Discover new music all over the UK
The UK’s first ever New Music Biennial invites
you to explore an exciting programme of brand new music created by imaginative composers and performers from across the UK. Beginning and ending in Scotland where we will celebrate Glasgow’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games, the New Music Biennial presents 20 pieces of music which have been inspired by an international collaboration or idea. We’ve created lots of different ways to experience the New Music Biennial - you can enjoy each piece live in a venue near you and you can hear all 20 commissions across one weekend if you join us at one of our two showcases at London’s Southbank Centre (4-6 July 2014) and Glasgow’s Concert Halls (1-2 Aug 2014). For those of you who prefer to listen from home, we’re delighted that the New Music Biennial will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 3, be available for digital download from NMC Recordings and featured on our YouTube channel throughout 2014 where you can hear more about the creative process behind each of the New Music Biennial commissions. All of the composers and performers taking part in the New Music Biennial are pushing the boundaries of their music and exploring new ways of presenting their ideas. We hope you’ll join us in this unique adventure. Vanessa Reed Executive Director, PRS for Music Foundation newmusicbiennial.com @NMBiennial #NewMusicBiennial facebook.com/NewMusicBiennial youtube/PRSFmusic
Commissioned by Gael Music. Performed by Matheu Watson, Luke Daniels, Patsy Reid, James Fagan & Mac Morin. This piece explores the many drove roads or tracks set deeply into the Scottish countryside and the long-vanished trade of cattle-droving through its hardy, Highland cattle drovers and their wider connections to the New World. Features musicians Ceri Owen Jones and Ceri Rhys Matthews 23 Jan GLASGOW Celtic Connections Festival 20 May EAST KILBRIDE East Kilbride Arts Centre 21 May BANCHORY Woodend Barn 22 May STIRLING The Tolbooth 25 May CHIPPENHAM Chippenham Folk Festival
© Stuart Nimmo Photography
‘New World Drovers’ by Matheu Watson and Luke Daniels
‘The Bell That Never Rang’ by Lau Commissioned by Celtic Connections. Performed by Lau and Elysian Quartet. Although coming from very different musical worlds, Lau and Elysian Quartet have common ground in their love for exploration and experimentation. This piece is a celebration of Glasgow; the title refers to the verse attached to the coat of arms and relates to the deeds of St Mungo.
30 Jan GLASGOW Celtic Connections Festival 2 May GATESHEAD Sage Gateshead newmusicbiennial.com
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‘PULSE’ by Dobrinka Tabakova Commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society. Dobrinka Tabakova’s youthful classical music is brought out of the concert hall and into Ruth Paxton’s bold film-making. ‘PULSE’ is a noir-like, expressionistic short film about peril and rescue. Unearthing the driving forces of individuals in cosmopolitan cities, it explores how mental well-being is fundamental, and how complex and sinister the territory in people’s minds can become. 13 Feb GLASGOW Opening of Glasgow Short Film Festival Plus more performances across the UK, see: www.pulse2014.org
‘The Girls Who Wished to Marry Stars’ by Luke Styles Commissioned by Juice Vocal Ensemble. Performed by Juice Vocal Ensemble and Tangent. This theatrical new work will feature three live dancers, blurring the boundaries between dancer and musician, and retell a Native Canadian folk tale in a playful, highly dynamic way. 13 Feb LANCASTER Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts 29 May LONDON Village Underground
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‘Urban Birds’ by Arlene Sierra Commissioned by INTER/actions Festival of Electronic Music. Performed by Clare Hammond, Xenia Pestova and Kathleen Supové. This new piece brings together three international soloists in a tour de force for three pianos with electronics, sampled birdsong, and percussion; combining spectacle with refined classical keyboard artistry, and juxtaposing harmony and rhythmic drive with sounds from nature in a powerful and engaging way. 16 Mar BANGOR INTER/actions Festival of Electronic Music, Powis Hall* 18 Mar CARDIFF University Concert Hall* * Disklavier piano provided by Yamaha UK
