Machine Music / Music Machines

We have confirmed that our Machine Music concert will go ahead at the Exeter Phoenix on 6th July this year. More information will follow. There will be pieces by Simon Belshaw and if you want to know more about his Music Machines then you can read about them here. In the meantime there will be a performance of Music Machine 1 by Get Rich Quick as part of the Vibraphonic Festival at Exeter Phoenix on 19th March. Music Machine 29 will feature in the surround studio at the Sonoroties festival in Belfast 27th April - 4th May 2014 and four Music Machines currently form part of the playlist on Sound Introversion Radio.

So, Exeter Contemporary Sounds drew breath, started a Family Concert Series (Earworms), was overwhelmed by the response.... and in the meantime has been having a succession of great ideas for concerts and other kinds of musical events.

We'll bring 'Back There On Earth' to The Flavel, Dartmouth on Friday 9th May. When we conceived this programme, The Flavel was recommended as a great venue for this programme. If you missed our previous performances, do come along on 9th May. Book tickets from The Flavel Box Office: http://theflavel.org.uk

We're also working on a new programme of 'Machine Music' for our audience at Exeter Phoenix in June or July this year. Watch this space for an intriguing event, featuring our versions of 'Kraftwerk' tracks and music inspired, and even generated by, machines.

At last, we'll perform our first 'Earworms' concert on Sunday 4th May. We've had a lot of fun putting this programme together, featuring, as it will, the Star Wars theme music ('May the 4th be with you'), as well as a chunk of Steve Reich's Different Trains and Simon Belshaw's Between the Moon and the Earth. We'll put up more of the programme for your anticipation, soon. For tickets contact Northcott Theatre's box office: 01392 493493 https://www.exeternorthcott.co.uk/book-online.

'Earworms' Exeter Family Concerts news

We're delighted to have been awarded £750 by the Exeter Arts Council to run a new concert series for families in Exeter. 'Earworms' will give young children and their parents a chance to enjoy excellent performances of live music of all kinds (with no worries about the odd audience contribution disturbing the enjoyment of other audience members!). Expect everything from solo harp to beatboxing, from church organ to hurdy gurdy. Many thanks to EAC for supporting us in this.

If you'd like to receive updates about 'Earworms' please let us know.

new date at Nonclassical, 3rd March

We're delighted to have another chance to perform Steve Reich's Different Trains at the Nonclassical club night at The Bikeshed Theatre bar, Exeter. Come and join us! Sunday 3rd March, doors 7.30pm.

We're looking for adventurous musicians to play with us in the afternoon to explore and rehearse a collection of instruction pieces (ie compositions that use mostly words, rather than musical notation), and then to perform them alongside Different Trains in the evening. If you can join us from 1 - 4pm, and in the evening, are aged 16+ and can bring curiosity, a willingness to 'have a go' in uncharted territory, and some kind of instrument (or your voice) then we'd love to see you. Leave us a message and we'll send you more information.

After a bit of a break for the 'summer', we're now back in rehearsals for our forthcoming performance at Bridport Arts Centre on November 17th. Julie called in on Monday for a bit of a recce and the theatre is great, it will be a lovely space to play in.

We've got a few other projects being planned too and hope to be able to bring more news about these soon.

Do come along and hear us in Bridport, you can get tickets by calling 01308 424204 or http://www.bridport-arts.com/events/exeter-contemporary-sounds-present-earth/

Splash Down

Our first performance at Exeter Phoenix seems to have been very well received.  We enjoyed ourselves and the audience seem to have too, we've had lots of really lovely feedback since Sunday.
We also invited children into our afternoon rehearsal to see us rehearsing and to hear a performance of Simon Belshaw's piece.  The apollo film seems to have been a big hit with the children, there was some  very audible and quite comical chatter going on in the audience - great to hear that the piece was inspiring them.  One little boy said afterwards that he would like to learn to play the violin and sit in a circle and play with his friends - job done!

Here are some stills from the video of Paul Whitty's piece ....bury your love like treasure...
We're now busy preparing for our next  performance on June 7th at the Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple.  Tickets are still available here.

5...4...3...2...1....We're ready for lift off....

Rehearsals have been continuing for our performance this week.

Different Trains has proved quite a challenge for a number of reasons.  The piece uses three pre-recorded string quartets on a backing CD alongside the live quartet. Rehearsing it requires that we have an adequate sound system as being able to hear the intricacies of the backing track are essential if we are to fit our individual parts in correctly. Our biggest problem seems to have been the page turns!  The parts have very few rests, so no option for the usual photocopy of the odd page to aid a turn – we find ourselves having to turn the page, count bars rest whilst trying to pick up a new pulse all at the same time.  We are feeling pretty confident now, just looking forward to getting into the auditorium on Saturday to rehearse with the equipment we will be using and getting used to the different equipment and acoustic.  It’s a fantastic piece and we’ve really enjoyed getting to know it.

We’re meeting with Paul Whitty this week to rehearse his piece again. He has been down in Devon recording Jackie Oates singing some folk songs which will feature strongly in the piece, and he and Emma also spent another rainy day in Thorverton recording more Devon earth sounds. 

Simon Belshaw’s piece, Between the Moon and the Earth, is the more straightforward of the three pieces for the players.  Similarly to the Reich, we have to fit our parts around the backing track, but the slower pace of the music gives us more time to collect our thoughts.  The combination of the amazing film footage of the Apollo astronauts and the beautiful harmonies in Simon’s music are what makes the piece so mesmerising.  We’re looking forward to playing this during the Family Sunday afternoon on the 27^th – children can’t fail to be enthralled by the images projected up on a big screen in the auditorium. 

This project has been in the planning since last summer – it’s hard to believe we’re finally approaching our first performance.  We’re all very excited and looking forward to  Sunday………   Hope to see you there!        JH