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US Premiere of Joe Duddell's St. Anthony with Philip Glass, Scorchio Quartet and Mike Garry

Feb. 28, 2014

US Premiere of Joe Duddell's <em>St. Anthony</em> with Philip Glass, Scorchio Quartet and Mike Garry

Saint Anthony, a collaborative work between composer Joe Duddell and poet Mike Garry, receives its US premiere at the 24th Annual Tibet House Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on March 11.

Scored for string quartet and vibraphone, Saint Anthony is dedicated to Anthony Wilson, the celebrated television and radio presenter who promoted the culture of Manchester as the cofounder of Factory Records and The Haçienda nightclub. Duddell found inspiration for the arrangement in “Your Silent Face”, a song by legendary Factory Records band New Order.

Garry’s poetic style is lyrical and nostalgic with a distinctly musical cadence, covering a broad scope of cultural topics including punk, literature, religion, and politics. Though his poems are a natural fit for a musical setting, he was hesitant until the right project came along:

I’ve had so many artists offer to set my poetry to music but it’s never felt right before. The idea of working with a classical string quartet really appeals to me. With pop or rock I’ve always felt that instruments compete but with classical, the instruments seem to complement and extend the words.

Joe Duddell, a fellow Mancunian and student of Steve Martland, was an obvious fit for the collaboration. Duddell drew inspiration from the musicality inherent in Garry’s poetry:

Mike’s work is instinctively musical. He uses his voice like an instrument, playing around with tempo, pitch and melody.

The Scorchio Quartet performs St. Anthony alongside Philip Glass on vibraphone, Garry as narrator, and Bernard Sumner of New Order.

Visit www.schott-music.com for more information on Joe Duddell.

For more information on the performance, please visit tibethouse.us.

Joe Duddell
St. Anthony (2013)
for vibraphone, string quartet and narration
6’

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