‘Bronze and Iron’ by David Sawer Commissioned and performed by Onyx Brass. Celebrating the group’s 21st birthday, this exciting commission for brass quintet will be performed at over twenty informal and free outdoor events across Britain’s historic bandstands, outdoor festivals and public spaces. The project will bring contemporary music out of the concert hall and on to the village green. 22 Mar GLASGOW Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (outside) Plus open air and bandstand performances all over the UK. newmusicbiennial.com
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‘Sound Carvings, Strange Tryst’ by Piers Hellawell, with Bourne Davis Kane Commissioned by Moving on Music. Avant-garde composer Piers Hellawell and improvising virtuosi Bourne Davis Kane collide in a shared space; the goal is music created by all of them, leaving behind established writing methods, undermining assumptions about improvising and notation. 29 Mar BELFAST Brilliant Corners Jazz Festival 31 May ABERDEEN The Lemon Tree
‘Natural Supernatural’ by Gwilym Simcock Commissioned and performed by City of London Sinfonia. Fusing classical and jazz, and celebrating the virtuosity of Principal Conductor and Clarinettist Michael Collins with a distinctive new work. Part of ‘Beyond the Premiere’ series with Orchestras Live. Additional support from RVW Trust. 4 Apr BRADFORD-ON-AVON Wiltshire Music Centre 6 Apr HULL Hull City Hall 12 Apr DUBLIN National Concert Hall 1 May LONDON Cadogan Hall* 15 May SOUTHAMPTON Turner Sims * joined by Gwilym Simcock and his jazz trio.
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‘A Child Like You’ by Andy Scott and Lemn Sissay Commissioned by Fodens Brass Band. Performed by Foden’s Brass Band and Lemn Sissay with Anna-Clare Monk and Lauren Scott. ‘A Child Like You’ looks at the world through the eyes of a child in care. Poet Lemn Sissay is one of these children. Award-winning composer Andy Scott will collaborate with Lemn, who will narrate this powerful, thought-provoking and uplifting work. 2 May MANCHESTER Royal Northern College of Music
‘The Dynamics of Perception’ by Akwasi Mensah Commissioned by Jazz:refreshed. Performed by Akwasi Mensah with Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Oli Savill, Alex Bonfanti, Nathan Allen and Kaidi Tatham. Filmmaker Bunny Bread weaves a tale of guilt and innocence from three distinct perspectives. The accompanying live score guides each unique telling of the story, where Akwasi Mensah explores how dynamics in music can be used to manipulate the emotions of an audience. 8 May LONDON Mau Mau Bar
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‘20 Pianos’ by Matthew Herbert Photo by Chris Friel
Commissioned by Third Ear. This piece will tell the stories of twenty unique pianos from around the world – from Steinways at famous locations to forgotten out-of-tune family pianos. The composition, for solo pianist, will be played on a simple table, turned into a virtual piano through bespoke soft/hardware created by the Radiophonic Workshop. 16 May OXFORD Oxford Contemporary Music at The North Wall 15 Jun LONDON Spitalfields Music Summer Festival 11 Oct FALMOUTH University College
‘Tales from the Commonwealth’ by Stephen Montague Commissioned by sound, Red Note Ensemble and Woodend Barn. A new children’s work for 6 musicians and narrator, based on tales sent in by children from Ugandan and Indian partner organisations of Scottish charity SCIAF and rewritten by award-winning playwright Zinnie Harris with the addition of her own new Scottish tale. 30 May BANCHORY Woodend Barn
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‘Stars Align’ by Shingai Shoniwa and David Okumu
11 May NORWICH Norfolk & Norwich Festival
© Phil Sharp
Commissioned by Serious. Shingai Shoniwa (Noisettes) and acclaimed singer-songwriter/guitarist/producer David Okumu are coming together to create a new vocal work. Inspired by their shared African heritage and working with David’s band The Invisible, they will perform with vocal groups and choirs, crossing cultures and responding to the youthful energy of the Commonwealth.
