21 September, 7pm – 11pm: Talks and performance, St George’s Theatre
22 September, 9am – 7pm: Performances, installations and workshops, various venues and sites
22 September, 8pm – 11pm: YARMONICS ELECTRONIC, St George’s Theatre
YARMONICS programme designed and printed by Norwici Print
Programme:
Conversation on the topic of the local landscape and its sounds from:
Angus Carlyle
Artist and academic, Angus Carlyle is interested in landscape and in other things besides. He works both collaboratively and on his own. He is Professor of Sound and Landscape at the University of the Arts London where he is the Co-Director of CRiSAP (Creative Research into Sound Arts Practice)
Tim Dee
Tim Dee is the author of Landfill – a book about people and gulls and rubbish – and the editor of Ground Work – a collection of new writing about places. Earlier books include The Running Sky, Four Fields, and The Poetry of Birds. He also worked as a BBC radio producer for three decades. Last year Dee created a remarkable TV documentary called ‘Into the Wind’ where he walks the flatlands of the Wash on a quest to capture the sound of ‘pure’ wind.
Mira Calix
Mira Calix is an award winning artist, composer and performer based in the United Kingdom. Music and sound have always been at the centre of her practice, which she continues to integrate with visual media and technological innovation to create multi-disciplinary installations and performance works (full biography below)
Performances, installations and workshops from:
Michael Page
Norwich’s leading synthesiser builder works with a group of local pupils to create a hand built feedback ensemble.
Michael is a prolific solo and group performer, often playing impromptu, improvised sets with the group WORMS. He has delivered workshops in community and academic settings alike, such as Somerset House, Goldsmiths and PIfCamp.
Page’s machines are unique; his approach to synth building is focused on not only the sonic properties and performability of each instrument but also its aesthetic properties. His devices often appear unruly and fragile, entangled in their own innards but Page understands his devices intimately, allowing their unpredictability to create swathes of entrancing and unfolding electronic sound.
Michael will work with students at Caister Academy, each pupil will build a wavefolder synth, designed by Michael. The synths will feed into one another to create a woozy and arresting soundtrack to the marketplace where they will perform on Saturday.
Will Hurt
Computer artist creates a new piece of screen based visual art for Great Yarmouth.
Will Hurt’s work draws on formal elements of architecture, the language of the diagram and the history of geometric abstraction with the aim of engaging viewers with the built environment.
Hurt has created ‘Yarmouth Tweets’; a piece of software that collects Tweets sent from Great Yarmouth in real time and morphs them into a cascading digital waterfall, using the typefaces of many of the local attractions and businesses in the town.
Evan Parker
The renowned improvising saxophonist interacts with coastal sounds, performing solo on a Great Yarmouth jetty…
Having released albums with his electroacoustic ensemble on the ECM label, performed with titans of the improvised music scene, such as Peter Brotzmann, Cecil Taylor and Anthony Braxton, and more recently developed his own psi label, Evan Parker is at the pinnacle of improvised music.
Parker’s first issued recording was 1968’s ‘Karyobin’, with Derek Bailey, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland and John Stevens. Evan has released reconnected with Holland, recording a quartet album with New York musicians Craig Taborn and Ches Smith.
Evan will begin the series of site-specific performances that runs through the YARMONICS day, with an outside performance on the jetty in Great Yarmouth.
Cerith Wyn Evans
Celebrated conceptual artist Wyn Evans will be presenting his light-based work ‘The Speed of Sound at Sea Level’
Wyn Evans began his career as a filmmaker producing short, experimental films and collaborative works but since the 1990s has created artworks that focus on language and perception, with a precise clarity towards their manifestation in space. He employs strategies of exhibition making that are often site-specific, viewing exhibitions as a catalyst to produce a reservoir of possible meanings and discursive experiences.
Stephen Grew
The Lancaster-based pianist with an improvised set spanning two pianos at opposite ends of the minster…
Stephen Grew is the improvising pianist who has led a series of varied and successful ensembles, often with his brother Nic Grew. This has included Grutronic (which included David Ross, another performer in this year’s YARMONICS), Grew Trio (with electronics improviser Richard Scott), and the Grew Quartet (with double bassist Dominic Lash).
