- Aron Dahl (Norway) & Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø (Norway): a copy of a copy
Composer and film-maker Aron Dahl collaborated with experimental trombonist Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø to create a copy of a copy. The work uses the concept of the traditional children’s game where a phrase is passed around a circle until it mutates into something unrecognisable. With Henrik’s unique playing as a starting point, both the video and audio take their own paths, with some surprising twists along the way.
Supported by Arts and Culture Norway
- Easterhouse Children’s Manifesto Co-created by Oakwood Primary School, Red Note Ensemble and Dumbworld.
Inspired by the 1931 publication 'La Anarquia Explicada a Los Niños', an instructional manual for children published during the Spanish Civil War that explained the ideas and practises of anarchy -composer Brian Irvine and director John McIlduff in collaboration with the children of Oakwood Primary School in Glasgow and Red Note Ensemble have created a collection of 7 musical animated video posters that explore key elements of “anarchical” thinking such as autonomy, kindness and human connectivity from a child’s perspective.
The work was developed over a year long process of co-creation involving pupils, teachers, artists and musicians.
Born from Red Note’s 5 Places programme, which targets five locations across central Scotland. This programme aims to properly get to know people in their own neighbourhood at grassroots level, and work with them to make and create new live music together in the heart of their community over a number of years. This Easterhouse collaboration is based on the ideas and voices of Oakwood Primary School’s pupils and their partnered groups from the wider community. The project was led by composer Brian Irvine, who wanted to allow young people’s anarchy to direct us, the grown-ups, on ways in which we can uncover the best of what we as humans can be.
- Håkan Lidbo (Sweden): Art+Sound
Art+Sound is a set of three sonic posters that allow the user to select and manipulate drum, bass and melody lines to create their own pieces. This new project is the latest in a set of works allowing users to interact with technology, art and music. Three more posters – the Sound+Art series – can be found in Waterstones Bookstore.
Sound+Art is supported by Föreningen Svenska Tonsättare
- Natasha Barrett (Norway): Impossible Moments from Venice 3: The Other Side of the Lagoon
Natasha Barrett’s Impossible Moments from Venice 3: The Other Side of the Lagoon is part of a series that dives into real outdoor soundscapes, pulls them apart and re-composes representations that are impossible yet plausible. This work is one of three based on Venice from the viewpoint of a Norwegian tempted by literary fiction and word of mouth.
- Andreja Andric (Denmark): I Play You Play
- Connor McLean (Denmark) & David Ford (Scotland): new work
Performer: Stephanie Lamprea (soprano)
Andreja Andric’s song for voice and mobile phone combines a fast, relentless rhythm of electronic pulsations, with fragmentary, computer-generated lyrics. The text brings conflict and rapprochement in always new and unexpected combinations of words and meanings. The swipe interface on the phone gives the performer the opportunity for gestures known from popular mobile dating apps, swiping left and right to find a compatible harmony. The song is looking for a new experience of romance in a fragmentary, digital reality.
Connor McLean and David Ford are both taking part in the UNM x NMD Composer Exchange project, and have chosen to co-write a new work for Stephanie Lamprea.
- Rikharður H Fridriksson (Iceland): Gott
Rikahður H Fridriksson takes inspiration from a speech by the former mayor of his hometown, explaining that the town was a good place to live. Through the drawn out rendering of the statement, he expresses his fond memories of growing up there.
- Lemur (Norway): Onwards and Upwards Part II
Performers: Bjørnar Habbestad (flutes), Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn), Lene Grenager (cello), and Michael Francis Duch (double bass)
Improvising quartet Lemur, known for their sonic explorations of the fabric of a space, were the recipients of the Cramb Residency at the University of Glasgow in May 2024. Their presentation and workshop with students led to a site specific improvisation taking place throughout the building, and inspired and intrigued the participants. Their concert then was in the University Chapel – resonant, spacious, where sound can take on a life of its own. They take on a very different space this time, switching the organ for electronics, for an improv set that will twist and turn on a surprising journey.
- Shapes of Sounds (Sweden) Alexandra Nilsson and Jenny Soep: Stone Drawings first performance
Stone has been the canvas of storytelling since humans developed visual language, but could we change perspective and instead listen to the stone? What shared stories can we listen to through the sounds of stones?
With the instrumentation of Swedish and Scottish sandstone, and live-painting with sand and water, Swedish composer and sound artist Alexandra Nilsson together with Scottish visual artist Jenny Soep, will explore this question in their new audiovisual work – Stone Drawings.
Alexandra Nilsson has been exploring the sonic qualities of different types of stones for some years with her project FOSSIL. Together with visual artist Jenny Soep who has specialised in drawing music, they meet in their ongoing audiovisual project Shapes of Sounds.
Both of these works will appear in a 4-channel version, alternating on a loop. They will also be performed in an ambisonic version on Friday 1 November.
- Alexander Tillegreen (Denmark): Phantom Streams
Alexander Tillegreen’s Phantom Streams is part of a modular work, creating an auditory illusion that allows the listener to hear words inside of their own mind that is not necessarily acoustically present. Instead, the listeners hear words that are based on their own linguistic background, cultural embedding and psychological subconscious.
- Sofia Kiviniemi (Finland): The Heavier the Stone, the Heavier It Rock
In The Heavier the Stone, the Heavier It Rock, Sofia Kiviniemi searches for a representation of the feel of stones, their weight and dirt. The title refers to the idea of turning the weight one carries into strength, seeing struggles and burdens as rather part of life, than an endless Sisyphus myth cycle.