Crash Ensemble - Free State 11

Free State, Crash Ensemble’s concert of works by up-and-coming Irish composers see its 11th iteration for New Music Dublin on 2 March at the National Concert Hall (studio), with commissions by Anselm McDonnell, David Bremner, Chris McCormack, Guillaume Auvray, Elis Czerniak and Maria Minguella. 

CMC spoke to Kate Ellis, Crash Ensemble Cellist and Artistic Director, and Neva Elliott McGinley, Crash Ensemble CEO about the initiative.

What’s the aim of Free State and where did the idea come from?

Free State is Crash’s regular open submission concert for up and coming Irish composers. It’s one of the ways in which Crash tries to support and encourage the life of new music in Ireland.

It gives composers the chance to have their work performed - and for this year commissioned, mentored, workshopped and recorded - by a professional group, hopefully acting as a valuable point in an emerging composer’s development.

Free State also enables Crash to engage with the next generation of new music from Ireland, and find out about composers whom we may not have heard of yet.

The first Free State took place in 2006, under the artistic directorship of Donnacha Dennehy. Dennehy knew the importance of getting your work performed while trying to establish yourself as a composer - he formed Crash in 1997 - so that he could have a group of musicians who could play his work.


Anselm McDonnell

How does the project work for the composers, for example do they get to meet and go through ideas with the musicians?

The ensemble is a very open and engaged group of musicians with a vast skill set. They are always available for discussions with composers who are writing for them. We are keen that any commission isn’t just a great example of that composer’s writing, but also takes full advantage of the group’s capabilities.

This year as part of the new Free State format Gráinne Mulvey mentored each composer and Crash provided workshop sessions throughout the writing period. So yes, the composers get to meet the musicians and go through ideas - we have been encouraging them to get the most out of the ensemble!

We have really enjoyed this new format and hope to continue with it.


Gráinne Mulvey, composer mentor for Free State 11 

Over the past five years have you noticed any patterns or changes in the type of composers applying for Free State?

In the last few years we have selected from anonymous submission; that works really well. It’s great to have some surprises when you get the list of names and see some you haven’t heard of before.

Something we noticed this year is that composers who have applied don’t just come from a background in studying classical composition, the field of submission is opening up.

There are also names we have seen come through in more than one year - it’s great to see how those composers’ work has been developing. We keep an eye on all past Free State composers and hope that they will build a relationship with us into the future.

Have there been any unexpected outcomes through previous Free State concerts, for example have you discovered new composers and gone on to do different projects with them etc.?

You’ll see composers feature in Free State concerts and and then turn up in our other programming or commissions: Stephen Gardner, Linda Buckley, Julie Feeney, Andrew Hamilton, Seán Clancy, Jonathan Nangle, Jennifer Walshe, Enda Bates, Ann Cleare, Benedict Schlepper-Connolly, Grainne Mulvey, David Fennessy, Judith Ring, Sebastian Adams, Amanda Feery, Garrett Sholdice. Lots of recognisable names!

Guitarist and composer Barry O’Halpin was originally selected for Free State 2014 (we performed he work Lethargarian). He subsequently kept us up-to-date with his work, and we performed more of his work in the years since our first encounter with his music. Now he’s one of our composers-in-residence and guitarists.

To be honest, those are expected outcomes! That’s exactly what we want to happen from Free State. Composers need performers of their work and Crash need new work that challenges and excites us. Free State is a way of feeding our future.

crashensemble.com

Free State 11, the album will be available later this year on Crash Records. To apply for Free State 12, sign up for Crash mailings and keep your eye out for their next submission date.

Free State 11 is presented by New Music Dublin and Crash Ensemble with the support of NCH, RTÉ and The Arts Council.