My new piece ‘The Dino Rescue Team’ will be performed by the Hackney CYM Red and Yellow Choirs, Oliver Senton (narrator), Mobius String Quartet, Caz Wolfson (percussion) and me (piano) in Shoreditch Church at 2pm this Saturday. The piece was written as part of HMDT’s PRS Foundation Young Composers’ Scheme. Tickets are free and it should be great!
A few weeks ago I was delighted to work on the R&D work of ‘Flight of Hope’ with the Strike a Chord Theatre Company. I was in charge of the recorded and live electronics for this show which explores some of the issues asylum seekers face in the UK and was directed by Rachel Warr. Fingers crossed the company can get further funding and stage a full production soon.
Had a great week in Apeldoorn last week at the International Composers Meeting 2010 in The Netherlands. This is a recording of my piece, ‘Broken Society’, played by orkest de ereprijs.
Shannon K. McKenzie came up with a fantastic response to the piece. Many thanks to her for letting me post it here:
Only when you shed
Light on the dark
Can you see the darkness
We need to see the dark
To appreciate the light
Otherwise we remain blind
Blind to what’s broken
Unaware and unable
To mend what we can’t perceive
Some shine in the light
Others see it
Yet no one fixes it.
I’m off to the International Composers Meeting in Apeldoorn in a few weeks which is pretty exciting! I’ve written a new piece, Broken Society, especially for the meeting for ‘orkest de ereprijs’. If anyone wants to come and lives in Holland then the concert featuring all fifteen works by young composers from around the world is on 19th February in Apeldoorn. You can read more and get details on the ‘orkest de ereprijs’ website.
This is my ‘Suppressing Repression’ recording but now hosted from my bandcamp webpage!
Still the Ostrava Banda performing at the Ostrava Days Festival in August 2009…
I’ve composed some recorded music and will be improvising live for ‘Hidden lives and Unvisited Tombs‘ at St Pancras Church crypt next Saturday 5th December. Our performance, which is directed by Rachel Warr, is part of an exhibition and performances put on by Scary Little Girls and will kick off at 3.30.
I’m conducting a new piece, Rebuilding the Rubble, by Oliver Sellwood at Kingston University on 12th September at 7pm.
Anna Durance is also performing my work Interplay I for cor anglais and electronics at the concert.
Maybe see you there!
I have been in Ostrava, Czech Republic, for the last couple of weeks taking part in the Ostrava Days Institute as a resident-student composer. It’s been a great few weeks and the Ostrava Banda will perform the world premiere of ‘Suppressing Repression’ for bass clarinet, trumpet, violin, ‘cello, piano and two percussion on Wednesday in the Philharmonic Hall in Ostrava. If by any chance your around hopefully see you there!!
Cor anglais – Anna Durance
Live electronics – Ben Oliver
Recorded at the University of Sussex – June 2009
Interplay 1 by ben_oliver_music
Enjoy!
Couple of recordings from gigs in April – many thanks to the wonderful EMFEB and conductor Ben Ellin.
Colonel Crampon Goes Off – recorded at the Poetry Cafe
Poem written and read by Luke Wright and my musical response played by EMFEB – thanks to Luke for working with me on this:
Colonel Crampon Goes Off by ben_oliver_music
Variations on a Theme by Handel – recorded at the Rosemary Branch Theatre in April