Severnside
Composers
Alliance
Presents:
String Theory
The Bristol Ensemble
Leader Roger Huckle
Conductors Geoffrey Poole,
Julian Dale and Jolyon Laycock
Saturday 5 April 2014 7.30pm
Cresswell Theatre, Bristol Cathedral Choir School
Part of Music on the Edge 2013-14
programme price £1
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Severnside Composers Alliance
Music on the Edge 2013-14
Presents “String Theory”
The Bristol Ensemble
Leader Roger Huckle
Conductors Geoffrey Poole, Julian Dale and Jolyon Laycock
Saturday 5 April 2014 7.30pm
Cresswell Theatre, Bristol Cathedral Choir School
1st Violins:
Roger Huckle - leader
Naomi Rump
Simon Kodurand
Amelia Grenfelt
Lucy Anne Allen
2nd violins:
Simon Howes
Marian Givens
Liz Whittam
Katie Wilson
Violas:
Carl Hill
Bernard Kane
Ben Kaminski
David Hedges
Violoncellos:
Robyn Austin
Richard Phillips
Chris Greenhalgh
Amy Jolly
Double basses:
Hannah Grimley
Julian Dale
Programme:
Arvo Pärt – Fratres with Roger Huckle – Solo violin
Frank Harvey – Lament for Lost Content
Jolyon Laycock – Tetractys
–Interval–
John Cage – Atlas Eclipticalis
Short pause
David Simmonds – Hafren Rhapsody for Strings
Julian Leeks – Wake
Julian Dale – Sixth Suite for Strings
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Fratres
Arvo Pärt
Fratres exists in versions for a wide variety of combinations of instruments. It exemplies Pärt's “tintinnabuli” style of composition. Fratres
consists of a set of eight or nine chord sequences, separated by a recurring
percussion motif. The first version for string quintet and wind quintet
(early music ensemble) was written in 1977. Further versions were written
over the years until 1992. The work exists most prominently in versions for
solo violin, string orchestra, string quartet, percussion, and for violin and
piano. The work seems to exemplify Pärt's observation that “the instant
and eternity are struggling within us”.
Lament for Lost Content (World premiere)
Frank Harvey
Houseman’s imagery of “the land of lost content” has a particular
resonance for me. During an uncertain wartime and post-war childhood,
my happiest memories were visits to an ancient great aunt who had hardly
ever left the village of her birth and seemed to live in a Victorian “time
warp”. All too soon this “paradise” vanished and “will not come again”. I
have often felt angry that this and other happy experiences are so short
lived but I now feel grateful for the memory which will not vanish. I have
tried to express all this in the piece, which may be regarded as a memorial
tribute to Great Aunt Alice, and all those who shared her life. (FH)
Tetractys for String Orchestra (1996 – revised 2012) Jolyon Laycock
1. Threnody
2. Rhapsody
3. Hymnody
4. Parody
Tetractys was written in 1996 and first performed under the title Sinfonia
for Strings at the Forum, Bath, by the Rainbow International Ensemble
conducted by Roger Heaton. In 2012 it was substantially revised and
reduced in length. Its four movements are based on the Tetractys, also
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known as the Decad, a mystical symbol attributed to Pythagoras (570 –
circa 495 BC). The Tetractys is an equilateral triangle formed from the
sequence of the numbers one to ten aligned in four rows. It is both a
mathematical idea and a metaphysical symbol which is said to embrace the
principles of the natural world, the harmony of the cosmos, the ascent to
the divine and the mysteries of the divine realm.
The four lines of the Tetractys can symbolize the four elements of earth,
air, fire and water. As a mystical symbol, it was important to the worship
of the Pythagoreans, who would swear oaths by it and even addressed a
prayer to it as if it were a god:
Bless us, divine number, thou who generated gods and men! O holy,
holy Tetractys, thou that containest the root and source of the eternally
flowing creation! For the divine number begins with the profound, pure
unity until it comes to the holy four; then it begets the mother of all, the
all-comprising, all-bounding, the first-born, the never-swerving, the
never-tiring holy ten, the keyholder of all.
The Pythagorean musical system was said to be based on the Tetractys,
and is still, with some modification, the basis of our diatonic scale. The
rows can be read as the ratios of 4:3 (perfect fourth), 3:2 (perfect fifth) and
2:1 (octave), forming the basic intervals of the Pythagorean scale.
