New Music Network brings together artists and composers of a chaotic and creatively enquiring nature. Leah Scholes and Phoebe Green bonded over baked goods and music, quite possibly in that order. Their show The Hive is a collection of musical pieces they commissioned from a variety of local composers. It opens with Tim Dargaviell’s ‘Invisible Dance’ for viola and the marimba, a bouncy, light hearted introduction, one of the more conventional pieces of the repertoire.
Wally Gunn’s contribution to The Hive is a viola percussion and tape mixture, featuring extended viola sounds with a repetitive backdrop, a softer, evocative, muted atmospheric aspect moving into an almost pop element with voices, a nod to 70s RnB, military drums, big percussive noises, grinding and graunchy noises and an abrupt ending.
Mark Applebaum’s ‘Aphasia’ is a physical performance of a tightly structured set of hand gestures presented with pre-recorded sounds, both elements devised by the composer. An expression of the juxtaposition of every day noises against the effort to express oneself physically, inspired by the idea of speech deficit as a result of brain injury, ‘Aphasia’ references sign language, a staccato live performance of the hands set against a score of chirps, whirrs, baas, snippets of German and English speech, cartoon soundtracks, distorted noises and squeaks, roars and whistles. Leah Scholes performs and it looks as though it it’s improvised, but that is an illusion.
‘Untitled’ for solo viola sounds almost as if a ghost were to play the instrument. This piece was created by James Rushford, one who knows the instrument very well, says curator Phoebe Green. The instrument’s capabilities are explored by not playing it traditionally, rather by examining the possibilities of the sounds and utterances that can be drawn from it. It purrs, hums, sighs and squeaks, with delicate, seemingly accidental sounds, nearly noiseless vibrato rhythms and sensitive exhalations that remind one of phrases of Victorian spiritualist language like ‘subtle emanations.’ A supernatural and eerie collection of noises.
David Chisholm’s piece, ‘The Arrival’, for viola and percussion, specifically commissioned by Phoebe Green, rounds off the repertoire with moments of mystery and surprise, sensuality and dance all within and a deep questioning at times subterranean conversation between the percussive elements and the viola.
Music that is a complex yet accessible delight to experience.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The Hive
Curated by Phoebe Green and Leah Scholes
Northcote Uniting Church Hall, High Street, Northcote
www.newmusicnetwork.com.au
12 May
