On the 24th of November there is a fantastic afternoon of new music. This event is part of the national Being Human festival of the humanities, which will be taking place in around 50 towns and cities across the UK between 15-24 November.
Being Human is the only national festival dedicated entirely to celebrating research across the humanities – from archaeology, history, languages, philosophy and more. This year the festival explore the theme of ‘Origins and Endings’. Being Human aims to make the humanities accessible and fun for all, and is run by the School of Advanced Study, University of London in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.
Our take on this these is to explore a range of compositions, performance and research projects that focus on the fundamentals of the body in producing sounds and musical interactions. This includes music by researchers Larry Goves, Mark Dyer and Bofan Ma (RNCM); Claudia Molitor (City University London); James Saunders (Bath Spa); Annie Hui Hsin Hsieh (Carnegie Mellon University) and; Kathryn Williams (University of Huddersfield). This event also launches a new book from Peeters Publishers edited by Rebecca Thumpston and Nicholas Reyland (RNCM), Music, analysis and the body: Experiments, explorations and embodiments. This will include a new half hour film with three of the contributors talking about their chapters.
Extract from my new film AIR PRESSURE 2 performed by Kathryn Williams
As well as three concerts showcasing a variety of compositional and performance research we also have an interactive exhibition dedicated to music and body. This will include a new installation from Bofan Ma; new music to perform by James Saunders exploring group behaviour; a personal trainer who has worked with Kathryn Williams on PIXERCISE; an exhibition of films from Coming up for air (Kathryn Williams’ commissioning research project of pieces restricted to a single breath) as well as pieces for you to try; and a chance to try out happy/boomf/fat (sing the score while eating marshmallows) or devise you own visual or audio version of Claudia Molitor’s happy/boomf/fat.
Concert One – Embodied Sounds
1200 – Carole Nash Recital Room – Royal Northern College of Music
Coming up for air – various composers
I decide what it is I’m going to do – James Saunders
To go along, however, is to thread one’s way – Mark Dyer
Voice Box – Claudia Molitor
Music for virtual airports – Larry Goves
Performed by The House of Bedlam
Films Showing One – Music, analysis and the body: Experiments, explorations and embodiments
1300 – Carole Nash Recital Room – Royal Northern College of Music
Concert Two – Embodied Sounds
1400 – Carole Nash Recital Room – Royal Northern College of Music
PIXERCISE – Kathryn Williams & Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh
I tell you what to do – James Saunders
happy/boomf/fat – Larry Goves
Performed by The House of Bedlam
Films Showing Two – Music, analysis and the body: Experiments, explorations and embodiments
1500 – Carole Nash Recital Room – Royal Northern College of Music
Concert Three – Embodied Sounds
1600 – Carole Nash Recital Room – Royal Northern College of Music
Coming up for air – various composers
choose who tells you what to do – James Saunders
To go along, however, is to thread one’s way – Mark Dyer
Voice Box – Claudia Molitor
for Jess and Anna (2) – Larry Goves
Performed by The House of Bedlam
Larry Goves 