Tetractys consists of four movements corresponding to the four lines of the
Tetractys. A long circular sequence of 8-note “sea-chords” is played 10
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times altogether: once in the first movement, twice in the second, three
times in the third and four times in the fourth. It is subjected to a variety of
textural variations, distributed throughout the four movements. The chord
sequence consists of two simultaneous layers of 4-note “Sea-chords”
forming a multiple 8-part canon. Each movement bears a title related to
Greek prosody. Beginning with the slow opening Threnody, successive
movements are progressively faster in tempo so that all four are roughly
the same length in performance. JL
Atlas Eclipticalis
John Cage
Atlas Eclipticalis was originally used as music for a choreographed piece
by Merce Cunningham entitled Aeon, with stage decors and costume
design by Robert Rauschenberg. It was later used for Cunningham's
first “Events” performance, Museum Event #1. Atlas Eclipticalis was
commissioned by the Montreal Festival Society and first performed in
Montreal in August 1961. It consists of a series of sonic events each
containing from one to ten notes, divided randomly into two groups. In his
introduction to the score Cage writes: “The composing means involved IChing operations together with the placing of transparent templates on the
pages of an astronomical atlas and inscribing the positions of stars.” For
this purpose the composer used the Atlas Eclipticalis 1950.0, a star atlas
published in 1958 by the Czech astronomer, Antonín Becvár (1901-1965).
In performance the passage of time is determined by the conductor whose
arms act somewhat like the hands of a clock. The score consists of four
pages of symbols with five lines of music on each page which may be
played in whole or in part by any number of players, up to the full 86
specified. Each page lasts approximately ten minutes. Tonight we will
perform the first page only. (JL adapted from 4’33” at johncage.org/)
Hafren – Rhapsody for strings (world premiere)
David Simmonds
The opening pages of this work were made in 1996 following a visit to the
Hafren Forest in Mid Wales. The Hafren Forest is on the lower slopes of
Plynlimon and the infant Afon Hafren (River Severn) runs through the
forest. The Rhapsody does not depict the whole of the journey of the River
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Severn, from source to tideway, but rather attempts to capture the essence
of the effect that various sections of the river has had on me, over the years
as I have visited it. The work runs continuously for just over eleven
minutes and is in five sections without a break:
1. In Hafren Forest: is eerily depictive.
2. The Young Severn: evokes the fast flowing infant river as it runs
through the forest - where my son and I stood astride it and jumped over it
- and out into the surrounding countryside.
3. Salopian Reflection: is a very short duet for solo Violin & Viola, which
evokes the ancient pastoral nature of the Severn in Shropshire.
4. In The Marches: is a magisterial slow movement, which evokes the
history and atmosphere of the castles and knights of the Marches, a part of
the world which Elgar described as “that sweet borderland where I have
made my home”. The movement uses several compositional devices:
ground base or (passacaglia); canon; and palindrome (the movement being
in two, exactly mirrored halves).
5. Ashleworth Quay: is an orchestration of my piano composition
Ashleworth, which is written about the atmosphere of the area around the
Church, Tithe Barn, Manor House and quay at Ashleworth, between
Gloucester & Tewkesbury. (DS)
Wake (world premiere)
Julian Leeks
The Wake of the title could mean “to emerge from slumber” or “to become
aware of an essential truth that was previously obscured”. It could also
refer to a gathering after the funeral of a loved one. An element common to
each of these definitions is the notion of contrasting states; the transition
from one condition to another. It was initially conceived as a companion
piece to Krzysztof Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, in
which I had hoped to explore how one might attempt to reach
an accommodation with indescribable grief, in an effort to continue living.
Although, for practical reasons, I was unable fully to pursue my original
idea, the fundamental concept remains evident – that the seeds of renewal
are to be found in the ashes of the past; that grief can be absorbed and
assimilated but never conquered. The resulting music is characterised by
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passages of extreme contrast. While all the music is evolved from the
same basic intervallic material, it is presented as "viewed" from wildly
different perspectives. (JL)
Sixth Suite for Strings
Julian Dale
Bass Riff; D for Drone; Cross Rhythm; Double Pedal; Scherzando
Tonight we are presenting 5 movements from a suite which is rather a
loose bundle of 8 short pieces: “Bass Riff” shows an influence from
popular idioms. In “D for Drone” solo players decorate a held D, forming a
slow introduction to “Cross-rhythm”, a movement with a sunny disposition
that generally uses, in effect, two different metres going on at the same
time. “Double pedal”, a sequence of chords in which two notes are kept the
same throughout is followed by “Scherzando”, a jaunty, almost-tuneful
finale. (JD)
What is “String Theory”?
In the last few decades, string theory has emerged as the most promising
candidate for a theory of gravity but, more than that, it attempts to provide
a complete, unified, and consistent description of the fundamental structure
of our universe: a “Theory of Everything”. The idea behind string theory is
that all the different fundamental particles of the Standard Model are
different manifestations of one basic object: a string. If string theory is
correct, then under an extremely powerful microscope we would see that
an electron as not really a point, but a tiny oscillating loop of string. A
string can oscillate in different ways. If it oscillates in one way, we see an
electron. If it oscillates in another way, we call it a photon, or a quark. If
string theory is correct, the entire universe is made of strings!
