London-based concert series 840 specialises in new experimental and minimal music. Here’s what they’re offering this month:
“840 presents an evening of new music for viola and cello, performed by Jennifer Ames Alexander and Colin Alexander (Tre Voci). Showcasing the versatility of this duet format, the programme will feature intimate, resonant pieces from Eva-Maria Houben (Wandelweiser) and Marc Sabat alongside brand-new works from Colin Alexander and from 840 curators James Luff and Alex Nikiporenko.
“We are also excited to be featuring work by two wonderful Irish composers, with a piece from Amanda Feery in which disjointed fragments replace seamless transitions, and a newly-composed work from Garrett Sholdice, known for writing music of “exquisite delicacy” (‘The Irish Times’).”
840 presents:
840: New Music for Viola & Cello St James’ Church Islington, Prebend Street, Islington, London, N1 8PF, England
Saturday 7th July 2018, 7.30pm -information here, here and here
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And a week later, there’s this…
“London Symphony Orchestra‘s Discovery’s Soundhub programme presents new music by first year composers, performed by LSO musicians and guests.
“Join us to hear ‘Twenty One Minute Pieces’, Robin Haigh’s survey of nine hundred years of musical language and instrumentation alongside Lillie Harris’ ‘My Last Duchess’ an interactive insight into coercion and control in a Gothic-Romantic monologue. Then take the fragile journey from sorrow to hope through music and dance with Yvonne Eccles’ ‘Towards hope’ before Nick Morrish Rarity explores ghostly sounds etched into the brittle grooves of shellac records in ‘the traces left behind’.”
The evening’s ensemble includes Early Music recorder specialist Tabea Debus, flute and piccolo player Stuart McIlwham, flautist/bass flautist Carla Rees (who’s appeared plenty of times in here with her ), clarinettist Heather Roche, percussionist Paul Stoneman and viola player Anna Bastow. Broadening the sonic perspective, violinist Julian Gil Rodriguez and cellist Jennifer Brown will both also be playing Stroh versions of their respective instruments, and acoustician Aleksander Kolkowski will be playing a phonograph and an assortment of antique shellac discs for the Rarity piece. (Presumably, that’ll be Rarity played using rarities. Don’t all of you laugh at once, now.)
A quick note – this is one of the few times I’ve heard of Stroh string instruments being used in classical concerts, although a century ago they’d have been quite common. Late Victorian devices, they’re trimmed-down solid-body versions of acoustic instruments (mostly from the orchestral string section, but also sometimes guitars and lutes) with their sounds amplified by built-in metal resonators and horns, like early phonograms. Designed to replace traditional string instruments which might be drowned out in noisy environments, they were used in early recording studios before being killed off by amplification technology and better microphones.
These days the ones which aren’t in museums or the backs of cupboards are mostly used to lend antique sonic retrofitting to experimental rock and pop songs. My guess is that for this concert they’re being used alongside the shellac to add compression and metal plating to the Rarity piece…
Three more imminent classical-plus events in London – plus one in Dublin – featuring various ensemble and solo artists (some of whom also compose) stretching the boundaries of form and texture.
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Nonclassical presents:
Nonclassical:Workers Union Ensemble + SoundKarD + DJ Ben Vince The Victoria, 451 Queensbridge Road, Hackney, London, E8 3AS, England
Wednesday 12th April 2017, 8.00pm – information
“Join us in Dalston for performances by Workers Union Ensemble and SounDKarD with DJ sets by Ben Vince. Plus locally sourced craft beers and massive burgers! Includes two world premieres by Paul Whitty and Helen Papaioannou.
“Workers Union Ensemble are a talented and exciting New Music ensemble who originally came together in 2008 whilst studying at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Their line-up is Anna Durance (oboe), Edward Pick (piano), Ellie Steemson (saxophone), Mercedes Carroll (double bass), and Caz Wolfson and Joley Cragg (percussion); all conducted by Ben Oliver.
“SounDKarD are Sarah Dacey (soprano), Kate Halsall (piano, keyboards) and Duncan Macleod (electronics, sound design, composing). They have worked together in various guises, including voice and piano, voice and electronics, harpsichord and electronics and as part of Galvanize Ensemble projects Happenstance and Galvanize for Hack the Barbican.
“Both ensembles programme new work alongside existing or flexible repertoire.”
