Saturday 16th November: Pioneers of Percussion / Scala, 275 Pentonville Rd, N1 9NL
At the centre of Pioneers of Percussion festival, we're taking over Scala for our BIGGEST EVER EVENT. With three rooms of live music and DJs surveying a whole spectrum of percussion-led music throughout the night: tracing the history of percussion in musical modernism, and weaving in music from around the world to tell the full, rich, story of its development. From classics by Varese, Bartok, and Reich to virtuosos from the Indian and Japanese traditions. Meanwhile DJs from BBC's Late Junction and Nonclassical complete this vivid picture with sets throughout the night.
Performers of the scored works include: Serge Vuille (percussionist with London Sinfonietta, BBC Symphony Orchestra among others) & RCM Percussion Ensemble, George Barton, Emma Arden, Joe Richards, James Leveridge.
FEATURING:
STEVE REICH: Drumming. Reich's hypnotic 1971 masterpiece is given a rare complete performance, dramatically re-situated in Scala's main club space
EDGARD VARESE: Ionisation. One of the first works of its kind, Varese's Ionisation exploded the sonic possibilities of percussion writing. With its sleigh bells, temple blocks, whips and sirens, it remains an astonishing display of rhythm and sound colour
JOHN CAGE: 2nd Construction. Cage's 2nd Construction brings together four percussionists and a dazzling ensemble of water gongs and thundersheets alongside more familiar instrument
AMADEO ROLDAN: Ritmicas. Inspired by the Afrocubanismo movement in the early 1930s, Roldan's stunning Ritmicas stand as some of the earliest scored works for percussion
JOJI HIROTA. Award-wining Japanese taiko drummer performs with his ensemble.
SHAHBAZ HUSSAIN. Fast emerging as one of the most promising tabla virtuosos of his generation, Shahbaz Hussain has performed alongside such celebrated master musicians as Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Ghulam Ali.
ABASS DODOO. Ghanaian percussionist Dodoo (who currently plays with Ginger Baker) leads a five-piece incarnation of his ensemble ONE-DRUM, drawing on Ghanian and other West African traditions.
SOUTHBANK GAMELAN. Since its establishment in 1987, Southbank Gamelan has gained an international reputation for its performances of traditional Javanese gamelan as well as contemporary works.
DUMTAK. Middle Eastern percussion duo Elizabeth Nott on arabic percussion and Sara Fotros on Iranian percussion, create a fresh and unique soundscape of Middle Eastern rhythm dialogues and their own original compositions.
ALSO FEATURING THE FOLLOWING WORKS:
Karlheinz Stockhausen Zyklus
George Crumb: Music for a Summer's Evening
Henry Cowell: Ostinato Pianissimo
Bela Bartok: Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion
Joel Rust: Skeins
John Cage: 1935 Quartet / Credo In Us / Child of Tree
Leon Michener: Klavikon
G. Prokofiev: Import/Export (Film)
Iannis Xenakis: Okho
Javier Alvarez: Temazacal
John Psathas: One Study
G. Prokofiev: 9 Triangles (London Triangle Orchestra)
Junk Orchestra Jam
Nick Luscombe (BBC Late Junction / DJ)
Joel Cahen (DJ), Andrew Dobson (DJ)
Nonclassical DJs: Gabriel Prokofiev / Nwando / James Greer / Sam Mackay
Tickets: £6/10/12 – (Wegottickets)