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Biographies:
John Cage (1912–1992) was an American composer, music theorist,
writer, philosopher and artist. He was pioneer of indeterminacy in music,
and of electro-acoustic music and experimented with unconventional
performance techniques leading to the invention of the prepared piano. He
was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde and one of the
most influential American composers of the 20th century. He was also
influential in the development of modern dance through his work with
choreographer Merce Cunningham. His teachers included Henry Cowell
and Arnold Schoenberg. His studies of Indian philosophy and Zen
Bhuddism were major influences. The I Ching, the ancient Chinese Book
of Changes, became Cage's standard composition tool. His influence
spread to Britain through the work of Cornelius Cardew and other
composers associated with the Scratch Orchestra.
Julian Dale is a former winner of the Huddersfield Young Composers’
Competition, whose music has been broadcast on Radio 3 & Channel 4
TV. He has written for diverse professional and amateur groups, including
a body of work in an extended-tonal idiom for amateur orchestras & string
ensembles. A number of his works have prominent parts for double bass
(his own instrument). He has also made many string arrangements of music
from Machaut to Satie.
Frank Harvey was born in Southampton in 1939. After studying the piano
as a child he joined the Army as a musician. He trained as a clarinet pupil
at the Royal Military School of Music, gaining valuable experience as a
pianist in orchestral and chamber combinations and studying harmony and
counterpoint with W. A. Bennett, a former organist of Rochester Cathedral.
After leaving the Army he studied Music as a mature student at
Southampton University under Professor Peter Evans, David Brown and
Jonathan Harvey from whom he developed an interest in contemporary
music and composition. Later studies for a Masters degree gave him an
interest in music and philosophy. Influences on his style have included
childhood memories of the Southampton blitz, absurd aspects of Army life
and the perception of the world by autistic people as a bewildering,
incomprehensible, and contradictory place. He has two autistic sons.
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Roger Huckle has been the inspiration and guide for the Bristol Ensemble
since its foundation in 1994. Born in Bristol, Roger studied at the
Birmingham Conservatoire and with Frederick Grinke, was a member of
Norway's Bergen Philharmonic, and now performs with leading UK
orchestras including co-leading the London Concertante and Opera Box
Orchestra. Roger appreciates Bristol Ensemble players' musical hunger
and real commitment to the group's per-formances. He always aims for
heart-felt music making. Although his favourite journey is Bergen to Oslo
by road, he loves Bristol's Downs, and describes the tip of Worms Head in
the Gower as his favourite place in the world.
Jolyon Laycock became SCA Chairman in May 2011. He was born in
Bath in 1946 and studied for B.Mus and M.Phil in composition at the
University of Nottingham. His composition teachers included Henri
Pousseur and Cornelius Cardew. During the 1970s he pursued a
freelance career as an experimental sound artist. In 1979 he took up the
post of Music and Dance Co-ordinator at the Arnolfini in Bristol, running a
programme regarded as one of the most innovative outside London. In
1990 he took up the post of Concert Director at the University of Bath and
the Michael Tippett Centre at Bath Spa University College where he
founded the award-winning concert series “Rainbow over Bath”. In 2004
he was appointed Senior Lecturer in Arts Management at Oxford Brookes
University until 2010. In 2012 he won the EPSS Composers’ Competition
with his setting of Philip Larkin’s poem The North Ship.
Julian Leeks grew up in Cheltenham, where his early musical experience
was as a singer and guitarist in a number of bands. He began his formal
music education in his twenties. He subsequently studied for a BMus
degree at Cardiff University, with Anthony Powers and Michael Robinson
and for an MA and PhD at Bristol University, under the supervision of
John Pickard. He also teaches classical and electric guitar at Bristol
Grammar School. His music bears witness to diverse musical interests,
which range from medieval liturgical music, through to the contemporary
avant-garde and “world music” (in particular Indian and African music), as
well as rock and electronica. Julian lives in a village near Bristol, with his
wife Kathryn and their three young boys.
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Arvo Pärt was born in 1935 in Paide, Estonia. He emigrated with his
family in 1980, first to Vienna, where he took Austrian citizenship, later relocating to Berlin. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, he returned
to Estonia and now lives in Tallinn. Pärt's early works were influenced by
Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Bartók. His adoption of Schoenberg's twelvetone technique earned strong Soviet disapproval. During the early 70s he
underwent periods of self-imposed contemplative silence immersing
himself in plain-song and Renaissance polyphony. His style changed
radically. Compositions such as Fratres, Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin
Britten, and Tabula Rasa exemplify what Pärt calls his tintinnabuli style.
