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Hello and Shwmae <<First Name>>!

I've been working all Summer on commissions of which a few are premiering soon or have been performed. Friends in Wales might be interested in joining us at the Llwyn Celyn opening, in the Black Mountains, premiering two new choral works of mine. Read more below.

photo George Patterson

Panoramic Scores in Fort Process festival

The Fort Process festival for Experimental Music in Fort Newhaven, UK, commissioned me for a new on-location panoramic score piece. And what a bizarre Dada-ist piece it turned out to be!

The Newhaven Fort's Caponier tunnel is a dark, damp, narrow space, with some incredible acoustics. The place begged for a piece referring to the London Underground tunneling system. Rush hour. Commuters. Buskers. The only panoramic view available in a situation like this has got to be located in your mind.

‘Caponier’

a mind numbing 9-5 commute on repeat versus wandering spirits

This piece works by a panoramic score of 24 metres with choreographed ground plan covering the entire tunnel for singers, footsteps, free pulp newspaper page turning, staircase, tunnel, crammed audience to annoyed be pushing through and four musicians.

'Caponier', Fort Process, September 22. Photos and video by Agata Urbaniak

My many gratitudes for the Lost Property team in realising the production. And a very big thank you to Astra Chan on cornet, Lisa Guila on sax, Ke'v Nickells and Carrie Topley on violin. Singing and on free pulp newspaper page turning are Rebecca Askew, George F Patterson and two joining passers-by! #DaDa #experiment

I started off with developing a scaled-down composition titled ‘Garn Fawr’ sourcing from panoramic views interspersed with geometrical signalling lighthouse beams on Strumble Head in Pembrokeshire.

The entire process of making the 104 metres of two panoramic score 'Caponier' and 'Central' (not included in this newsletter update) I've documented on my blog here

Two premieres in Brecon Beacons, Oct 5-6

Together with artist Stefhan Caddick and The Landmark Trust we have been working on a performance that will mark the opening of the medieval historical heritage monument Llwyn Celyn in Brecon Beacons, Wales, this weekend.

Stefhan commissioned me to write pieces for choir to feature in his distributed sound performance.

'Enduring Like A Tree Under The Curious Stars'

for SATB for choir in two movements will premiere by the much respected Unicorn Singers, directed by Stephen Marshall, who specialise in the medieval music genre.

The two movements are called 'Four Seasons, Countless Years' and 'In The Wings Through The Night'.

In contrast with the previously mentioned panoramic scores, these works are conventionally notated and are based on medieval music - as medieval as a pdf printed on A4 can be...

The development has been a wonderful journey visiting the Llwyn Celyn site these works are composed for, researching sounds of the rehoused bats, the disappearing Gwenhwyseg dialect and which tune was hot in Europe in 1420...

It's documented in my blog

Tickets and Event info

‘…as a Raven knows of singing’, is artist and producer Stefhan Caddick’s title for the distributed sound performance opening event, which takes place on October 5 and 6 at Llwyn Celyn, Cwmyoy, Black Mountains, Wales.

Admission is free but ticketed. You can find tickets and more information via this Eventbrite link.

Llwyn Celyn is one of the finest surviving medieval hall houses in the heart of the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons, which is being restored into it’s full glory by the Landmark Trust. Click on the links to read more.