompanied by garbage trucks, which will lead the audience to the concert hall for the performance of MÜLL. BATES MILL 5PM MÜLL will address the long legacy of western ideas of progress and prosperity that have been underpinned by garbage production, colonial exploitation and the withdrawal of basic rights from others, who were and are regarded and treated as garbage. Our own time/reality remains defined by the existence of a huge socially excluded underclass, in western as well as postcolonial societies and by a ‘production' of huge quantities of garbage that is reshaping our planet. ‘I want always to deal with the grim problems in life' Dror Feiler   Produced by HCMF; supported by Erste Bank Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:54:51 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/17 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/17 David Fennessy Big Lung (HCMF and Tolbooth co-commission)Chris Dench compostela / finisterre Kevin Bowyer organ Auska Hatanaka percussion Tom de Cock percussion Co-commissioned by Tolbooth and HCMF for a first performance at Le Weekend 2008, the idea for this new work germinated from two areas. Firstly, the idea of the very rigid and symbolic gothic space of Stirling's Church of the Holy Rude, steeped as it is in local and weighty historic significance and, secondly, the challenge of creating a contemporary organ piece looking at new ways of harnessing the colossal power that can be created by the organ. The contrast in musical attack between the organist and the percussion players creates a formidable soundworld. ‘A full-pelt Gothic organ assault' The Wire Produced by HCMF; co-commissioned by Le Weekend and HCMF; Supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, PRS Foundation and Scottish Arts Council; also supported by British Council Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:40:57 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/16 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/16 David Fennessy Foot Foot and Other Stories Thea Musgrave Voices from the Ancient World Gordon McPherson Three Minute Philosophy Isang Yun Salomo Geir Rafnsson Hekla Laura Bailie flute Janet Larsson fluteRuth Morley flute Hanna Ahti dancer Soraya Ham dancer Jenna Sloan dancer Morgann Runacre-Temple dancer Choreography by Morgann Runacre Temple, Hanna Ahti and Ross CooperRhian Macleod percussionThe Scottish Flute Trio, with percussionist Rhian Macleod and The Curve Foundation Dance Company come together in this unique collaboration. Foot Foot and Other Stories by rising star David Fennessy is inspired by the 60s band The Shaggs and has choreography by Morgann Runacre-Temple. Ross Cooper's choreography accompanies Thea Musgrave's Voices From The Ancient World - a wonderful set of character pieces depicting Eos, Pandora, Boreas, Circe et al. and Gordon McPherson's Three Minute Philosophy, a driving ‘onemanbandmachine' of a piece written for The Scottish Flute Trio in 1997. Isang Yun's Salomo for solo alto flute is more reflective and contemplative, with choreography by Hanna Ahti, whilst Geir Rafnsson's Hekla is inspired by southern Iceland's majestic volcano. ‘Rambert's Sparky Little Sister' The List Produced by HCMF; supported by Scottish Arts Council; also supported by British Council Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:24:16 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/15 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/15 John Butcher Composition for eight musicians (HCMF commission) WORLD PREMIEREJohn Butcher saxophones Clare Cooper harp / guzheng Chris Burn piano dieb13 turntables John Edwards double bass Adam Linson double bass / electronics Gino Robair percussion / energised surfaces Thomas Lehn analogue synthesiserIn contrast to composition, the reasons for most events in a group improvisation are only born in the moment just before their sounds are revealed - and musical details can quickly evolve beyond any one person's pre-conceptions. I hope that this new work, a composition for eight highly individual improvisers, maintains faith in these special qualities whilst steering the performers through some of my personal concerns, taking in a few places less commonly visited by spontaneous consent alone. John Butcher     Produced by HCMF; supported by British Council To read the Signal to Noise article John Butcher: Where the Sazophone Ends click here Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:04:07 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/14 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/14 Christopher Fox comme ses paroles(HCMF and BBC Radio 3 co-comission) WORLD PREMIEREAnton Lukoszevieze celloEXAUDIJames Weeks directorcomme ses paroles is the culmination of four years of close collaboration between Christopher Fox and EXAUDI and is a joint commission by HCMF and BBC Radio 3. It is also Fox's largest work to date, a 70-minute long celebration of love and the language of love, for eight singers, solo cello and electronics. As the music progresses, the live sounds are multiplied electronically, filling St Paul's Hall with a rich, sensuous web of sound - a marriage of sound and space. Produced by HCMF in association with BBC Radio 3; supported by British Council Commission also supported by Dr Mick Peake, John Bryan, Chris Dryburgh, Martin Staniforth, Duncan Druce, Valerie Curtis, Laurence Rose, Joe Kerrigan and Christine Stead. For more information about the Christopher Fox commission click here Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:48:49 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/13 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/13 Enno Poppe: Knochen UK PREMIERESalz UK PREMIEREÖl UK PREMIERE Klangforum Wien Enno Poppe conductor Founded in 1985 by Beat Furrer as a soloist ensemble for contemporary music, Klangforum Wien performs worldwide with more than 80 performances each season. Composer Enno Poppe's Knochen - Salz - Öl [Bone - Salt - Oil] is a poetic and dramatic cycle that is a study on the composition of diverse materials. Poppe tells a story of growth and decay. Bone promises growth, then stability, firmness and - as a memento mori - death. Oil, in contrast, being a residue of past life, warns us of transience, millennia of decay, while also serving as a source of energy that imparts new life. Produced by HCMF; supported by Erste Bank Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:38:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/12 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/12 Created in Rome in 1999, the Réseau Varèse brings together 21 