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Gavin Bryars Conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in a Visual Performance

Mar. 10, 2022

Gavin Bryars will conduct the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in a concert featuring live visuals on March 12 at Tramway in Glasgow. The performance features the UK premiere of his own Viola Concerto (A Hut in Toyama), with Morgan Goff as soloist, and Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet, alongside Arvo Pärt's Wenn Bach Bienen gezüchtet hätte (If Bach Had Been a Beekeeper). Large-scale kaleidoscopic digital landscapes that interact with the music are performed in real time by Alba G. Corral.

The long dark nights of the southern winter solstice were a strong influence for Gavin Bryars while composing this substantial viola concerto. Pairing the warm expressive range of the viola with a combination of generally low instruments appeals to Bryars preference for the lower ranges and resonates with the timing and location for the work’s premiere. The solo part was written for Morgan Goff who has played in Bryars’ ensemble for almost 20 years.

Of Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet, Bryars notes:

"In 1971, when I lived in London, I was working with a friend, Alan Power, on a film about people living rough in the area around Elephant and Castle and Waterloo Station. In the course of being filmed, some people broke into drunken song – sometimes bits of opera, sometimes sentimental ballads – and one, who in fact did not drink, sang a religious song “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet”. This was not ultimately used in the film and I was given all the unused sections of tape, including this one.

When I played it at home, I found that his singing was in tune with my piano, and I improvised a simple accompaniment. I noticed, too, that the first section of the song – 13 bars in length – formed an effective loop which repeated in a slightly unpredictable way. I took the tape loop to Leicester, where I was working in the Fine Art Department, and copied the loop onto a continuous reel of tape, thinking about perhaps adding an orchestrated accompaniment to this. The door of the recording room opened on to one of the large painting studios and I left the tape copying, with the door open, while I went to have a cup of coffee. When I came back I found the normally lively room unnaturally subdued. People were moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting alone, quietly weeping.

I was puzzled until I realised that the tape was still playing and that they had been overcome by the old man’s singing. This convinced me of the emotional power of the music and of the possibilities offered by adding a simple, though gradually evolving, orchestral accompaniment that respected the tramp’s nobility and simple faith. Although he died before he could hear what I had done with his singing, the piece remains as an eloquent, but understated testimony to his spirit and optimism."



(Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet/Gavin Bryars/
Tom Waits, vocals/Gavin Bryars Ensemble)

To learn more about Gavin Bryars, visit: schott-music.com.
To learn more about Arvo Pärt, visit: universaledition.com.

Gavin Bryars
Viola Concerto (2020)
("A Hut in Toyama")
for viola and chamber orchestra
0.0.bcl(cl).2(2.cbn)-2.0.0.0-pno-str(12.10.8.6.5)
30'

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet (1971)
for digital tape / CD and ensemble / orchestra
Instrumentation flexible with instrumental groups optional but based on the following maximum scoring: 1.1.1.bcl.1-4.2.2.1-perc(glsp.vib)-gtr.hp.cel.org-string quartet.2db
35'

Arvo Pärt
Wenn Bach Bienen gezüchtet hätte
for orchestra and piano
5'

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