We’ve
just celebrated our first birthday (with a couple of glasses of bubbles of
course) and got quite excited about everything we’ve done in our first year.
We’ve come from not even having a name last Easter to having worked with 11
emerging composers, 12 emerging musicians and being described by Bachtrack as
having “found an effective formula for presenting its new works”.
The 2
concerts have been hugely enjoyable - they’re the culmination of everything we
do and what we’re all about - seeing the results of composers and musicians
collaborating and also talking to the audience about the inspiration and the
challenges behind the pieces. Every piece that we’ve programmed feels special,
some were written specifically for us and some were second or third (or tenth)
performances. Both things are important - providing a platform for new works to
be heard but also to give composers the opportunity to have repeat performances
of existing works. Excerpts from the first concert are on soundcloud and the second concert is coming soon.
Particular
highlights for me were Bill Dougherty eloquently describing the effect of light
on water that inspired his piece The Aureole Effect and then the audience
reaction to it - it seemed to be a marmite piece, some people loved it and some
people didn’t quite love it but everyone could hear the effect he had
described. Similarly, Piers Tattersall talking about the love triangle in the
story behind his piece At a distance of less than a yard… and hearing the
different characters in the instruments. Oh, and Josh Batty from the Atea Quintet talking about the technical challenges in Yuko Ohara’s
Double Helix, which was right at the edge of what’s possible and then playing amazingly. And and and….. I
could go on for some time….
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| Bill Dougherty talking about his inspiration with Matt Downes and Anna Patalong |
We’ve
been lucky to have great audiences at The Forge, they (you!) were attentive and
appreciative. Pretty vocal about their thoughts on the music as well, which is
great - I love talking to people in the bar afterwards and everyone has a different
favourite piece and had different reactions and experiences to the music.
Some of
the other highlights for me this year have also been when the musicians have
particularly liked one of the pieces or how one of the composers writes and so
have performed the piece again or another of their pieces - Elizabeth Rossiter
recently performed Ed Nesbit’s A Pretence of Wit again (with soprano Francis Israel) and
the Ligeti Quartet performed Steve Hicks’ trumpet quintet last October and plan
to perform it again later this year. A part of what we’re trying to do is for
composers and musicians to form relationships for the future, so it’s not just
a one off thing and it’s exciting that it’s starting to happen already.
None of
this would be possible without some fabulous people and while trying to avoid
sounding like a Oscar’s speech, there’s a few people that it wouldn’t feel
right not to mention. Firstly Steve Cook and Matt Downes, who are the other 2
trustees, who put a huge amount of time and effort in to make this a success.
You’ll have seen Matt on stage presenting (slightly irreverently!) at the
concerts and the results of Steve’s fabulous creativity in the concert curating
and programmes. The estate of Chris Bull and the Fenton Arts Trust have both
believed in what we’re doing and offered us financial support, without which
nothing would be possible. Lots of lovely people have generously helped us with
their skills, time and facilities: Jeremiah Crawley, Brett Cox, Ed Davison, Marc
Dooley, Chrissie Ganjou, Anthony Ganjou, Andrew Kurowski, Andrew Mellor,
Melissa Mellor, Cathy Pyle, Sinan Savaskan and Robert Saxton