More recently, Stephen has released a duo album with the vibraphonist Martin Pyne, a second duo album with the Manchester-based pianist Adam Fairhall, on the Tombed Visions label, and a quartet album with saxophonist Mark Hanslip on the same label.
For YARMONICS, Stephen will respond to the acoustics of Great Yarmouth Minster, with multiple pianos placed around the space, and possibly a debut organ performance…
David Ross
The Norfolk-based electronics improviser leads members of the local community in a Great Yarmouth-themed participatory version of Christian Wolff’s ‘Stones’…
Now based in Norfolk for two years, electronics improviser David Ross has formed a varied but individual body of work, both with groups, including with improvisers Clive Bell, Sidsel Endresen and Evan Parker, and more recently solo, with a debut solo album on the Manchester-based Cusp Editions label, ‘Stochastic Moods’.
Since moving to Norfolk, NNSAC have developed a close relationship with David – he performed in duo with John Butcher at the first Plink Plonk event, led an initial ‘Stones’ project for the Plink Plonk first year anniversary, and developed the NNSAC-produced ‘Shelflife’ installation with the London-based sculptor Andy Cox.
For YARMONICS, David will be developing a special Great Yarmouth-themed version of the ‘Stones’ project he developed for the Plink Plonk anniversary called ‘Stones (and other objects), interacting with the local environment, and performing in the unique location of the Great Yarmouth hippodrome.
Trance Map
A “revised, edited, revisited” collaboration sending samples of sentient saxophone around Great Yarmouth minster…
Trance Map is the collaboration of saxophonist Evan Parker and the live sampling and turntables of Norwich-born composer and improviser Matt Wright. The duo has also appeared with guests, such as fellow YARMONICS performer Hannah Marshall.
The Trance Map project began with a series of releases on Evan’s psi label, exploring the use of samples of Evan’s body of work. The collaboration has developed to the extent that “[Matt’s] facility with the various DSP [digital signal processing] programs used totally blurs the distinction between playing, mixing and editing.”
In a unique performance for YARMONICS, Evan and Matt will bring alive the acoustics of Great Yarmouth minster.
Maggie Nicols and Choir
The London-based vocalist leads local community in a vocal workshop and performance…
Maggie Nicols is the Edinburgh-born improvising vocalist who has been a mainstay of the British improv scene since the 1970s, facilitating the open improvisation group The Gathering, and collaborating with the Dedication Orchestra, Robert Wyatt and many others.
Also a member of pianist Keith Tippett’s fifty-piece ensemble Centipede, Maggie’s other collaborations include the trio Les Diaboliques with Swiss pianist Irene Schweizer and French double bassist Joelle Leandre, and more recently performances with emerging Scandinavian percussionist Matilda Rolfsson.
Maggie’s presence at YARMONICS will give people of all abilities the opportunity to experience a workshop (on Friday 21st September) and performance (on 22nd September) with transformative musician.
Mark Howe – ‘Bikehack’
Issuing forth from St. George’s Theatre at 3pm, a collection of cyclists with hacked bikes producing electronic sounds when wheelie-ing…
Mark Howe is the Norwich-based community artist who also performs regularly with The Neutrinos, most recently on the critically acclaimed Klanghaus performance at London’s Southbank Centre.
‘Bikehack’ is a project commissioned specifically for YARMONICS, with young people local to Great Yarmouth.
Matilda Rolfsson
Reverberating bass drum improvisation in the world’s last surviving steam powered drifter…
Matilda Rolfsson is the Swedish percussionist and improviser based in Trondheim, Norway. She completed her masters in free improvisation and the relationship between improvised music and dance at Trinity Conservatoire of Music and Dance in Spring 2015.
During this time, she forged strong links with many leaders in the British improv scene, including Phil Minton, Sylvia Hallett and Maggie Nicols. Her performances are marked out by the use of a 20’ vintage Gretsch bass drum, and other collaborations include the trio ma/ti/om.
For YARMONICS, Matilda will play a site-specific performance in the world’s last surviving steam powered herring drifter.
Mira Calix
Mira Calix will create an immersive electronic performance to close Friday evening’s talks.
Calix is an award winning artist, composer and performer based in the United Kingdom. Music and sound have always been at the centre of her practice, which she continues to integrate with visual media and technological innovation to create multi-disciplinary installations and performance works.
