Tag Archives: Luke Wright

The Driver

The Driver narrates his life from behind the wheel, taking in the ring roads, flyovers, service stations, leisure parks, motels and lay-bys of England. As he drives, he keeps an eye on the past through the rear-view mirror.

Luke Wright‘s words are set to music by composer Benjamin Oliver and their work is performed by the Hartley Loop Orchestra in this world premiere performance. The music combines orchestral sonorities, at times referencing English medieval polyphony and music by Purcell and Parry, with the familiar sounds heard within the environment of a car.

Wright’s narrative is both a travelogue of England’s least glamorous places and the story of a break-up, a love poem to being away and our ability to keep on going. It’s sad, celebratory and caustic with all the squalor and romance the road has to offer.

The Driver

I’ve been on research leave from University over the last few months. I’ve written a sax and percussion duo Shuffle (more on that soon I hope) and nearly finished the editing of a new 45-minute poetry-music piece with the wonderful poet Luke Wright called The Driver. We will premiere this piece in February with an orchestra of students at Turner Sims in Southampton. The gig is free (details in Events)!

The piece narrates the life of a driver from behind the wheel, taking in the ring roads, flyovers, service stations, leisure parks, motels and lay-bys of England. It’s both a travelogue of England’s least glamorous places and the story of a break-up, a love poem to being away and our ability to keep on going. It’s sad, celebratory and caustic with all the squalor and romance the road has to offer.

The music I’ve written sometimes underscores Luke’s poetry, and sometimes comes to the fore. It draws on a range of music from England including some medieval polyphony shared with me by my ace colleague Amy Williamson as well as music by Purcell (linked up to me by Andrew Pinnock) and Parry. There’s also recordings from inside a car, including recordings I took driving up to Fleet Services with a posh microphone in the passenger seat back in 2019!!

It’s been great working on this project with Luke and been a long time coming as we started it before the pandemic. I’m grateful to the Department of Music for helping make this happen and super excited to share The Driver with the world!

The Driver

Terrific workshop last week with Riot Ensemble for my collaboration with poet Luke Wright. Exciting to be putting stuff together and making plans for a tour, hopefully in 2021.

Here’s a taster of the poetry:

Is this how it ends for all of us?
love born at festivals
in chemicals and poetry
love that lived beyond our bodies
love that conquered motorways and calendars
love that conquered half of England
is this how it ends?

from The Driver, by Luke Wright

More info and some taster audio on the Riot Ensemble website: http://riotensemble.com/the-driver/


Luke Wright & Riot Ensemble

Back in 2015 I wrote a piece with the amazing poet Luke Wright for the London Sinfonietta, which we performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall. It was a great experience and I’m delighted that our collaboration will continue as we develop a new piece for, and with, Riot Ensemble over the coming year or so. The first stage of development is 2 days together in mid-September to try out some ideas and get things moving. This will happen at my stomping ground at the University of Southampton and is possible thanks to Riot Ensemble’s Arts Council funding and some support from the University. Big thanks to Aaron Holloway-Nahum for believing in the project and being so supportive.

Exciting to see what happens!

Riot Ensemble with their director Aaron Holloway-Nahum

Blog about ‘The National Loneliness’

I’ve written a post for the Southampton Music Department blog about the recent performance of The National Loneliness by the London Sinfonietta, featuring Luke Wright and Juliet Fraser. I ended up conducting my piece and works by Emma-Ruth Richards and Jordan Hunt, which was really fun. Was great to write a new work with Luke and I hope we can work together again very soon.

London Sinfonietta: \\\’Notes to the New Government\\\’ – Queen Elizabeth Hall – London – 09/05/15

What
London Sinfonietta: 'Notes to the New Government'
When
Saturday, May 9, 2015
6:00pm
-
All Ages
Buy Tickets
Where
Queen Elizabeth Hall
(map)
Southbank Centre,
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX
Other Info
The London Sinfonietta will premiere a new collaborative work that I have developed with poet Luke Wright, 'The National Loneliness'. Luke will perform the new piece alongside soprano Juliet Fraser and a chamber ensemble of clarinet, violin, 'cello, piano and percussion.

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