New Music Brighton (NMB) joined forces with Talkestra, under Steve Dummer, to present a concert of new music at St Mary's Church, Shoreham, on Thursday.
Phil Baker, Jonathan Clark, James Bull and Ric Graebner, along with other members of the audience, were treated to expert performances of their music by Steve Dummer, on clarinets of various pitches, Evgeny Chebykin, on horn, and Alison Holford on cello.
J. S. Bach, whose spirit permeated the concert, had been co-opted by NMB for an arrangement by the versatile Steve Dummer of four of his three-part inventions, normally performed on the keyboard, for the three available instruments. The pieces appeared in a new and vivid light when shared in this way, brilliantly revealing the dialogue between the parts, and giving an opportunity for the colours of the three instruments to highlight Bach's skilful musical logic.
There is nothing to fear from NMB's own music. Far from being a mere exercise in the unusual or the arbitrary, each piece had a musical and emotional character of its own.
Phil Baker's sonata-like Sequentia for solo cello continued the idea of dialogue, as bowed passages of considerable force and passion were contrasted with an exploitation of some of the cello's less conventional musical possibilities, from pizzicato onwards. In Alison's capable hands, the piece's long, sustained phrases were as completely absorbing as the more percussive elements
Jonathan Clark's Prelude and Fugue, adopting a Bach-like model, was introduced by Steve in the usual Talkestra fashion, with the help of musical examples to highlight its key aspects.
James Bull was unable to be present for Steve Dummer's solo performance of his Of a Spring Afternoon, where the pervasive idea of musical dialogue took the form of a conversation between elements of a folky melody and figures which might have been emulating bird-song. The result was a truly charming piece, a credit to the very young composer.
Ric Graebner's four Three-part inventions sustained the influence of Bach, with a highly integrated and sustained coming together of all three instruments around an interplay of melodic phrases, which combined in arresting, and sometimes playful, sometimes evocative, momentary harmonies
(C) Martin Ward (Shoreham Herald June 19 2008)
Sydney Vale’s three sonatas for piano were performed in a captivating recital by Michael Finnissy in the resonant acoustic of St Michael and All Angels, Brighton last night. In each of the sonatas, the acoustic proved to be perfect for Vale’s characteristic piano writing which frequently required pedalled chords but did not smudge the clarity of contrapuntal lines.
The first sonata (1968) seemed, from a single hearing, tightly organised in terms of Vale’s serialist technique which produced both non-tonal and a-tonal moments within the same fabric. Whatever the technique, the music projected a freshness which seemed at time improvisatory. At no point did the serialism seem more important than the music itself which was inventive and richly contrasting.
In the second sonata (2002) the same level of invention and elaboration of simple elements were equally well-expressed. Finnissy’s allusion to Schubert in his programme note proved particularly relevant when a disguised theme from that composer seemed to have emerged out of nowhere. Characteristically, dissonant harmonies then obfuscated the melody exemplifying Vale’s treatment of essentially diatonic material subjected to an iconoclastic harmonic envelopment. Although written in a more clearly tonal style, the second sonata also retains some of the melodic angularity of the first with glimpses of delightful contrapuntal humour within an overall dark statement.
The third sonata (2007) seemed to follow as though in a natural progression and the emotional intensity was captured masterfully. The allusion to a powerful chordal passage from the second sonata brought the two works close together such that it might almost be imagined that they could be performed in an uninterrupted sequence creating the sense of an ‘arch-form’ across both sonatas.
Fortunately, the recital was recorded and, fortunately again, we can look forward to a projected fourth sonata.
(C) Phil Baker 26 May 2008
Doubly different from the usual music concert, not only do the musicians discuss the
pieces before playing them, but the composers are sat in the audience – alive, without
the need for exhumation. Clarinettist Steve Dummer gives a down-to-earth analysis of
each piece complete with short snippets that give you an understanding and a taste
for what is to come. It's very welcome, as knowing the inspirations and devices of
these imaginative modern composers adds immensely to the appreciation of their music.
It begins with the beating pulse of the beginning of time and ends with a piano
quintet involving wind instruments playing into the piano and a new fourth movement
that moves all along the keyboard. Five musicians, five composers, fantastic musical
diversity and innovation.
tw rating 4/5 (now, this is what we are talking about, a fine example of this genre).
Reviewed by Seth Ewin (Three Weeks Daily)
This was a surprisingly experimental concert that juggled a range of concepts and styles with mixed success, as it showcased the work of local composers [Michael Stephenson, Barry Mills, Patrick Harrex, Guy Hall and Phil Baker]. The initial performances shared an inventively abstract, though somewhat limiting, technique of using disjoined sounds and snatched melody – before the show was completely stolen by the final two pieces, the first [Harrex's Canzona] by bassist Beverley Jones, who performed an enchanting solo. Her powerful performance was equalled, if not surpassed, by the medieval spirit of the last work [Baker's The Murals at Albi]; alternating between sombre, rousing and ceremonious, the concentrated precision of Paul Gregory on guitar and Richard Horne on an array of percussion evoked a bygone era, while even jovial director Steve Dummer's clarinet rang out.
Reviewed by CS (Three Weeks Daily)
The Jubilee Library is Brighton's latest civic amenities building. Designed as a large open cube three stories high, in between the ground and the upper floor can be found a modernist suspended walkway and a series of galleries at mezzanine level which look down to the main floor below. It was in these spaces that CoMA Sussex, with guests from The Hola, CoMA South and others, performed, with conductor Steve Dummer and more players - keyboard, accordion, tuba, double bass and cello - on the ground floor. The event was part of Brighton Live, an annual celebration of Brighton & Hove's diverse live music scene and included four works by members of New Music Brighton, the Sussex composers' collective.
The performance started shortly after closure of the normal facilities but this well-supported event could have been mistaken for a busy library afternoon with lots of people milling around. Phil Baker's Library Hollers was a good opener and attention grabber: sudden sounds of book titles being read out aloud, books being slammed shut, lines from pages being sung out aloud. Baker's starting point was that on entering a library he felt compelled to break the silence by reading a title out aloud or singing / reciting a line. I suspect this is something that many of us might harbour as a secret desire. A group improvisation followed with musicians moving from one gallery to another, moving sound in space.
Howard Skempton's Sirens - the only work not by a Sussex composer - came across as a meditative, tonal ambience with great economy of orchestration. In this setting this piece works very well, as did Ken Edward's Four Simultaneous Movements. Michael Finnissy's Post-Christian Survival Kit provided a needed contrast to the meditative tonality of the other two. A further group improvisation followed before the final work by Patrick Harrex, Objects in Space, a work which had performers initially quite isolated both physically and tonally. Gradually the musicians moved closer to each other before filing out of the building into the square outside, taking the audience with them and drawing from the latter resounding applause.
This concert worked well due to the selection of music which exploited the venue perfectly, complimenting the architecture, and wonderful musicianship which really made the event come alive.
Stuart Russell, Firewire/ CoMA East
Avant garde percussion pieces played on drums, kitchen hardware and car parts to an audience ranging
from shabby student beards to twin set and pearls - delightful, alternative, potty and utterly fringe.
This is challenging music at its 'rummage in a pot of marbles, push over a pile of cans' best. If you
took it too seriously you'd probably shatter, but fortunately Brake Drum Assembly have got it about
spot on. Four musicians having fun, playing technically challenging music very well, producing
throbbing as well as jarring beats, and shouting occasionally.
A new piece Rhythm of black lines [by New Music Brighton member Patrick Harrex] was worth the
admission fee on its own - wonderful.
Reviewed By: Parks (latest 7 magazine)