partners from 17 European countries. Since 2000, with the support of the European Commission's Culture 2000 programme, the network has been encouraging European exchanges and the circulation of contemporary music projects. HCMF hosts the Réseau Varèse Public Symposium for the first time. Speakers will include:Dror Feiler is a musician, composer & artist born 1951 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Living in Sweden since 1973, Dror Feiler has performed and recorded as a soloist and with several groups during the last 30 years on 3 continents and in 25 countries including Sweden, Russia, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Austria, Switzerland, France, Israel, Holland, Hungary, Norway, Germany, France, Japan, Colombia, Mexico and U.S.A. Feiler is founder of free music improvisation group LOKOMOTIV KONKRET, founder and artistic leader of THE TOO MUCH TOO SOON ORCHESTRA and founder and artistic leader of the Dror Feiler's N.O. Orchestra. Antoine GindtAs a producer, director and programmer, Antoine Gindt was a founding director of the Musique Action festival in Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy (1984-86), associate producer for the Musica festival (1987-89) and then for the Centre International de Recherche Musicale de Nice (1990-91). He co-directed the ATEM with Georges Aperghis from 1992 to 1997, and has been the Director of T&M since 1997. He was also a music consultant to the Théâtre d'Orléans (1990-93 and 1999-2000), and a member of the artistic committee of the "French-American Fund for Contemporary Music" in New York (2004-2006). He has been a programming advisor for the Musica Festival since 2006.Liza Lim Born in Perth, Australia in 1966, internationally acclaimed composer Liza Lim writes music marked by visceral energy and vibrant colour. A recurring thread in her work is the exploration of the themes of crossing cultural boundaries and of ecstatic transformation. Her music brings together aspects of modernist abstraction with forms of ritual culture drawn from a variety of sources. She counterpoints seemingly opposed pairs of terms such as 'radiance and shadow', 'violence and meditation' to describe her musical language. Lim was recently appointed Professor of Composition under the University of Huddersfield's '20 Professors' initiative.Stéphane MalfettesProduction delegate at T&M in the Nanterre-Amandiers Theater (until 2001), then secretary-general at the Maison de la Culture of Grenoble (2002) and at the Opéra of Lille (from 2003 to 2006), he is since January 2007 in charge of the programmation of both the Auditorium du Musée du Louvre and « la Scène » in the Louvre-Lens (opening in 2010). He wrote several articles about performing arts (for artpress in particular) and published in 2000 an essay called Les Mots distordus. Ce que les musiques actuelles font de la littérature (published by M. Seteun/IRMA) For more information about the Réseau Varèse Network please visit http://www.reseau-varese.com Produced by HCMF Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:16:30 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/11 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/11 Paul Archbold Impacts and Fractures Roger Redgate Quartet No 3 Brian Ferneyhough Dum Transisset I-IV Harrison Birtwistle The Tree of Strings Irvine Arditti violin Ashot Sarkissjan violin Ralf Ehlers violaLucas Fels cello The Arditti Quartet returns for its 13th visit to the Festival, this year performing a cutting edge programme of contrasting British music. Paul Archbold's Impacts and Fractures begins the programme with driving energy. Roger Redgate's new third quartet explores a rich tapestry of rhythmic intricacies. The last two works in this programme both received their premier in May this year. Ferneyhough's four short pieces Dum Transisset I-IV use plainchant fragments from the Renaissance composer, Christopher Tye, as a basis for re-imagination. Birtwistle's large scale second quartet, The Tree of Strings, will conclude the programme. ‘The Arditti Quartet were spellbinding' The Times Produced by HCMF; supported by British Council Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:09:44 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/10 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/10 XII hours (for cello, harp, room, hi-fi, trombone, DVD player, television, electric harp and violin) WORLD PREMIERE cranc: Angharad Davies violin Rhodri Davies harp / electric harp Nikos Veliotis cello / visuals Radu Malfatti trombone In 2002, cranc asked Radu Malfatti to write a piece for them and he wrote dann klopfte sie lange beethoven. They now invite him to share their company in a room for twelve hours. Please note: this is a durational concert and audience members can drop in and out of the performance at any time. ‘cranc's improvisations have an alluring musicality' The Wire ‘Radu Malfatti remains one of the most uncompromising and challenging composers today' Paris Transatlantic Produced by HCMF; supported by British Council    Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:57:07 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/9 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/9 Dror Feiler's BASURA / MÜLL, takes inspiration from the waste and excess of western society. So do your bit - bring your junk along to one of these workshops and musicians Chris Bartram (Saturday 22) and Andy Burton (Saturday 29) will help you turn it into fabulous musical instruments! Please bring any of the following: long cardboard tubes, bits of hosepipe, wooden spoons, balloons and metal coat hangers! Suitable for children aged 8+. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Limited availability, places must be booked in advance via the Box Office on 01484 430528. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:44:02 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/8 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/8 Dror Feiler's BASURA / MÜLL, takes inspiration from the waste and excess of western society. So do your bit - bring your junk along to one of these workshops and musicians Chris Bartram (Saturday 22) and Andy Burton (Saturday 29) will help you turn it into fabulous musical instruments! Please bring any of the following: long cardboard tubes, bits of hosepipe, wooden spoons, balloons and metal coat hangers! Suitable for children aged 8+. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Limited availability, places must be booked in advance via the Box Office on 01484 430528. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:39:50 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/7 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/7 Larry Goves sinew Matthew Sergeant this was not a film about a drowning manLarry Goves and Matthew Welton Poppy Larry Goves deaf John's dark house Ian Vine x Larry Goves riviniana and the vermillion border Matthew Welton writing 21 Larry Goves skein Elliot Carter Changes Larry Goves and Matthew Weltontalking microtonal blues Carl Raven clarinets / saxophones Larry Goves electronics Oliver Coates cello Mark Norman percussionMatthew Welton spoken word Tom McKinney guitars / banjo The house of bedlam is an electronic, instrumental and spoken word ensemble that fuses elusive elements from blues, rock and folk around a contemporary classical core. With the lyrical, abrasive, fragile and violent in close proximity, they perform mainly their own repertoire by Larry Goves (music) and Matthew Welton (words) along with pieces by other composers and writers they admire. Produced by HCMF; supported by British Council; part of the BMIC's Cutting Edge Tour Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:33:17 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/6 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/6 John Rea Singulari-TGeorge Benjamin At First LightAnalia Lugdar Todos los...Luis de Pablo Razon Dormida Nouvel Ensemble ModerneLorraine Vaillancourt conductor After 20 years of existence, after hundreds of concerts, events and original works, the NEM opens its history book to look back at those works which have left their mark and which form part of its living memory; works which, we hope, will also enrich the memories of those who hear them. 'NEM makes its way with joy, subtlety and mathematical precision' Le Devoir (Montréal) Produced by HCMF Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:13:46 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/5 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/5 Dick Raaijmakers The Graphic Method: BicycleBart Visser bicycleEdwin van der Heide soundNico Bink producer / coordinatorGeneral coordination by V2 Institute for Unstable MediaThe Graphic Method: Bicycle is a performance in which a man on a bicycle is pulled - very slowly - over a distance of 10 metres by a mechanically driven cable. The performer (the man on the bicycle) is lifted from the saddle at a very slow pace. The heartbeat, breathing and muscle contractions are amplified through sensors attached to the performer's body. The performance lasts about 30 minutes and will be introduced by Arjen Mulder, (see p18).Dick Raaijmakers is generally considered as both the founding father and godfather of electronic music in the Netherlands, and The Graphic Method: Bicycle is one of his most illustrative and important works. Produced by HCMFFor more about the Dick Raaijmakers documentary exhibition at HCMF 2008 click hereTo read more about the life and work of Dick Raaijmakers click here  Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:46:22 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/4 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/event/show/4 Progress is suspended at the moment while we wait for planning permission. Although it may have taken a little longer to finalise things to get to this point (mainly by me getting to spend time on site), we're still hopefully on schedule. In the mean time Desmond made a trip to Artec and I made a trip to Istanbul. So it's time for some holiday snaps! First Artec, this is the lathe used for spinning large dishes and aluminium ready for the lathe: Thanks to Desmond for those. And while while Desmond was there I was bobbing around the Bospherus to escape the heat of Istanbul. Here're two snaps, inside and out, of the 500 year-old 'new mosque': It wasn't all fun, fun, fun: I managed to make some field recordings of this wonderfully sounding city in between and during the boat rides, sight seeing, kebabs, fresh fish sandwiches, ayran, tea, locum, Turkish hospitality... take me back!!! Sun, 31 Aug 2008 22:03:35 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/8 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/8 It's been a while but lots has been going on. Firstly, a workshop with 10 great children at Neilds School. We discussed sounds, went on soundwalks, recorded soundwalks and generally had some fun. A big thank you to all the pupils, staff and Heidi (from HCMF)! Here we are having some fun with listening dishes:   Secondly, it was time for me to really get acquainted with the location. I spent a lot of time wandering about, taking photos and making recordings to establish a strong connection with the place. Really good quality time for research and thinking. It is a really beautiful place - especially at 4am! Also met and was interviewed by Oli Jones who's putting together a series of short videos and other exciting stuff for HCMF - will put a link to it from here as soon as it's ready. Well, it's time for me to get cooking in the studio with all the material I recorded and to start designing the audio and walk that will accompany the experience of visiting the installation. Feels good to be at this stage.   Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:00:41 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/6 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/6 Some rapid progress was made recently by Desmond researching the dishes. After considering other materials (including fibreglass and concrete) I really wanted one last shot at finding someway of casting these large dishes out of metal. And Desmond came up trumps with a foundry that can manufacture the dishes in aluminium (which wikipedia tells me is the most abundent metal in the earth's crust) But they (probably) aren't going to look like these early models, and there'll (probably) be only one. Having re-visited the site, I currently thinking that there's only room for one and want it elegantly rising from the ground rather than being housed in any structure. We'll see.. