Anselm McDonnell Cross-Purposes
Joel the Custodian Holy Bones
Ana Sokolović Vez
Kosyne Whip
Gráinne Mulvey Arachnid
Technical reset – 10 minutes
Barrowclough The Horologist
Sungji Hong Black Arrow
Kosyne Church
Joel the Custodian Ex-Golf Pro
Barrowclough Boudicca Bap
Donnacha Dennehy Paddy
Interval – 30 minutes
Anselm McDonnell Politics of the Imagination (world premiere)
With influences from dubstep to Balkan rhythms, and featuring rappers from Birmingham’s hip-hop scene – composer Anselm McDonnell brings together a concert of playfulness, imagination and politics.
Set 1: Cross-Purposes takes snippets from public figures apologising for breaking their own pandemic regulations and turns them into rhythmic grooves, accompanied by a sarcastic commentary from clarinet and cello. Vez draws us into a world of fast-paced Balkan rhythms and Arachnid unveils an unstable, skittering groove from long, undulating gestures.
Set 2: Black Arrow uses electronics to manipulate music from the bass clarinet into new shapes, and PADDY builds layers of ostinatos into complex patterns.
Set 3: McDonnell’s new piece for clarinet, cello, percussion, sampler and rap artists questions: How can imagination and playfulness inform our politics? What if our solutions to problems were more creative, bizarre or ridiculous?
Louise McMonagle cello
Heather Roche clarinet
Matthew Farthing percussion
Barrowclough rap artist
Joel the Custodian rap artist
Kosyne rap artist
Joyce Lam 