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London Sinfonietta Premieres Tansy Davies's The Rule is Love

Nov. 01, 2019

London Sinfonietta Premieres Tansy Davies's <em>The Rule is Love</em>

Following the success of Tansy Davies’s chamber opera Cave, and the remarkable performance by Elaine Mitchener in the piece, the London Sinfonietta and Kings Place have commissioned a new work for voice and ensemble of five players, to be premiered by Mitchener and the London Sinfonietta, led by Richard Baker, on November 9. The work – entitled the rule is love –will be premiered as part of a portrait concert entitled ‘Jolts and Pulses’ which will also include neon, grind show (electric) and Undertow. The work is a co-commission with the 2020 Donaueschinger Musiktage, where Mitchener will be joined by players from Manufaktur für aktuelle Musik.

Davies has been generating material for the piece using numbers from sacred geometry – inspired by the writings of Plato and harmonious forms from nature – while texts by John Berger and Sylvia Wynter provide a contemporary undercurrents. "The piece is very much about rhythm" says Davies. "The voice begins as a drum; a percussive utterance. Elaine will play drum kit and the vocal part emerges as another layer of her drum pattern. Rhythms and patterns cycle and circle around each other in ever-changing internal relationships."

Other recent works by Tansy Davies include Plumes, a five-minute chamber orchestra work commissioned by Royal Northern Sinfonia to mark their 60th anniversary, which received its premiere last month at The Sage Gateshead.

Listen to Tansy Davies's Grind Show (2007):

(Tansy Davies' Grind Show, 2007/LSO St. Lukes at the UBS Soundscapes Scheme/
Christopher Austin, conductor)

To learn more about Tansy Davies, visit: fabermusic.com. 

Tansy Davies
Cave (2018)
a chamber opera in eight scenes for mezzo-soprano, tenor and ensemble with electronics
text by Nick Drake (Eng)
cl(bcl).bsn(cbn).hn.hp.vn.db-live electronics(1-2 operators): sampler/effects applied to the vocal performers
60' 

the rule is love (2019)
a song cycle for contralto and chamber ensemble
texts by John Berger and Sylvia Wynter (Eng)
ssax.bcl - perc(1-2*): vib/snare drum/tom-tom/drum kit(hi-hat/susp.cym/snare drum/tom-tom/BD)-vn.db *1 player needed if singer also plays drum kit
10' 

neon (2004)
for a chamber ensemble of 7 players
bcl(with amplification).ssax-perc: mar/trash metal/BD/pedal BD/hi-hat/jingles/SD/large log drum/bongos/wdbl/TD - electric keyboard - vn.vc.db(all with amplification)
10' 

grind show (2007)
for chamber ensemble and electronics
fl.cl-pno(prepared, processed)-vn-vc-sampler/electronics
6’

Undertow (1999, rev. 2008)
for chamber ensemble of 5 players
fl.cl.vn.vc.pno
6' 

Plumes (2019)
for chamber orchestra
2(2.pic).2.2(2.bcl).1.cbsn-2.2.0.0-str
5' 

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