Geoffrey Poole is best known as a composer and educator, but has a
considerable career as pianist, particularly presenting new music. For many
years he was piano music reviewer for The Musical Times. He sustained a
34-year University career, first at Manchester until 2001 then in Bristol,
becoming Professor in 2004. Retirement in 2009 allowed him to reappear
as piano soloist and conductor. In 2011 he introduced several of his recent
“I Ching” pieces in the Poole/Skempton Elektrostatic showcase in Colston
Hall 2. His CD of 20 pieces written as a tribute by former pupils, “Joyous
Lake” was issued by Prima Facie in 2012. He premiered his Mountain
Book in Bristol in the PianoPiano 1 concert. His Zygotic Variations for
symphonic winds was premiered in Ontario in May 2013.
David Simmonds was born in London, in 1953, and moved to the West
Country in 1976. He earns his living as a Chartered Building Surveyor, in
his own practice. David studied composition, privately, with Nicholas
Keyworth and, as a life-long learning student, in the Composers'
Workshop at the University of Bristol, with John Pickard, Jolyon
Laycock and Mark Henry. David sings tenor with the RSCM Voices and
New Bristol Voices. He is Musical Director of the Amadeus Singers in
Somerset and a member of the Association of British Choral
Directors. David's compositions range from instrumental to choral works,
both sacred and secular. His 1st String Quartet was performed by the
Emerald Quartet in 2007. His 2nd Quartet was premiered by the Bristol
Ensemble, at the Arnolfini in 2012. His choral work My Spirit Longeth for
Thee was given by New Bristol Voices at Arnos Vale Chapel in May 2013.
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The Bristol Ensemble holds a pivotal position in South West music,
presenting eighty events per year in the region’s major venues. Formed in
1994 by Roger Huckle, Bristol Ensemble is a musicians’ collective,
bringing together the best of the region's performers. The group regularly
works with outstanding international artists and soloists. They are
particularly known for their cross-art collaborations, their film and media
work and their contemporary music series Elektrostatic, working with such
artists as Gabriel Prokofiev, Juice, Get the Blessing, Charles Johnston,
Jane Manning and the USA group Eighth Blackbird.
Severnside Composers Alliance was formed in 2002 by a group of
composers based in the Bristol and Bath area to promote performances of
their own music and to stimulate a wider interest in the composition and
performance of new music in the region. SCA promotes an annual series of
concerts and composers’ talks in the region, this year under the title “Music
on the Edge”. www.severnsidecomposersalliance.co.uk
Forthcoming SCA events Spring 2014:
Worlds Elsewhere
Sarah Leonard – soprano, Stephen Gutman - piano
& Mary Barrett – clarinet with members of the Bristol Ensemble
22 May 2014 8.00pm The Lantern, Colston Hall
Sarah Leonard is one of this country’s most prominent singers of
contemporary vocal music. She joins pianist Stephen Gutman and
members of the Bristol Ensemble to perform songs by SCA composers
including Trevor Jones, Julian Leeks and Steven Kings. Her programme
includes John Cage’s histrionic Aria for voice and world premieres of two
song cycles written especially for her: Sulyen Caradon’s Elsewhere and
Jolyon Laycock’s Dark Seas to texts by Philip Larkin.
Composers Talking - Dr. Julian Leeks
“Music and Words The Remains of our Lives”
Thursday 29 May, 7.30pm Victoria Rooms, Queens Road, Bristol.
The music of Julian Leeks bears witness to diverse musical interests
ranging from medieval liturgical music, through to the contemporary
avant-garde and “world music” as well as rock and electronica. He talks
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about his approach to setting words to music, exemplified by The Remains
of our Lives performed on 22 May.
Clarinet in Close-up
CoMA/SCA collaboration featuring Mary Barrett, clarinet,
and the CoMA Bristol Ensemble, conductor Jolyon Laycock
4 June 2014 8.00pm The Lantern, Colston Hall
CoMA Bristol (Contemporary Music for All) is a group of adventurous
instrumentalists who are enthusiastic about performing contemporary
music. Following the success of last year’s “Cello on the Edge”, SCA and
CoMA join forces again to work with Mary Barrett, virtuoso professional
clarinettist, to bring you cutting-edge music for solo clarinet and small
ensemble including works by members of SCA and CoMA Bristol.
www.coma.org/bristol
Piano Triets – 3 is the Magic Number
Contemporary music for three pianists at one piano.
Curated by John Pitts
21 June 2014 8.00pm The Lantern, Colston Hall
Following the great success of our 2012 event, Triets are back with an even
more stunning programme spanning the whole gamut of music for three
pianists at one piano, presented with the added visual fascination of a video
display where you can marvel at the dazzling finger-work. This music is
hot off the press – part of a recent surge in composition of virtuoso works
by composers from six countries.
All tickets from the Colston Hall box office: 0844 887 1500
Supported by the Hinrichsen Foundation.
We acknowledge the support of the Paragon Concert Society who
administer funds left to them by the late Leo Baker.
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