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:36:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/5 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/5 MESH is an interactive sound toy which was launched as part of the HCMF 2007 Education & Outreach programme, and is currently available on-line at: http://www.hcmf.co.uk/meshAiming to bring a slice of Huddersfield's rich and varied musical life to a wider audience, MESH uses audio material from thirty of Huddersfield's diverse music groups, ranging from orchestras, brass bands and choral societies to samba bands, rock and pop groups and dhol drummers. Each sound file is linked to an image of an iconic Huddersfield building or landmark. Visitors to the website can drag buildings onto an imaginary landscape to make their own compositions / mixes of Huddersfield sounds and can save them for others to listen to. HCMF has produced a colourful Curriculum Support Pack to further promote the use of MESH to support specific programmes of study at KS3. The pack includes:• Introduction to using MESH• Sample lesson plan• MESH board game• Links to other curriculum areasThe MESH Curriculum Support Pack is available free of charge to Secondary Schools in Kirklees, and costs £5 for schools outside of Kirklees (includes postage). For further information please contact Heidi Johnson, HCMF Education & Outreach Officer on 01484 425082 or email: heidi.johnson@hcmf.co.uk   Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:19:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/23 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/23 Each year HCMF recruits over 50 volunteers to be involved in more than 10 different roles within the Festival including, Front of House, artist liaison, marketing and research.The energy, enthusiasm and commitment of the 2011 Festival team was incredible, and everyone involved succeeded in bringing new music and life-changing experiences to audiences from around the UK and across the globe.To be part of this year's team please email hcmfinfo@hud.ac.uk and request a volunteer application pack for 2012. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:13:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/21 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/21 It's now eighteen months since I started thinking about comme ses paroles. At the 2006 Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival EXAUDI and Apartment House gave a mesmerising performance of Paragraph 5 from Cornelius Cardew's The Great Learning. Afterwards I talked to Graham McKenzie about how much I had enjoyed the performance and by the end of our conversation I'd suggested writing a new piece for strings and singers. I thought this might be about fifteen minutes of music; Graham thought otherwise and a couple of days later he asked if I would be interested in writing something much longer.In early 2007 BBC Radio 3 joined the project as co-commissioners with the Festival and by then comme ses paroles had grown to about 70 minutes for eight voices and amplified cello, with many more voices pre-recorded. Much of the rest of 2007 was spent slowly working my way into the material, getting a sense of the overall shape of the piece. I made lots of sketches and gradually realised that the only way to work would be to start in the middle. At the centre of the piece is a long, slowly evolving vocal texture, which for about half the piece forms the musical space which the live voices and the cellist inhabit. This music gradually accumulates more and more voices, first the eight live voices, then eight more pre-recorded, then another eight, until there are forty voices filling St Paul's. Once all this music was created I was able to work out in both directions, to discover first how the singers arrived at the point where they would begin to sing and then what they would do when the space was completely filled with their voices.In a way the gradual layering of more and more voices is like the acquisition of memory and, as with our memories, in this music new ideas can always be related to what has gone before. When I began comme ses paroles I was reading Roland Barthes's 1977 book Fragments d'un discours amoureux (‘A Lover's Discourse'), in which he constantly relates his own thoughts to those of earlier writers and at first I thought this was going to be the source of any words I needed for the piece. But I soon realised I needed words which had been written with music in mind and I found what I was looking for in the Livre du Voir Dit, written between 1363 and 1365 by French poet and composer Guillaume de Machaut. This extraordinary exchange of poems and letters between a lover and his beloved also accumulates its own history; Machaut is not just writing poetry but quite self-consciously assembling them into a book full of cross-referencing. Across a divide of nearly 650 years Machaut feels like a very modern collaborator, although I've chosen not to listen to any of the music he made from these words until I've finished comme ses paroles. Nor will listeners to my music be able to hear too much of Machaut's texts: in turning them into music I am concentrating less on what they mean and more on how they sound, the wonderful, sensuous ebb and flow of alliteration and assonance; that's why it's comme ses paroles, ‘like his words'. I've found many different ways of translating Machaut into music: the words are sung, of course, but the whole piece begins with a scene in which whispered intimacies pass from singer to singer and there's also a section in which the cellist's two hands spell out texts on the fingerboard. Later on the cellist reflects back parts of what the voices are singing so perhaps he's both writing and reading this music as it happens?It's been a long and sometimes laborious journey but as I write now it's the middle of June 2008 and I am within sight of the end. In September EXAUDI will record the many layers of the central section of the piece and by then the rest of the music will be ready for them and for Anton too. In November we will rehearse in London and then bring the piece to Huddersfield. Will it work? We won't know until you hear it.Christopher Fox, June 2008 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:40:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/19 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/19 Morton Feldman TrioPerformed by John Tilbury (piano), Ian Humphries (violin) and Deidre Cooper (cello)Written in 1980, Trio is a product of Feldman's late compositional period where the composer explored extended durations within a concert setting. However, it differs from many other compositions of this period in that repetition is much less important and the variety of instrumental techniques employed is far larger than other pieces of the time.The performance lasted close to 100 minutes, and the stamina of the players was remarkable - critically important in music such as this - enabling the audience to immerse themselves fully in the soundworld. John Tilbury's piano playing was particularly notable; balancing with two string instruments continually playing very quietly is no mean feat, and the ability to sustain the level of intensity through