Author Archives: Ben

Workers Union at the BBC

img_workersunionSeveral weeks ago I conducted the Workers Union Ensemble for a recording of a new work by Matthew Kaner, Collide, at BBC Broadcasting House. Matt is currently ‘Composer in 3’, a residency with BBC Radio 3 and Sound and Music and is writing ten new pieces to be recorded for broadcast on the station in the next ten weeks. The Workers Union Ensemble have a long, and happy, association with Matt so we were delighted when he asked us to record the first of these ten commissions.

Collide was broadcast for the first time on the Radio 3 Breakfast this week and is being played at some point during the Breakfast show every day this week. It’s available on the iPlayer and includes a short interview too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04bs5fd

PLAYLIST: God’s House Tower

I am pleased to be one of five professional musicians involved in setting up a brand new music for Southampton called PLAYLIST. The launch night of this new venture is at God’s House Tower in central Southampton on Tuesday 11th October.

The headline performer, Elizabeth Kenny, is one of Europe’s leading lute players. Liz’s programme will include my ‘Extending from the inside’, which I wrote for her in 2014. She is a brilliant and spell binding musician, not to be missed.

Also on the bill are the brilliant alternative folk trio Tenderlore and the fabulous Nicola Heinrich will perform music for solo ‘cello.

Tickets and further info about this event and the next event in November are available here: soplaylist.eventbrite.com

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Ensemble Paramirabo: ‘Blurred Boundaries’

Ensemble Paramirabo will premiere my new twenty-minute piece, The Circus Animals’ Desertion, as they launch their 6th concert season on 23rd September with ‘Blurred Boundaries, a concert dedicated to exploring music on the edges of genres.

Other works on the programme are pop-inspired works by New York Indie Classical stars Nico Muhly (Doublespeak) and Missy Mazzoli (Still Life with Avalanche), the Montreal premiere of Transported for amplified sextet and electronics by Toronto composer Rose Bolton and premieres by Montreal jazzers Philippe Côté and Karine Bétournay.

The concert will take place at the Salle multimédia du Conservatoire in Montreal.

I’m super excited to be going out for this and to working with the ensemble in a few weeks time!

‘147’ on the River Stage at the National Theatre

The fantastic Yshani Perinpanayagam will perform my work for solo piano and video, ‘147’, for a second time as part of the Rambert Dance Company’s offering to the  at the National Theatre’s River Festival in August. Her performance of Piano Play features my piece, a selection of Játékok by György Kurtág and ‘Game On’ for piano and Commodore 64 by Cheryl Frances-Hoad.

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Workers Union Ensemble @ New Dots

Scores are arriving for the Workers Union Ensemble gig in collaboration with New Dots. We’ll soon be meeting in Southampton to rehearse new pieces by Monika Dalach, Nick Morrish Rarity,  Camilo Mendez and our Composer-in-association Seán Clancy. The gig is at The Warehouse in London on 16 April. Early bird tickets are now available!