Extended Play

Extended Play
[Triptych for the child survivors of war and conflict]

installation : Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival : 2007

"a piece to return to again and again... haunting and lulling" [The Wire]
"so inspirational, and in many ways very spiritual" [Gerry Turvey]
"I was so deeply touched by your piece" [Mandeep Kaur Samra]

Listen to the BBC Radio 3 interview about the project
[with Real Audio]

............Born : Warsaw 1942................................. Born : Walton-on-Thames 2005

I started my own family in late 2005, and have been very aware of how very lucky we all are in our own situation.
I have been constantly comparing this to the fact that my mum was born in Warsaw in 1942.
They say your first few years on earth sets the tone for the rest of your life.
How opposite can two beginnings be.
It dazzles me and inspired me.

At the end of our garden is a large derelict WWII bomb shelter. I used to think it was a nuisance,
until I appreciated what it represented. On the far west edge of greater London,
the first residents here were worried about being killed by bombs,
they actuaslly lived in terror at times I'm sure.

As I turn on the TV, most of what we see reported is the never ending cycle of war, terror and
conflict of one sort or another. I'm not convinced though you could make a news channel about
only the 'Very Very Best' things that are happening globally, right now.

So, Extended Play continuously & positively celebrates hope, survival, and new beginnings.

For the installation/composition, a cello, a violin, and a piano were recorded playing their individual part of a 10-minute composition.
Each part was then edited and extended with extra silences to last 15mins and cut onto vinyl.

Multiple copies of each intrumental EP are then played on 9 especially modified record players.

A trio of Crosley Record Players are set to repeat play at different speeds.
A movement detector kills the power when you pass in front - as we all make a difference.
This randomises the evolving composition through the 'passive interaction' of the audience.
The audience have to stand still if they want to hear and then absorb the experience.

Each instrument is cut at 45rpm onto its own 12" EP and played at a combination of speeds - 33 & 45 + 78 for the piano.

During World War II, the BBC World Service used to broadcast a short piece of music after the mid-day news to be
heard by the Polish Underground. This was called 'Jodoform', and each piece of music had a specific meaning.
On a trip to The Polish Underground Movement Study Trust, I discovered the Jodoform log book [below*]
which revealed the piece of music that was broadcast on the day my mum was born. This turned out to be
the Polish folk song 'Tango Lyczakowskie' which strangely related to a Ukraine/Polish conflict in 1918 where
children had to go to war to defend their town in South East Poland!

above : Jodoform log book of music broadcaast by the BBC World Service to be deciphered by the Polish Underground
[courtesy of The Polish Underground Movement Study Trust, London]

The basis of the score is a short phrase taken from the jolly Polish Tango song. Play the Polish Tango song [with Real Audio]
This was developed extensively over 4 months with my arranger/collaborator Michael Jennings. Quite a technical task in fact.
We endeavoured to create a piece that works at the various record player speeds all playing at once at any point in the score.
Glissando is used to evoke an echo of air raid sirens, but a little more uplifting here as the notes rise and grow in random relationships.
Recording the piece was also challenging - trying to record seperate parts and keeping the strings in harmony etc... Minimalism can be hard.

below : The Score

Download Score here
Arranger - Michael Jennings - Piano
Simon Hewitt Jones - Violin
Thomas Hewitt Jones - Cello

The result I hope is beautiful ... a contemplative, emotional, optimistic & uplifting experience of

continuously unfurling sound ... a bitter sweet tribute to the child survivors of conflict and war.

Huddersfield Art Gallery 16th Nov until Saturday 5 January 2008

Open daily during the Festival, Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm, Sat & Sun 10am - 5pm,
closed all other Sundays, 24 - 26 Dec and 1 Jan

{ by chance this follows an exhibition about Anne Frank ! }

Many thanks to all those who helped me in realising the finished work.
Catherine, Mary, Scarlett, Theodora, Sofia, Barbara, Robert, Michael, Thomas and Simon,
Graham for the commission, Nikki and all those at The Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival,
Hannah and Christopher at The Polish Undergerground Movement Study Trust,
and the support of Crosley Radio USA who make the most wonderful old style equipment -
in fact Mr Crosely invented the first car radio - called the Roamio !