This was perhaps the most unusual and potentially challenging commissions I’ve had: How to reach an audience of several hundred in a way that turns all of the problems of playing in cathedrals, into assets. Whilst at one level the compartmentalisation of music genres persists, at another there remains the natural evolution of integration, and its public face is perhaps not as hidden as it once was. I think that to make a successful hybrid performance, the composer needs to know about all the musical elements in some depth, and preferably, quite simply, to love them all.
In the early acts of composing, there is a good deal of visualisation, and in this case it was certainly true, what with the dramatic positioning of these players around the audience, and all the movement concerned. In a very real sense, the natural reverb is a major player in the proceedings, determining at times the pace and breath of the music and being the carrier wave between the players who are often hundreds of feet apart without visual contact. People have compared the effect to birdsong, when the music ricochets over the listeners’ heads in a dialogue of zig-zags.
A friend of mine, when asked at an airport customs desk by a stone-faced guard, when asked “what kind of music do you play?” replied “human”. I can’t think of a better definition here. Our audiences seem to comprise a varied cross-section and the disparate backgrounds of the musicians are fascinating too, but way above this is the sense of unity with which we all engage in the performances.
This is also democratic music. The string players have more autonomy than in much of their work; they are all soloists, they all can determine elements of the music, and rather like actors in a play, they make their roles come alive with conviction. Perhaps these elements of spontaneity within a larger structure are what give me the most pleasure, as I know these factors are not only communicating well with audiences, but represent both our challenge and a our evolution as players, regardless of our background.
TG Whitley Bay – Sept 08