‘Grind’ by Samuel Bordoli Commissioned by Tête à Tête. Blending skateboarding, choral singing and the very evocative acoustic of skateparks, Tête à Tête and composer Samuel Bordoli team up with skaters and choirs to make a real noise. 1 Jun ABERDEEN Transition Extreme Skatepark 2 Aug DUMBARTON Unit 23 Skate Park
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‘Gift’ by Jez Colborne Commissioned by Mind the Gap. A gift arrives. What’s inside? Curious? Follow talented learning-disabled composer Jez Colborne on a musical odyssey to the very heart of musicmaking to discover what it means to be gifted, all within a shipping container. Guaranteed to make your senses tingle. 14 & 15 Jun BRADFORD Bradford International Festival, Mirror Pool, City Park
© Malcolm Crowthers
‘On the Shore of the Mind’ by Gabriel Jackson Commissioned by Mr McFall’s Chamber. In celebration of historic Scottish-Caribbean connections, Mr McFall’s Chamber are commissioning Bermuda-born composer Gabriel Jackson to set poems about island life by both Scottish and Caribbean poets. With soprano Susan Hamilton. 18 Jun ISLE OF LEWIS An Lanntair, Stornoway 19 Jun ISLE OF ARRAN Brodick Hall 22 Jun EDINBURGH St John’s Church
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‘Panning for Gold’ by Alistair Anderson Commissioned by Sage Gateshead. Performed by Alistair Anderson, Wendy Doyle, Adam Cogdon, Laura Connolly. This will be a unique musical collaboration between one of the UK’s most talented Steel Pan musicians, the world’s most respected English concertina player, a DJ, clog dancer and youth steel bands from the UK and the West Indies. 22 Jun GATESHEAD Sage Gateshead
‘You run on tracks, not roads’ by Niraj Chag Commissioned by artsdepot. In East Africa the building of the rail road by the British Empire sent thousands on a journey across continents. Niraj intertwines the musical and political languages of three diverse cultures, asking the question ‘Whose land do we stand on?’ 29 Jun LONDON artsdepot
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‘Aiseag’ by Mary Ann Kennedy Commissioned by Watercolour Music. ‘Aiseag’ (The Ferryboat) is connection. A lifelong fascination creates a journey between the Highlands and Canada’s Gaelic diaspora. Electronica and found sound, Cape Breton and Scottish Highland musicians, a Gaelic choir and a Glasgow string section are all aboard with composers Mary Ann Kennedy and Scott Macmillan, audio designer Nick Turner and poet Aonghas MacNeacail. 3 Jul ISLE OF SKYE Fèis an Eilein Festival 1 Aug INVERNESS Eden Court Theatre
‘Currents’ by Yann Seznec Commissioned by Edinburgh Art Festival. Performed on instruments created from hundreds of fans controlled by real-time weather data, and drawing on wind conditions in South Africa, New Zealand, England, Canada and India, Seznec’s composition offers a portrait, at once accurate and abstract, of the Commonwealth, exploring ideas of distance, data, modern convenience and memory. 31 Jul EDINBURGH Edinburgh Art Festival The ‘Currents’ installation will be open to the public 31 Jul – 31 Aug as part of Edinburgh Art Festival
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New Music Biennial Weekend Showcases 2014 All 20 New Music Biennial commissions will be performed at two very special weekend events in the summer of 2014. 4 – 6 July 2014 London Southbank Centre southbankcentre.co.uk
1 – 2 August 2014 Glasgow Concert Halls glasgowconcerthalls.com
As part of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme, these events give you the opportunity to enjoy live performances and hear from the composers and performers about the creative process behind their new works.
