Sunday 27 May 2018, 7.30pm
CONCERT 2 (7:30pm) will feature pieces by Pauline Oliveros and a structured improvisation from the afternoon workshop. There will also be new pieces by Kerry Andrews, Deborah Edwards, Derek Foster, Janet Oates and Margrit Schenker. The concert will be performed by Rhodri Davies, THE VOCAL CONSTRUCTIVISTS and members of Contakt.
Curated by Contakt
Supported by PRS Foundation, Arts Council of England and Ambache Charitable Trust.
PAULINE OLIVEROS (1932 – 2016) was an American composer and accordionist. She was a central figure in the development of experimental and post-war electronic music. She was a founding member of the San Francisco Tape Music Centre in the 1960s, and served as its director. She taught music at Mills College, the University of California San Diego, Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Oliveros authored books, formulated new music theories, and investigated new ways to focus attention on music including her concepts of "deep listening" and "sonic awareness”. In 1988, as a result of descending 14 feet into an underground cistern to make a recording, Oliveros coined the term "deep listening”, a pun that has blossomed into an aesthetic based upon principles of improvisation, electronic music, ritual, teaching and meditation. This aesthetic is designed to inspire both trained and untrained performers to practice the art of listening and responding to environmental conditions in solo and ensemble situations.
THE VOCAL CONSTRUCTIVISTS are a dynamic ensemble specialising in the performance of text and graphic scores, alongside works that extend ‘traditional’ notation. The group was formed by Jane Alden in 2011 and was the first ensemble to perform an all-vocal version of Cornelius Cardew’s epic Treatise (1964-67). Coming from diverse backgrounds including classical music, punk, dance, mime and noise art, and with an age range of 18-78, the group draws on a variety of artistic influences to create programmes that reflect their shared interests in experimental music from the UK, the US, and Poland. In their short history, the group have commissioned and premiered twenty works, establishing themselves as an important force in new music-making. Their CD Walking Still is available on the Innova label (#898). As one of the few British ensembles that worked closely with Oliveros, the Vocal Constructivists pay tribute to this radical pioneer, to encourage listeners to continue her work, listening more deeply.
CONTAKT is a group of composers/performers created as an ensemble for experimentation and performance. The existing group is seen as a core with a fluid approach to collaboration with other composers, performers and artists in both sounds and images. The members have a wide background in music composition, performance and other art forms, and aim to bring these together in concerts and events. Contakt performs at venues that enable experimentation and the concerts/events are intended to be informal, welcoming and inclusive.
Current members are:
Kerry Andrews - composer/cello
Phil Durrant - improviser/synthesizer
Deborah Edwards - composer-improviser/piano
Derek Foster - composer/piano
Janet Oates - composer-improviser/flute/voice