Duncan McLeod – No Man Is An Island Amber Priestley – Flowers
Kate Halsall (arranger) – Wooden Trees (after John Cage/Laurie Anderson/The Beatles) Ryoko Akama – Con de Structuring Iain Chambers – I Became Mermaid Catherine Lamb – Lineshadow Paul Whitty – (new work – world premiere)
Helen Papaioannou recently revealed some of the details of her new piece in an interview on the WUE website – “‘Backscatter’ is a sort of mottling of sounds and notes which are bounced, echoed or split between individual players or subgroups. This hangs around short lines and motifs that churn into mechanistic loops, exploring different colours and textures within the ensemble… As in many of my recent works, particularly ‘Splinter’ (2016), the piece is built around hocketing. My fascination with hocketing lies partly in the interpersonal thrill & playfulness of coordinating patterns between two or more people. In recent pieces of mine this interleaves with an exploration of cueing and game strategies.” The full interview is here.
Here are a few preexisting versions of some of the other pieces:
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IKLECTIK Art Lab presents:
Quataurus Rex IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, Waterloo, London, SE1 7LG, England
Thursady 13th April 2017, 7.30pm – information here and here
“Quataurus Rex are a London-based string quartet of colleagues and friends who formed in London – the members are Amy Heggart and Sophie Cameron (violins), Alison D’Souza (viola) and George Hoult (cello). Individually they have performed throughout the UK in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall with orchestras and artists including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Skepta, Lady Leshurr and Laura Mvula.
“This night will feature a range of works for string quartet, electronics and loop machine crossing genres from contemporary classical to folk and electronic.”
Here’s a quick taste of the Crumb piece, as performed by the Kronos Quartet:
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Two concerts at the end of the month reveal and celebrate a pair of releases from the Irish experimental classical label Diatribe Records. The Dublin date features work by both Benjamin Dwyer and Darragh Morgan; the London date features Darragh alone.
Benjamin Dwyer/Darragh Morgan – The Complex Dublin, 15 Little Green Street, Dublin, D7, Ireland, Friday 28th April 2017, 8.00pm – information here and here
Darragh Morgan – IKLECTIK, Old Paradise Yard, 20 Carlisle Lane, Waterloo, London, SE1 7LG, England, Saturday 29th April 2017, 8.00 pm – information
“Benjamin Dwyer‘s’s music is forged from an intensive amalgamation of technical, improvisatory and interpretative elements. Experienced at the intersection of performance, gesture and compositional praxis, his music is further enriched through its deep immersion in ritual and symbol. His works have been performed worldwide by renowned musicians and ensembles.
As a classical guitarist and a major exponent of contemporary music and free jazz, Dwyer performs worldwide and has appeared as soloist with all the Irish orchestras, the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic (Germany), the Santos Symphony Orchestra (Brazil), the VOX21 new-music ensemble, the Callino Quartet (UK) and the Vogler String Quartet (Germany). He is a member of Barry Guy’s Blue Shroud Band and TIN (the UK-based Transdisciplinary Improvisation Network). Chiefly informed by continental philosophy, and post-colonial and feminist theory, Dwyer has also written extensively on music exploring themes such as Irish art music, the intersections of performance and compositional practice, improvisation, the classical guitar, and music as myth and symbol.
Originally premiered in November 2011, Benjamin’s ‘Umbilical’ is a composition for amplified Baroque violin, double-bass, harpsichord and tape, based on the myth of Oedipus but viewed from the perspective of his lover and mother Jocasta. The work was originally staged as a mixed-media event involving audio-visual content and Japanese Butoh dance. This month’s restaging will be performed by the same three live musicians who’ve been associated with it from the start – Barry Guy (double bass), Maya Homburger (Baroque violin) and David Adams (harpsichord).
“Darragh Morgan has emerged as one of Europe’s leading violinists, having achieved international recognition as both soloist and chamber musician. He has frequently appeared at major international festivals in many of the world’s most prestigious halls.
Darragh Morgan: ‘For Violin And Electronics’
“As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with artists such as Thomas Ades, Emmanuel Pahud, Joanna MacGregor, Nicholas Daniel and John Tilbury. As a highly active and renowned interpreter of contemporary music, he has worked with and premiered the music of many of the most important composers of our time including Arvo Part, John Tavener, Gavin Bryars, Howard Skempton, Michael Nyman, Gerald Barry and Michael Finnissy. He has led Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Musik Fabrik, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and was a member of the acclaimed Smith Quartet from 2005-2011. He is currently the violinist in the Fidelio Trio.
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“840 presents an evening of new music for viola and cello, performed by Jennifer Ames Alexander and Colin Alexander (Tre Voci). Showcasing the versatility of this duet format, the programme will feature intimate, resonant pieces from Eva-Maria Houben (Wandelweiser) and Marc Sabat alongside brand-new works from Colin Alexander and from 840 curators James Luff and Alex Nikiporenko. 
Misfit City 