hcmf//: Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble
Huddersfield Town Hall
Photo credit: Neil Harrison
Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble: Aisling Agnew, flutes; Sarah Watts, clarinets; Darragh Morgan, violin; David McCann, cello; Daniel Browell, piano.
Irish forests, rivers and peatlands…
World-class, Belfast-based Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble conceived this programme as a unified approach to the intertwining of instrumental and environmental sound worlds. The three composers are field recording practitioners focusing on sites sensitive to environmental change. These sites have been the focus of continuous listening and recording practices over many years, revealing specificity in sonic character.
Each piece deals with a particular ecosystem: forest, river and peatland – unique habitats across the counties of Antrim, Donegal and Wicklow, spanning a mix of public and private spaces experiencing a range of human engagement and intervention.
The works cultivate active listening for both performers and audiences – a kind of listening in the field. This is explored through open compositional approaches, including graphic and audio scores as well as the use of field recordings from each of the sites, plus live electronic elements. The programme is presented in an immersive spatial audio format (ambisonics) inviting the audience to a shared listening experience.
Produced by hcmf// as part of The Current Climate; supported by Culture Ireland, Hinrichsen Foundation and Vaughan Williams Foundation
Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble is Ensemble in Residence at Queen’s University Belfast – SARC: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Sound and Music
Principal Funders: Arts Council of Northern Ireland and PRS Foundation Talent Development Network supported by PPL
HRSE would also like to acknowledge generous support received from Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland, Culture Ireland, British Council and Belfast City Council.
Programme
Robert Coleman - These hills used to be forests (2024) 15’ World Premiere
Lara Weaver - Soft Ground (2024), 12’ World Premiere
Pedro Rebelo - Crana (2024) 15’ World Premiere
Tickets
£0 - 16. Booking via hcmf//.