repeatedly quiet notes was exemplified beautifully in this performance. The unremitting time signature changes were handled immaculately, and gave a strong lilting, almost swung feel to the music. Feldman's intriguing use of double sharps and double flats in the string parts gives a more complex sound and helps to differentiate tones within small intervals to achieve a stronger clarity. The string playing in the performance reflected this intention successfully, with slight nuances of tuning giving an added sharpness to the overall sound.One of the fascinating characteristics of the piece is the large range of playing techniques involved, which then merge together to produce a striking similar surface sound throughout the piece. While the individual elements differ among themselves, the overall result is one of interlocking constituents which create a gradually undulating surface. However, there is one extraordinary moment where the piano, having played only pianissimo or less for well over thirty minutes, suddenly plays a loud chord which jerks the listener out of their quiet listening environment and forces them to re-define their listening perspective. This moment only occurs once within the piece, and serves as an intense focal point within the globally static texture. The experience of this mesmerizing concert on a summer's afternoon in St Paul's was one of serene beauty and a credit to all three performers who worked tirelessly to achieve a superb result - roll on November! Richard Glover, June 2008 Fri, 20 Jun 2008 02:39:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/18 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/18 Piaras Hoban has been announced as the winner of HCMF's Young Composers' Workshop 2007 for his submission and into the gibbering masses it goes...Piaras' work was rehearsed and performed by Ensemble MAE and HCMF Composer-in-Residence Yannis Kyriakides in the workshop on 22 November, along with pieces by Richard Glover, Sarah O'Halloran and Fumiko Miyachi.Born in 1986, Piaras Hoban is an Irish composer currently studying in the School of Music and Sonic Arts at Queen's University, Belfast. He has studied composition with Piers Hellawell and Simon Mawhinney and also acoustic composition with Paul Wilson. His current musical interests are related to exploring the all pervasive nature of the mechanised environment.Piaras will be awarded a commission for HCMF 2008. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:59:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/17 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/17 Press information here Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:55:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/16 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/16 connect information goes here Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:39:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/12 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/12 MESH is an on-line interactive sound toy for all ages commissioned in partnership with the University of Huddersfield Department of Music and Drama to celebrate HCMF’s 30th anniversary. Aiming to bring a slice of Huddersfield’s rich and varied musical life to a wider audience, MESH uses audio material from thirty of Huddersfield’s diverse music groups, ranging from orchestras, brass bands and choral societies to samba bands, rock and pop groups and dhol drummers. Just some of the local groups featuring in the project are Slick Stick Sambastic, Xylosound, True Colours Gospel Choir, Marsden Brass Band, Music and the Deaf and the Colne Valley Make Voice Choir. Groups have been assisted in recording their contribution by student engineers from the University of Huddersfield. You can log on to MESH by clicking here and create and save your own mix of Huddersfield sounds and listen to what others have created.   Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:26:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/10 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/10 Website design and content management system by http://www.andymayer.net Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:29:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/6 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/6 Content coming soon. Please check back later. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:16:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/5 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/5 Terms and ConditionsUse of this website is subject to the following disclaimers:Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (HCMF) has taken every care in the preparation of the content of this website. The information and materials that this website contains are provided by HCMF in good faith.All information and materials on this website are for your general information and use only and do not constitute any advice or recommendation (professional or otherwise). 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Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:15:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/4 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/4 Enjoy everything hcmf// has to offer from only £25As a hcmf// Member you will receive exclusive members news via our quarterly newsletter (including advance artistic programme information), priority mailing of the brochure and advanced booking, ticket offers from high profile venues and festivals around the UK, a free programme book (Patron and Benefactor levels), plus invites to special Members receptions during the Festival.The hcmf// Members are a group of individuals from all over the country who share a keen interest in new and experimental music and are dedicated to supporting the Festival in a variety of ways. If you have enjoyed the Festival and would like to help and support our current and future work, you can become a hcmf// Member today. The three levels of hcmf// Membership are:FRIENDSAs a Friend of hcmf// you will receive:• priority mailing of the brochure in advance of the general mailing list• priority booking (one week before general booking opens)• free, regular newsletters exclusive to Benefactors, Patrons and Friends• advanced programme information• acknowledgement of your donation in the programme book• pre-concert reception, exclusive to Benefactors, Patrons and Friends• one event per year is supported by the Friends of hcmf//• offers from various arts organisations• opportunities to meet other FriendsIndividual £25 - £60Joint £40 - £80 (two names at one address)PATRONSIf