Watch and Share How have the New Music Biennial composers and artists realised their creative visions? How has the music evolved from the page to the stage? Learn more about our New Music Biennial composers and commissions in our exclusive series of short films. Watch youtube.com/PRSFmusic from Jan 2014! Follow us: @NMBiennial, #NewMusicBiennial, facebookcom/NewMusicBiennial’ newmusicbiennial.com
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DIARY DATE
EVENT
VENUE
JANUARY 23 Jan ‘New World Drovers’ by Matheu Watson and Luke Daniels Commissioned by Gael Music
Glasgow, Celtic Connections
30 Jan ‘The Bell That Never Rang’ by Lau Commissioned by Celtic Connections
Glasgow, Celtic Connections
FEBRUARY 13 Feb ‘PULSE’ by Dobrinka Tabakova Commissioned by Royal Philharmonic Society 13 Feb ‘The Girls Who Wished to Marry Stars’ by Luke Styles Commissioned by Juice Vocal Ensemble
Glasgow Short Film Festival
Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts
MARCH 16 Mar ‘Urban Birds’ by Arlene Sierra Commissioned by INTER/actions Festival of Electronic Music
INTER/actions Festival of Electronic Music, Bangor University, Wales
18 Mar ‘Urban Birds’ by Arlene Sierra Commissioned by INTER/actions Festival of Electronic Music
Cardiff University Concert Hall
22 Mar ‘Bronze and Iron’ by David Sawer Commissioned by Onyx Brass
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (outside)
29 Mar ‘Sound Carvings, Strange Tryst’ by Piers Hellawell with Bourne Davis Kane Commissioned by Moving on Music
Belfast Brilliant Corners Jazz Festival
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DATE
EVENT
VENUE
4 Apr
‘Natural Supernatural’ by Gwilym Simcock Commissioned by City of London Sinfonia
Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire Music Centre
6 Apr
‘Natural Supernatural’ by Gwilym Simcock Commissioned by City of London Sinfonia
Hull City Hall
APRIL
12 Apr ‘Natural Supernatural’ by Gwilym Simcock Commissioned by City of London Sinfonia
Dublin, National Concert Hall
MAY 1 May
‘Natural Supernatural’ by Gwilym Simcock Commissioned by City of London Sinfonia
London, Cadogan Hall
2 May
‘A Child Like You’ by Andy Scott and Lemn Sissay Commissioned by Fodens Brass Band
Manchester, Royal Northern College of Music
2 May
‘The Bell That Never Rang’ by Lau Commissioned by Celtic Connections
Gateshead, Sage Gateshead
8 May
‘The Dynamics of Perception’ by Akwasi Mensah Commissioned by Jazz:refreshed
London, Mau Mau Bar
11 May ‘Stars Align’ by Shingai Shoniwa and Dave Okumu Commissioned by Serious
Norwich and Norfolk Festival
15 May ‘Natural Supernatural’ by Gwilym Simcock Commissioned by City of London Sinfonia
Southampton, Turner Sims
16 May ‘20 Pianos’ by Matthew Herbert Commissioned by Third Ear
Oxford Contemporary Music at The North Wall
20 May ‘New World Drovers’ by Matheu Watson and Luke Daniels Commissioned by Gael Music
East Kilbride Arts Centre
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DIARY DATE
EVENT
VENUE
MAY 21 May ‘New World Drovers’ by Matheu Watson and Luke Daniels Commissioned by Gael Music
Banchory, Woodend Barn
22 May ‘New World Drovers’ by Matheu Watson and Luke Daniels Commissioned by Gael Music
Stirling, The Tolbooth
25 May ‘New World Drovers’ by Matheu Watson and Luke Daniels Commissioned by Gael Music
Chippenham Folk Festival
29 May ‘The Girls Who Wished to Marry Stars’ by Luke Styles Commissioned by Juice Vocal Ensemble
London, Village Underground
30 May
Banchory, Woodend Barn
‘Tales from the Commonwealth’ by Stephan Montague Commissioned by sound Red Note Ensemble and Woodend Barn
31 May ‘Sound Carvings, Strange Tryst’ by Piers Hellawell with Bourne Davis Kane Commissioned by Moving on Music
Aberdeen, The Lemon Tree
JUNE 1 Jun
‘Grind’ by Samuel Bordoli Aberdeen, Transistion Extreme Commissioned by Tête à Tête Skatepark
14 Jun ‘Gift’ by Jez Colborne Commissioned by Mind the Gap
Bradford, Bradford International Festival
15 Jun ‘20 Pianos’ by Matthew Herbert Commissioned by Third Ear
London, Spitalfields Music Summer Festival
15 Jun ‘Gift’ by Jez Colborne Commissioned by Mind the Gap
Bradford, Bradford International Festival
18 Jun ‘On the Shore of the Mind’ by Gabriel Jackson Commissioned by Mr McFall’s Chamber
Stornoway, An Lanntair
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DATE
EVENT
VENUE
JUNE 19 Jun ‘On the Shore of the Mind’ by Gabriel Jackson Commissioned by Mr McFall’s Chamber
