Music / Feature
The brand new concert series blurring the lines between genre, improvisation and art
Relativity: A Contemporary Musical Experience is a brand new music series curated by Fabio Ferri and David Mowat which debuted last October.
The events began when London based drummer and avant-garde composer Sean Noonan asked Bristol composer Fabio Ferri to find a Bristol date for his tour with his newly formed trio Bourne Bardon Noonan.
“I found St Stephen’s Church available, and David Mowat offered support in promoting the event, as a night special of the Lunchtime Concerts he curates,” Fabio tells Bristol24/7.
is needed now More than ever
“I enriched the programme with two special support acts: acclaimed guitarist Enrico Merlin, who was on tour as well, and Bristol-based band Fabio Ferri Quintet.
“What the artists had in common was a non-defined music genre and direct interaction with the audience, and they performed while artist Kertu Väinsalu produced abstract visual art inspired by the music. The turnout and feedback went beyond my expectations.”
The events have at their centre the concept of crossing the boundaries usually found between genres, composition and improvisation, different forms of art and between performers and audience.
The second episode of the series returns to St Stephen’s Church on January 25 and will feature Bristol composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Tiny Chapter alongside singer and playwright Amy Jansen.
Amy Jansen’s show Your Me will have its Bristol debut this month. photo: Leila Sparks
Tiny Chapter is the alias of Alun Elliott-Williams, the virtuoso guitarist and brain-box of electronic outfit Waldo’s Gift, his solo project sees him create a sound-world that dissolves the boundaries between western art music, electronic ambient and film score.
Joining him will be Amy Jansen, who will be performing Your Me; a one-act musical that weaves opera, musical theatre, folk songs and monologue in an exploration of loneliness.
The special show will be the first time Your Me has been performed in Bristol.
“What’s exclusive about this series of events is that they don’t stick to any particular genre. Often people end up being divided into categories and tribes, and sometimes it looks like the music industry is encouraging such a phenomenon,” Fabio explains.
“These concerts aim to bring together fans of the modern jazz scene, as well as chamber music, free improvisation, traditional jazz, avant-garde, world music, and more. Bristol boasts a vibrant representation of these genres, but they rarely intersect.
“My hope is that people of different backgrounds, ages and musical tastes find their curiosity stimulated, discover something new, get emotionally moved and feel an active part of the event itself.”
Tickets for the next event are on sale now at https://hdfst.uk/e99388
Main photo: Gina Tratt
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