Intimate Music

27 Feb 2016 - 8:30pm
James Joyce Centre, 35 North Great George's Street, Dublin 1

€12/10 (plus booking). Tickets available at http://aic-intimate-music.eventbrite.ie

The Association of Irish Composers’ Directions concert series continues with a concert curated by Ed Bennett and performed by Paul Roe (clarinets) and Kate Ellis (cello).

Directions explores the many facets of music composition in Ireland, and their broader context in the international scene. The series consists of six concerts, each curated by a different composer with a selection of Irish and international works. The result will be unique musical experiences, built from the experiences, interests and passions of the curators Linda Buckley, Kevin Volans, Grainne Mulvey, Ed Bennett, Peter Moran and Karen Power. Supported by Arts Council Ireland. 

Further dates to be announced soon.

I like chamber music to be up close and personal, music that draws you in and demands that you listen in an intimate way. Even an orchestra can sound far away in a large hall, I prefer to hear the sound of a bow crossing the string or the air blowing through a clarinet, it’s all part of a piece and it’s all part of the music. For this programme I have chosen pieces which allow the cracks to be heard, music which zooms in on sound and explores it’s fragile nature and beauty. I wanted this concert to be presented in a small venue where the audience can be close to the music for a more intimate experience, the James Joyce Centre in Dublin is perfect for this. 

As well as presenting some of the finest Irish composers around today I wanted to include works by composers rarely heard in Dublin, the works by composers John Lely and Laurence Crane are Irish premieres and I’m delighted we can present their beguiling work here.

– Ed Bennett

Programme:

Ailis Ní Ríain – DON’T! (bass clarinet and cello)

Jonathan Nangle – our headlights blew softly into the black, illuminating very little (bass clarinet and elec) 

Laurence Crane – Cello Piece for Michael Parsons 

Jane O’Leary – a piacere (bass clarinet)

David Fennessy – The Room is the Resonator (solo cello and electronics)

Judith Ring – Whispering the Turmoil Down (bass clarinet and electronics) 

John Lely – The Harmonics of Real Strings (solo cello) 

Deirdre McKay – Between (bass clarinet and cello) 

Sean Clancy – 3 Lines of Music on the Subject of Sitting (solo cello)

Ed Bennett – New Work for Bass Clarinet, Cello and Electronics

Ed Bennett Biography

Ed Bennett was born in Bangor, Co.Down and currently lives and works in London. His music, which has been described in the press as ‘anarchic’ (Irish Times), ‘manic’ (Classical Music) and ‘thrilling’ (Gramophone) is often characterized by its strong rhythmic energy, extreme contrasts and the combination of acoustic, electronic and multimedia elements; it was recently described in The Guardian as ‘unclassifiable, raw-nerve music of huge energy and imagination’ and by Sinfini Music as ‘one of the most scintillating voices to emerge of late from the British Isles.’ His body of work includes large-scale orchestral works, ensemble pieces, solo works, electronic music, opera, installations and works for dance and film.