Isle of Arran, Brodick Hall
22 Jun ‘On the Shore of the Mind’ by Gabriel Jackson Commissioned by Mr McFall’s Chamber
Edinburgh, St John’s Church
22 Jun ‘Panning for Gold’ by Alistair Anderson Commissioned by Sage Gateshead
Gateshead Sage Gateshead
29 Jun ‘You run on tracks, not roads’ by Niraj Chag Commissioned by artsdepot
London, artsdepot
JULY 3 Jul
‘Aiseag’ by Mary Ann Kennedy Commissioned by Watercolour Music
Isle of Skye Fèis An Eilein Festival
4–6 Jul New Music Biennial weekend celebration
London, Southbank Centre
31 Jul ‘Currents’ by Yann Seznec –31 Aug Commissioned by Edinburgh Art Festival Open daily during August
Edinburgh Art Festival, Inverness
AUGUST 1 Aug
‘Aiseag’ by Mary Ann Kennedy Commissioned by Watercolour Music
Inverness, Eden Court Theatre
1–2 Aug New Music Biennial weekend celebration
Glasgow Concert Halls
2 Aug
Dumbarton, Unit 23 Skate Unit 23 Skate Park
‘Grind’ by Samuel Bordoli Commissioned by Tête à Tête
OCTOBER 11 Oct ‘20 Pianos’ by Matthew Herbert Commissioned by Third Ear
Falmouth, University College
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“The Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme is a key part of the Games experience. The best of Scottish culture will be showcased alongside creative work from across the Commonwealth, including these adventurous New Music Biennial commissions. Audiences will enjoy a dazzling range of contemporary music in a diverse range of venues, with weekend performances in Glasgow as part of Festival 2014 - as the city comes alive during Games Time.” Eileen Gallagher, Independent Director on the Glasgow 2014 Board and Chair of the Ceremonies, Culture and Queen’s Baton Relay Committee
“The British Council is delighted to be working with PRS for Music Foundation, Creative Scotland and Arts Council England on the exciting New Music Biennial. The connection with the Commonwealth Games will encourage new audiences to discover new music by some the UK’s most talented composers and performers. I am sure that we are in for a treat of innovative and imaginative music making.” Cathy Graham, Director Music at British Council.
“Arts Council England is delighted to be supporting this brilliant celebration of new music with funding partners from across the different UK nations. There are some wonderful ideas behind these commissions – from cattle-droving to birdsong, skateboarding to railroads and I’m enormously excited by the extraordinary musical talent this programme will present to audiences across the world. ” Helen Sprott, Director of Music, Arts Council England
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Don’t Miss A Note! Listen again on BBC Radio 3 Tune in to BBC Radio 3 to hear recordings of New Music Biennial performances from London’s Southbank Centre and Glasgow Concert Halls in Summer 2014. London’s Southbank Centre 7 – 13 July between 9.30pm and 10pm 12 July Hear & Now at 10pm Glasgow Concert Halls 4 – 10 Aug between 9.30pm and 10pm 9 Aug Hear & Now at 10pm “BBC Radio 3 is the home of classical music and invests in the future of the industry. As a station committed to new music through its programming, commissioning and broadcasting, we’re delighted to bring the UK’s exceptional composing talent in this New Music Biennial project to millions of listeners around the UK and internationally.” Roger Wright, Controller of BBC Radio 3 bbc.co.uk/radio3
Download from NMC Recordings Recordings of all 20 New Music Biennial pieces will be yours to own on digital download courtesy of NMC Recordings. Pre-order your download bundle of all 20 New Music Biennial recordings now for the early bird rate of only £10 (full price £12). Head to nmcrec.co.uk/new-music-biennial to find out more.
Thank You We would like to say a huge thank you to all those involved in making the New Music Biennial happen.
Our funders:
John S Cohen Foundation
Our delivery partners:
New Music Biennial team Programme Director - Vanessa Reed Communications Manager - Sarah Thirtle Advisors - Jillian Barker, Felix Carey, Jeremy Evans, Andrew Kurowski, Anne Rushton, Susannah Simons, Eleanor Wilson Judges - Roger Wright (Chair), Svend Brown, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Cerys Matthews, Gillian Moore MBE, Max Richter, Jason Yarde
Part of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme