Barrett, Richard (b. 1959)

[Bryn]

Oh, I wish!

The past fortnight has seen me knocked for six by a stink of a cold - I was unable to get to Huddersfield on Monday for an ELISION event, and it's stopping me from getting to Aida tonight (something I regret considerably less - except that it means I probably won't ever get to see the Leonardo drawings in Leeds Art Gallery either, which was part of the day's itinerary).

Looks an amazing gig - you go with my envious blessing, Bryn.

Commiserations. I wish others would show similar restraint and consideration for others when it comes to deciding whether or not to attend a concert when suffering from such a malady.

[Serial_Apologist]

Richard mentioned tonight's event at City Uni last December 3rd, and not having a diary for 2019 I omitted to note it. I'll have to see if I can make this tonight. And if Richard's book is on display, I'll be getting a copy.

[Nick Armstrong]

Commiserations. I wish others would show similar restraint and consideration for others when it comes to deciding whether or not to attend a concert when suffering from such a malady.

Seconded! And get well soon, ferneycough

April is the cruellest month.... But it's May now!

[Serial_Apologist]

Who else here, apart from the man himself, will be attending the Elison performances at City University Performance Space tonight?

Duly booked - see you there, Bryn.

[Joseph K]

I have just boarded the train to Birmingham after having attended the Barrett/Elision concert. What a wonderful thing it was! My favourite compositions were the ones which featured electronics, entoptic for percussion and electronics and membrane for trombone and electronics. Both were dazzling and magical, full of fresh, consciousness-transforming sounds - membrane was particularly impressive, I found its evocation of everything from heavy loud interstellar sounds to surreal deconstruction of speech in its interface with the trombone to the electronics functioning as a drone for garrulous trombone passages and even passages somewhat reminiscent of the sounds and rhythm of techno! (Albeit with mad trombone on the top) all very fascinating to listen to, not to mention, like I said, consciousness transforming. Indeed, as the very interesting and for me appealing program notes mention, if there was a sort of thread through some of these works it would be the evocation or inspiration of altered states of consciousness. I would love to have a copy of these works on CD though it was great having that spatial element live.

[Bryn]

I have just boarded the train to Birmingham after having attended the Barrett/Elision concert. What a wonderful thing it was! My favourite compositions were the ones which featured electronics, entoptic for percussion and electronics and membrane for trombone and electronics. Both were dazzling and magical, full of fresh, consciousness-transforming sounds - membrane was particularly impressive, I found its evocation of everything from heavy loud interstellar sounds to surreal deconstruction of speech in its interface with the trombone to the electronics functioning as a drone for garrulous trombone passages and even passages somewhat reminiscent of the sounds and rhythm of techno! (Albeit with mad trombone on the top) all very fascinating to listen to, not to mention, like I said, consciousness transforming. Indeed, as the very interesting and for me appealing program notes mention, if there was a sort of thread through some of these works it would be the evocation or inspiration of altered states of consciousness. I would love to have a copy of these works on CD though it was great having that spatial element live.

You should have introduced yourself. I was the one sitting with the microphone stand, just forward of the middle of the seating area. Good to see S-A after the last piece.

Having been advised that it would be likely to be louder than Richard Uttley was, last night, l allowed rather more headroom for the recording than was called for. Fortunately I used 24 bits, so will effectively end up with the equivalent of spmething like a 16 bit recording with a more apposite level having been set

[Joseph K]

You should have introduced yourself. I was the one sitting with the microphone stand, just forward of the middle of the seating area. Good to see S-A after the last piece.

Having been advised that it would be likely to be louder than Richard Uttley was, last night, l allowed rather more headroom for the recording than was called for. Fortunately I used 24 bits, so will effectively end up with the equivalent of spmething like a 16 bit recording with a more apposite level having been set

I did wonder! I heard people behind me mention for3 and was about to say something but then membrane started! Alas, I had to beat a hasty retreat and ran a third of the way back to Euston, though typically the train was delayed by 15 minutes.

[Serial_Apologist]

You should have introduced yourself. I was the one sitting with the microphone stand, just forward of the middle of the seating area. Good to see S-A after the last piece.

Having been advised that it would be likely to be louder than Richard Uttley was, last night, l allowed rather more headroom for the recording than was called for. Fortunately I used 24 bits, so will effectively end up with the equivalent of spmething like a 16 bit recording with a more apposite level having been set

Yes, good to meet up at the end of the gig - also to meet Richard, for the first time. I wonder if Beef Oven was there too. Joseph's account can't be bettered - it confirms much of what Richard wrote in his programme for the pieces - save to add my admiration for the young clarinettist, who played the extraordinarily exacting two ebullient solo pieces for an apparently unusual clarinet, one with a beautiful smooth tone, and also the young woman who played the violin piece, with its dense, at times slurring textures making it sound like several instruments played at once. The most abstract piece, that written for mostly high-pitched percussion, was for me the most difficult to take in in its complexity, confirmed reading Richard's notes after hearing the work; but here, as in the concluding trombone piece referred to by Joseph, were some arresting moments, such as the sudden entry of the electronic spatialisation, and a similar jump to attention moment where trombone musings of some duration over an extended pedal point suddenly and unexpectedly gave way to a tsunami of electronic noise which was most affecting given that being seated in the middle of the audience space gave one complete access to the multiple directionality of the sounds, including, especially, the distorted vocal sounds apparently being triggered by the trombone utterances at one point. I have not been so overwhelmed by sensory engulfment since experiencing Stockhausen's Mikrofonie II at a concert back in 1967 or 8; I shall probably sleep like a log tonight!

[Boilk]

I would love to have a copy of these works on CD though it was great having that spatial element live.

RB uploads a fair bit of stuff to his Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/r-barrett

Had I been in London would've probably gone. Also, the City University student compositions concerts have always proved interesting, especially the electroacoustic ones. Always worth being added to their mailing list. And there's also City's Summer Sounds series

[Joseph K]

RB uploads a fair bit of stuff to his Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/r-barrett

Had I been in London would've probably gone. Also, the City University student compositions concerts have always proved interesting, especially the electroacoustic ones. Always worth being added to their mailing list. And there's also City's Summer Sounds series

It's a bit of a mission to travel from Redditch to London, for me. I have to know it'll be worth my while, only for special occasions.

[Serial_Apologist]

It's a bit of a mission to travel from Redditch to London, for me. I have to know it'll be worth my while, only for special occasions.

There's a very interesting programme lined up for later this month at City:

https://www.city.ac.uk/about/schools/arts-social-sciences/music/city-summer-sounds

We really are incredibly lucky to have these freebie events taking place in London.

Also at L'Klectik, just around the corner from Waterloo main line station - Robert Worby presenting electronic music on Saturday 18th being a must - only £8 on the door:

https://iklectikartlab.com

[Richard Barrett]

RB uploads a fair bit of stuff to his Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/r-barrett

There are a few things missing from the Soundcloud list, either because they're on commercial recordings or because rights are owned by broadcast organisation.

Anyway, thanks Bryn, Joseph and S_A for coming along and I'm glad you found the concert of interest. I was particularly pleased that the trombone piece membrane went without any significant hitches, because before the concert Ben Marks and I had only managed to get through it once without having to stop for one reason or another, and the electronic setup still has a few instabilities which will need attention before the next performances of that and entoptic (which will be in Taipei at the end of this month).

[Serial_Apologist]

There are a few things missing from the Soundcloud list, either because they're on commercial recordings or because rights are owned by broadcast organisation.

Anyway, thanks Bryn, Joseph and S_A for coming along and I'm glad you found the concert of interest. I was particularly pleased that the trombone piece membrane went without any significant hitches, because before the concert Ben Marks and I had only managed to get through it once without having to stop for one reason or another, and the electronic setup still has a few instabilities which will need attention before the next performances of that and entoptic (which will be in Taipei at the end of this month).

For those of us who seldom get to hear new music, this, in fact, free admission concert was a huge and rare privilege to attend. I can't speak too highly in praise of the promoters of events of this calibre.

[Richard Barrett]

New on Youtube: mask for solo trombone, played by Ben Marks of Elision in Huddersfield on 24 April. (This piece also exists as the central part of the considerably longer membrane with electronics.)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Thanks, Richard - glad to hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K9asvn0ZQ4