you would like to become a Patron of hcmf//, you will receive all of the benefits of the Friends' Scheme plus:• free programme book, which includes details of all of the Festival events• priority mailing of the brochure in advance of Friends and the general mailing list• extended priority booking (two weeks before general booking opens)• invitation to a Festival reception with the opportunity to meet Festival guests, artists and composers• one event per year is supported by the Patrons of hcmf//Individual £60 - £300Joint £80 - £300 (two names at one address)BENEFACTORSIn addition to all of the Patrons' benefits, we would like to offer Benefactors the opportunity to associate their donation with a particular area of the festival's programme - for example, new commissions, concerts, education schemes, collaborative work or a composer's visit. Please contact Nikki Cassidy (Festival Manager) on 01484 472900 if you would like to discuss your donation further.Donations start at £300Each of the above schemes will help to support:• new commissions• concerts• education and outreach projects• collaborative works• composer visitsTo receive further information, please call 01484 472900 or email hcmfinfo@hud.ac.uk. We look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon!   Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:03:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/3 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/3 HCMFRoom TC/09University of HuddersfieldHuddersfieldHD1 3DHTel: +44 (0) 1484 472900Or, you can contact us with your questions or to request a brochure by post here. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:29:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/2 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/2 hcmf// is an annual, international festival of contemporary and new music, over 10 days consisting of approximately 50 events, including concerts, music-theatre, dance, multi-media, talks and film, with a related Learning and Participation programme devised and implemented to reflect the artistic programme and respond to regional need. hcmf// aims to provide life-changing and unique artistic experiences to as wide an audience as possible; to be an international platform for new music and related contemporary art forms in Britain; to enthuse existing audiences and draw in new ones through adventurous programming and informed, stylish presentation and to be an active cultural partner within the region. Festival Facts:30 years of consistent success & world-wide recognition10 packed days in November presenting up to 7 events per day In 2007, the BBC Radio 3's Hear and Now devoted all of its December programming to the Festival (approx 90,000 radio audience)Presents performances of live cutting edge music within a diversity of events and experiencesCommissions and programmes around 10 works each yearHas presented 381 world premieres and 813 UK premieres with more planned for the futureProvides an opportunity for second performances of worksPresents an opportunity for international performers to be heard in the UKIs a platform for numerous debut artistsHas been an employer for lots of composers and performers in the early stages of their careersHas involved over 5,745 individuals in 50 different projects since 1991 as part of its education programmeGenerates substantial media & press coverage - regional, national and internationalHosted BBC2 Culture Show in 2004 (1.3 million TV audience, 5 million reach)  Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:19:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/1 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/1 Things are progressing well. I've been spending time sorting out technical details for the acoustic mirror (one not two - that's decided). Central to this process and to the mirror's construction is Desmond Brett. He's a sculptor (Slade MFA graduate no less) with lots of exactly the right kind of experience. The mirror draws inspiration from the many gigantic concrete acoustic radar dishes that were built  between the World Wars. The Colne Valley Acoustic Mirror will be distinct in its three-way function and status as conceptual sound art, sculptural form, and sound sculpture.   Sun, 15 Jun 2008 10:53:51 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/2 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/blog/show/2 Edward CaineI am a composer based in York, UK, doing a PhD in composition at the University of York. I am on the Sound and Music Shortlist.I also work as organiser for contemporary music promoter Late Music (http://www.latemusic.org), assistant for publisher UYMP (http://www.uymp.co.uk), Music and Welfare tutor for Vanbrugh College University of York and jazz performer, teacher and graphic designer/programmer.Connect with me at: http://www.edwardcaine.com; Facebook; Twitter; MySpace; YouTube; and via my RSS feedJohnny Herbert I am a graduate of the Royal College of Music in London and I spent a year studying privately with Rebecca Saunders and attending seminars led by Walter Zimmerman at the Berlin UdK.I am currently studying for my MMus in composition at the University of Huddersfield under the guidance of Dr Aaron Cassidy.My music has been performed in the UK and across Europe, by artists including Ian Pace, Richard Haynes, Kevin Bowyer and Neil Heyde. Hugh NankivellI am a composer and performer now living in Torquay.I'm currently writing a song-cycle with Ian McMillan for the 25th anniversary of the end of the miner strike for Opera North (performance on March 27th), have just been appointed as Featured Composer at Dartington Arts 2010/11, am working with poets Peter and Alice Oswald on a number of different projects, am performing with the band Natural Causes (www.naturalcauses.org.uk) and am developing the Keyboard Choreography Collection Project in both Japan and England.Read more about me and my projects at http://www.whaletone.co.uk and http://www.playingthemap.co.uk.Connect with me at MySpace. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:11:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/111 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/111 Articles by Chris Townsend in two recent issues of Art Monthly (AM310, 312) have described how the practice of video art has lately made incursions into the world of staged opera, thereby offering opera ‘opportunities for renewed historical relevance' counter to ‘the disabling properties of visual spectacle'. Those articles were written by a self-confessed opera lover. I am not an opera lover, as it happens, but I am a close follower of festivals of contemporary music. Such festivals, which provide platforms for new modernist and postmodernist composed concert music, are as different from performances in opera houses or large mainstream concert halls as chalk and cheese. Performances at contemporary music festivals are given before closely attentive and completely silent audiences, an equivalent condition to the archetypal white cube that acts as a neutral ground on which to place a new work of art. In contrast to the world of opera, these are almost anti-spectacles. Here, however preoccupied the music is with randomness and other playful compositional strategies, it is essentially experienced as a form of serious intellectual discourse. In this discrete world I have observed over a number of years an increasing contiguity with aspects of contemporary visual art practices.To some degree, this encroachment is happening because of the prevalent awareness of the phenomenon of sound art, currently flourishing as a popular artistic practice and curatorial favourite, and heading towards institutional respectability as an academic discipline, with its own contextual theory, history and historiography. For some years it has uncomfortably positioned itself taxonomically between fine art practice (most practitioners who are happy to be called sound artists trained on fine art courses) and contemporary music, in the way that the many attempts to devise a theoretical context for live art used to founder somewhere between its dual contexts of art history and theatre history. When the paradigm of the latter shifted from having been considered a subspecies of theatre, and contingent upon it, live art became, according to Philip Auslander, ‘a subset of a still larger category reasonably called performance'. In a similar way, the tendency now seems to be to consider sound art and composed music both as subcategories of sound culture. There are still, of course, many blurred borders between these and other multifarious practices within sound culture: experimental music, electroacoustic music, low tech sound sculpture, performance art, sound poetry, radiophonic art, turntable culture, noise music, soundscape design, field recording, acoustic ecology, psychoacoustics and the philosophy of sound.All of these featured in one way or another at the 30th Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (HCMF) in November, to a greater degree perhaps than previously at this event. There are many established and nascent international festivals and gatherings specialising in sound art, free improvisation and noise music - for example, the Happy New Ears Festival at Kortrijk in Belgium, Krakow's annual autumn Audio Art Festival, and the forthcoming Soundwaves Festival in Brighton. There are not so many international festivals of contemporary concert music these days, though some new ones have come into being in recent years, like Klangspuren in Austria, the Gothenburg Art Sounds Festival, and Dublin's Printing House Festival. The most substantial contemporary music festivals have been going the longest: the Warsaw Autumn since 1956, and the Zagreb Music Biennale since 1961.HCMF is equivalent in importance in the contemporary music world to Documenta or Ars Electronica. Like those manifestations within the art world, HCMF concentrates on presenting new work within an international frame of reference, and is conditioned to some degree by the ideas of one director. Set in the academic context of Huddersfield University, HCMF's initiator and its director until 2000 was composition lecturer Richard Steinitz, who fostered a climate of considerable openness tempered by academic rigour and complete seriousness. The new director, Graham McKenzie, came to Huddersfield from CCA in Glasgow, a centre for presenting visual arts and film as well as contemporary music. HCMF 2007 was promoted as having ‘a new look'. Previewing his programme for the festival, McKenzie somewhat provocatively asserted that we were going to get ‘music that demands to be "seen" - not simply heard! There is an emphasis on "audiovisual" and interactive media but, in addition, elsewhere in the programme its roots are firmly steeped in the aesthetics of live art or performance art.' There were certainly things at the festival that would have been equally at home at an international art biennale, and with all the qualities of classical performance art. But identifying the visual art and modern music crossovers at HCMF 2007 was not as simple and straightforward as all that; several interleaved strands could be distinguished.On the most obvious and immediately evident level were those pieces with a video art installation ‘look', in particular some of the pieces by this year's composer in residence, Yannis Kyriakides. He is as happy writing music to accompany an art installation as a string quartet (in 2005 a commissioned work by Kyriakides for eight-part choir and sine oscillator was incorporated collaboratively into a project by visual artist Louise K Wilson in a former military base at Orfordness). Described as ‘audio-theatre', Kyriakides's affecting work, Buffer Zone, 2004, which reflects on the Green Line in the composer's native Cyprus, is more like a rather formal art installation, involving video, surveillance cameras and minimally moving live performers as well as musicians. Wordless, 2004, is a pre-recorded audiovisual piece with projected text. You could purchase it as a DVD from the festival shop, but in a concert situation the audience wears wireless headphones - not the usual thing to do at a music festival.At the civic art gallery was Extended Play, a continuously running work by visual and turntable artist Janek Schaefer, realised in collaboration with the composer Michael Jennings. This very good looking installation, using specially made vinyl discs mutating sonically over extended periods of time, is derived from the coded BBC broadcasts of classical music to Poland during WWII. This was a substantial festival commission, rather than an independent festival add-on, which is what has tended to happen in previous years. A similarly high profile was accorded the acoustic artist Christina Kubitsch's Electrical Walks around town; she and her work are more often seen in an art context.There was also contemporary music as sheer spectacle. The ‘Night of the Unexpected', which opened the festival, was a format borrowed from an annual event at the legendary Paradiso cultural centre in Amsterdam, comprising an informal segue of experimental sound events performed before an ambulatory audience not in a concert hall but in a large disused mill. The cataclysmic sonic impact of four local brass bands playing a commission by Alvin Curran (in September Curran created an environmental piece on the Thames under the aegis of Tate Modern) was followed by a mostly engaging and sometimes laborious farrago of live art, from a disconcerting sound and laser beam spatial intervention by Edward van der Heide, to a convoy of little red toy vans playing vinyl LPs overseen by the Dutch Staalplaats DJ artists.Similarly informal and performative was the Cut & Splice day organised by the Sonic Arts Network, a mini-festival nestling within the bosom of the main programme. Apart from the irresistible Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, the day featured Los Angeles sound poet Charles Amirkhanian (the only time I can think of that sound poetry has been performed at this festival, other than in a bastardised form as part of Stockhausen's Hymnen and Stimmung), some fairly upfront and physical body art, and quite a lot of real performance art, notably a table-top presentation of Lee Patterson and Helen Gough making breakfast, frying eggs and brewing tea, and amplifying the resultant tiny sounds to fill the auditorium.A concert devised by the avant-garde harpist Rhodri Davies required the bringing together of 20 concert harps. The pre-concert installation of the full ensemble of harps on stage on their own, beautifully lit, was almost sufficient in itself. You might have thought it to have been a work by Martin Creed. If you were still thirsty for art spectacle, elsewhere classical pianist and visual artist Tomoko Mukaiyama combined elements of the traditional classical recital, performance art and a fashion show, floating on a billowing sea of tulle.This festival has been aware of its own history, and has shown a preoccupation with reconstructions and reinterpretations of the performative music events of the late 60s and early 70s, when the compositional procedures of the English Experimentalist composers had much in common with those prevalent in the visual arts, and the composers concerned found it easier to gain employment in art colleges than in music academies. As part of a tribute concert at HCMF in 2001, Cornelius Cardew's Schooltime Compositions, 1969, were interpreted as a classic art school happening, with performers reading newspapers and doing jigsaws. Halfway through, a pizza was delivered. At the 2003 festival Gavin Bryars participated rather reluctantly in re-creations of some of his early Fluxus-inspired actions dating from his years of teaching in the fine art department of Leicester Polytechnic.This year, the group Apartment House performed textual ‘scores' by the late George Maciunas, here framed as a Lithuanian composer rather than as the founder and administrator of Fluxus. Maciunas's Fluxus composition Solo for Violin (for Sylvano Bussotti), 1962, in which a violinist at first casually and then ferociously destroys his instrument, can still provoke shocked gasps if performed properly, as it was here. The American composer Robert Ashley is now in his 70s, and a performance of his works might also have had an archival aspect, except that he was here performing them live, on his own and with a young Dutch instrumental ensemble. His oeuvre, combining unaccompanied spoken texts, literary as well as musical processes, formal rigour and West Coast loucheness, resists definition and a concise description, other than to say that this was undoubtedly an intimate, inimitable and unrepeatable highlight of the festival.HCMF 2007 has been widely reported to have changed direction. In truth, it has not really diverged so dramatically from the range of options it has always encompassed. Those who thought that the 2007 festival included more freely improvised music than hitherto, for example, might be surprised to discover that the 1980 festival featured almost as much. In 1983, the festival announced that it was concerned to ‘extend its boundaries to embrace related areas of some other art forms'. A day conference called ‘Music as a Plastic Art' featured at the 1987 festival. The difference is that the festival is now more focused and much less embarrassed about such things. The fringe has become the centre.The composition of the audiences at HCMF is sometimes as fascinating as the composition of the music. As at an art biennale, professionals are regular attenders - composers, critics, publishers and broadcasters. But those from well outside the music world form an equally substantial constituent of ardent attenders who take ten days off work and come to everything. In 1996, for example, a series of compelling late night performances of Morton Feldman's chamber compositions of long duration attracted an intensely attentive lay audience in a rapt atmosphere of communion. That audience included visual artists, who are not always drawn primarily to those HCMF concerts which incorporate visual elements, or direct art references, such as Richard Rijnvos's semi-theatrical musical homages to Joseph Beuys, performed at HCMF in 2004. They are just as likely to go for abstract works that comply with all the traditional performance etiquette of classical concert music, but which offer a parallel aesthetic that might be assonant with their own formal concerns, however disparate. At HCMF in 2007 there were still works performed with a compositional or performative complexion that would fall into this category. There was, for example Walter Zimmerman's new 40-minute piano composition Voces Abandonadas, in which he attempts to translate each of the sentences of a book into an equivalent sequence of 514 pianistic ‘sound emblems', or the riveting hour-long harpsichord recital by the idiosyncratic performer-composer Guus Janssen. It is to be hoped that this strand of musical performance at HCMF is not in danger of being lost or marginalised in favour of attention-seeking spectacle.David Briers is an independent writer and curator based in Yorkshire.David Briers sees increasing links between contemporary music and visual art at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival: For some years sound art has uncomfortably positioned itself taxonomically between fine art practice (most practitioners who are happy to be called sound artists trained on fine art courses) and contemporary music, in the way that the many attempts to devise a theoretical context for live art used to founder somewhere between its dual contexts of art history and theatre history. Sun, 20 Jan 2008 02:44:00 +0000 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/20 http://www.hcmf.co.uk/page/show/20