Mira has been commissioned by many leading international cultural institutions, festivals and ensembles including the London Sinfonietta, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Melbourne Recital Centre, Performa, Institute of Contemporary Art, Garage MCA, National Portrait Gallery, the Manchester International Festival and The Mayor Of London among others.
Cythara Creche
NNSAC own in-house ensemble creates an installation of home-made portable dulcimers…
Eastern Cyst is the quartet of NNSAC members Ranieri Spina, Chris Dowding, Oliver Payne and Morris Masuda. As well as programming the improvised music night Plink Plonk and facilitating the participatory improvising group The Plank, they perform and work on projects as a quartet.
Individually, they have made installations, performed and led workshops with groups such as The Gathering, trombonist Annie Whitehead’s Rude 2.0, and with Norwich-based charity Musical Keys. As a quartet, they explore electronics, guitar duals, and looped trumpet.
‘Cythara Creche’ is an installation through the month of September in Great Yarmouth Minster, of home-made, portable dulcimers made specifically for this location and event.
Stuart Bowditch
A new piece of sound art built from field recordings in the Great Yarmouth area…
Stuart Bowditch is a sound artist based in Southend-on-Sea. He is inspired by location and the people, experiences and objects he encounters there, in particular the sounds that are associated with place, overlooked and overheard noises of the everyday and highlighting the auditory as a defining factor in how we experience a particular environment.
Stuart will be making field-recordings in the local area leading up to the event and creating a sound work in response to the sounds he captures.
Phillip Mill
The London-based field recording and electronics sound artist tunes into very low frequency (VLF) antennas around Great Yarmouth…
Phillip Mill is a sound artist currently living in London, exploring field recording, surround sound and multichannel audio, DIY electronics and improvised music. Previously, Phil has shown work in Sound+Environment, Hull; Kling Gut!, Hamburg; Crakoteca, Karakow; The Minories Gallery, Colchester and Art Language Location in Cambridge.
For YARMONICS, Phil will create a portable listening station using very low frequency (VLF) radio antennas for tuning into and listening to the electromagnetic fields and natural radio, carried between performances as a guide for attendees, a little like the pied-piper..
CLIP
A unique early morning performance of Terry Riley’s ‘In C’…
CLIP is a Colchester-based experimental music and sound collective that meets every Monday. Their current programme of activities includes workshops on creating tape loops and on finding rhythms in everyday sounds, and culminates in this project for YARMONICS.
In a unique event devised specifically for YARMONICS, CLIP will perform a re-working of Terry Riley’s notorious composition In C. Their version will be In (the) C and will be performed in the sea soon after high-tide.
Come and hear an alternative seaside-based dawn’s chorus..!
YARMONICS ELECTRONIC
A full club night of electronic improvised electronic music, including field recordings of Great Yarmouth, submitted by you…
noch (Adam Burton)
Adam’s debut album, limbo, produced under the name noch, was all created using apps on his mobile phone. He will perform his music on stage via the same apps on his phone. Expect deep and dark industrial and agricultural sounds.
Adam is an artist who often works with print and letterpress as a medium, using political ideas (particular socialist or apocalyptic) as starting points for his work. He was a founder member of Vulpes Vulpes artists group and has exhibited widely including in EASTinternational in Norwich.
Luke Sanger
Luke Sanger makes music in Norwich. His genres include jungle, breaks, techno, hardcore and his work also includes sound reviews and sound design. He has recently released his new cassette and download album, ‘Traversing Timelines’, on the Frequency Domain label.
For YARMONICS ELECTRONIC he will be taking field recordings of Great Yarmouth (contributed by participants in the event and members of the general public) to produce a dance-scape made from and for the place.
Nik Colk Void
One half of London based ‘post-industrial’ band Factory Floor, Nik Colk Void performs with a range of artists including Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter (as Carter Tutti Void), and creates seriously powerful noise environments.
She will be working with sounds produced by Great Yarmouth and captured by members of the public and performers as field recordings, alongside her own sounds.
Jason Kofi-Haye
Jason will create The First Act, a series of portrait loops of people from around Great Yarmouth….
A poet, visual artist and musician, Jason explore Great Yarmouth, meeting and filming people and creating video portrait loops of them that will then become part of YARMONICS ELECTRONIC. A series of t-shirts with the wearer acting as messenger oscillating the double-sided text as a physical gif.
YARMONICS was funded by:
