Laura Jurd has written about this year’s Chaos Festival which runs from the 22 – 25 October at the Vortex and the Battersea Mess and Music Hall (25th only). Video above is a clip from the Chaos Festival 2012. Laura writes:
This year’s Chaos Festival delivers a divers array of exciting performance, characteristic of the Chaos outlook and ethos. As ever, we will be celebrating the art of collaboration, featuring the work of some of the UK’s most creative musicians, composers, dancers and performance artists. The first two nights of the festival will be taking place at the Vortex in Dalston, with whom Chaos have recently established a strong relationship with, having embarked on a bi-monthly residency there.
Tuesday 22nd October I will be working with the Ligeti Quartet to present music from my 2012 album ‘Landing Ground‘ as well as the première of a new work for string quartet and voice featuring Dublin-born improviser Lauren Kinsella. The Ligeti Quartet will also be playing some carefully chosen repertoire to open the evening.
Wednesday 23rd: a one-off project from the Chaos Orchestra again at the Vortex. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Stravinsky’s revolutionary work, ‘The Rite of Spring‘, the band will be playing re-works of themes and motifs from this iconic 20th Century masterpiece alongside some of the music from their forthcoming début album.
The final night Friday 25th will be taking place at the Battersea Mess and Music Hall. This fantastic, large space will be the host of ‘£1000 CASH!‘ – a charity event curated by Elliot Galvin, raising money for music therapy organisation – ‘Key Changes‘. This will be an immersive event for the audience, incorporating promenade performances, audience interaction and an artistic insight in to the world of economy. We are also looking forward to ending this year’s festival with a DJ set from ‘Dr Gus‘ as we continue in to the night in true celebratory style.
It is once again our pleasure to be putting on a vibrant, refreshing and eye-opening festival of new, collaborative music.
Tickets for day 1 HERE
Tickets for day 2 HERE
Tickets for day 3 HERE
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All this talk of 'refreshing, eye opening' music yet another 'reworking' of the Rite of Spring. Sigh.
Indeed Steve – but it is the centenary of course. We were looking for a project with that had relevance to the year 2013. Less of re-working of the whole ballet – but pieces created used Stravinky's essence. To my ears, any vaguely linked to Stravinsky will always sound refreshing. One of my biggest musical influences. Plus if you ever get the chance to hear this fantastic bunch of young musician's play, you may well change your mind!
I've not heard the Chaos Orchestra, or their take on Rite of Spring, but I've heard the Laura Jurd Quartet and their music had my eyes a lot more opened and refreshed than Optrex has ever managed. More power to her trumpet, and to her considerable compositional and arranging talents. Anyone wanna join me in a “Go, Laura!!!!”
I hear the rhythm and excitement of jazz in the Rite, and have little doubt that Stravinsky would have been fascinated to hear new musical explorations. Having witnessed the work of Laura Jurd this far, both recorded (‘Landing Ground’) and live, I’m confident she and the Chaos Orchestra have the creative credentials to respectfully and intruigingly mark the centenary of this seminal work. My motto: ‘ears open’.
Thanks chaps – your cheques are in the post! 🙂
Whats wrong with re-working? Surely if something is previewed as being refreshing, and or eye-opening, it's up to Laura & crew to provide this (and for this I believe the context – whether a blues or Stravinsky's RoS, or FREEDOM is irrelevant).
And knowing those guys, you bet they'll deliver.
TBH, if musicians/artists/writers/economists/politicians/Footballers/Cricketers didn't rework – we'd be screwed. It's what Humans do.
And there'll only ever be one 100yr anniversary of this…lets enjoy it!