Three saxophonists reunited in the Walthamstow Marshes (East London) to play simultaneously a solo improvisation informed by listening to the environment.
A serpentine path for cyclists and walkers to build up affinities between the aquatic and the terrestrial, the composed and the improvised, the sonic and the musical and the wood and the brass.
With Caroline Kraabel, Rachel Musson, Ignacio Cz and Artur Vidal.
Performed in London at the Springfield Park and Walthamstow marshes on the 26th of July 2016.
Rachel Musson, Caroline Kraabel and Ignacio Cz performed a piece
consisting of a text score inspired by a previous solo performance. Audience members were given
a map of the area and listening scores produced collectively during a Sonic Meditations
workshop. The three saxophone players performed very far from each other and were
invited to follow five different approaches that were inspired from my solo performance:
Moment 0
Just listening
Paying attention to the sounds from the place you are
Suggested method: Listen to the sounds close to you (breathing, memories…) and little
by little pay attention to the different sounds situated around you (wind, people walking,
bikes …) and finally to the sounds situated as far as possible (sounds from a car passing
very far, sounds from the sky, imagined sounds from the future…)
Moment 1
Play a short sound and observe how it resonates within the place you are
Repeat 2–3 times keeping the same sound or choosing a new one
Moment 2
Amplify (as loud as you can) the furthest sound you can hear
To do this use the highest or lowest range of the instrument
Repeat as many times as needed until you manage to imitate the sound or consider that
this is impossible
Moment 3
Play a continuous sound quieter than the quietest sound you can hear
This sound should probably be inaudible to the audience and maybe even to yourself
Moment 4
Play a long continuous sound and observe how it resonates within the place you are
Repeat 2–3 times keeping the same sound or choosing a new one
