The Union Chapel presents Marginalised
October 5th, 2009 by sparky
Four very special performances take place in the Union Chapel in support of the Margins Project, a charity for people who are homeless or in crisis in London.
Mon 19 Oct: Gavin Bryars Ensemble
Thurs 22 Oct: The music of Vernon Elliot (a tribute to the world of Oliver Postgate) performed by North Sea Radio Orchestra
Fri 23 Oct: Max Richter performing from From The Art of Mirrors (London premiere)
Sat 24 Oct: The Michael Nyman Band feat. David McAlmont (world premiere / CD launch)
8pm (doors 7pm), (Max Richter 7.30pm (7pm doors)), Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, Islington, N1 2UN.
Tickets: £20 (£25 Michael Nyman + VIP tickets available incl. champagne reception). www.unionchapel.org.uk
Following the success of last year’s programme which featured Unkle/Heritage Orchestra and Shane Meadow’s Somers Town with live music from Gavin Clark, Arctic Circle have put together another inspired programme of events that celebrate four of the UK’s finest and most popular composers through one-off performances at the Union Chapel, in support of the Margins Project based at the same venue.
Gavin Bryars brings together former members of his ensemble for a rare and fitting performance of his iconic work Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet. Almost a year after the death of Oliver Postgate, Trunk records and Arctic Circle transform the Union Chapel into an otherworldly place with specially commissioned music arranged from Vernon Elliott’s original scores for The Clangers, Ivor The Engine and friends performed by the North Sea Radio Orchestra. Local Islington based composer Michael Nyman will present the world premiere performance and CD launch of his new project with the stunning singer David McAlmont and the Michael Nyman Band. Audiences will also be treated to the London premiere of The Art of Mirrors featuring a new score by Max Richter performed to rarely seen footage from the Derek Jarman Super8 film archive, performed by the Max Richter Ensemble.
Monday 19th October:
Gavin Bryars Ensemble – Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet and other works.
Arctic Circle and Union Chapel are delighted that Gavin Bryars and his Ensemble will give his first London performance for over 15 years of Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet in its entirety. The piece was originally recorded on Brian Eno’s Obscure label in 1975 and a substantially revised and extended version for Point Records in 1993 which included Tom Waits. Featuring a loop of the religious song Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet sung by a man living rough in London in 1971, this performance will be particularly poignant in its support of those that are homeless in the capital today. Bryars will perform with his full ensemble and will be joined by former group colleagues especially for this exclusive performance.
The Gavin Bryars Ensemble featuring tenor John Potter who will perform a selection of his ongoing Lauda works to open the evening.
Thursday 22 October:
The music of Vernon Elliot (a tribute to the world of Oliver Postgate).
Produced in association with Trunk Records, this evening celebrates the music Vernon Elliott composed for Oliver Postgate/Smallfilms productions such as The Clangers, Ivor the Engine, Pogle Wood, Noggin the Nog and more. Featuring specially commissioned music arranged by Craig Fortnam and Laura Rossi performed by the North Sea Radio Orchestra, the Union Chapel will be decorated to reflect the shows with the assistance of Paper Cinema to create an irresistible escape to childhood.
In honour of Postgate, who died last December, the concert will also feature a special arrangement of the songs and music of Bagpuss with the promise of a very, special guest!
Friday 23 October:
Max Richter performing from From The Art of Mirrors
Composer, musician and producer Max Richter has collaborated with Future Sound of London and Roni Size, produced the seminal Lookaftering for Vashti Bunyan and released three solo albums of his own, all preceded by a decade of work as a member of the noted contemporary classical ensemble Piano Circus. For Marginalise and to coincide with the re-release of Memoryhouse (fat cat), Richter will be joined by an ensemble to perform works from his album Songs From Before, alongside the London premiere of From the Art of Mirrors; a fusion of music and film by Max Richter and avant garde UK film-maker Derek Jarman. Commissioned by fuseleeds06, From The Art of Mirrors features a new score by Richter performed to rarely seen footage from the Derek Jarman Super8 film archive, performed by the Max Richter Ensemble.
Gamelan group Sekar Enggal will open the evening with gamelan degung, music from Sunda, the highland region of West Java, Indonesia.
Saturday 24 October:
The Michael Nyman Band feat. David McAlmont
Following their first live outing as a duo in January, the remarkable collaboration between singer David McAlmont and composer/pianist Michael Nyman has developed into a new recording project featuring McAlmont with the Michael Nyman Band. McAlmont has selected various Nyman compositions and turned to world news for inspiration. Written in the first person these new songs draw on a variety of subjects from 21st century piracy (Going to America), lothario world leaders (In Re Don Giovanni) drug mules (In Laos) and banking errors (Take The Money And Run). Nyman is delighted with the results and Marginalised are thrilled to present the world premiere and CD launch of this new project.
Michael Nyman is the UK’s most prestigious and innovative composers whose work has reached its widest audience through his film scores (The Piano, The Draughtman’s Contract, Man On A Wire). David McAlmont’s exquisite voice – “One day he will open his mouth and a cathedral will fall out” Melody Maker – has enthralled soul and jazz fans both as a solo artist and as one half of the hit-making duo McAlmont and Butler.
About The Margins Project:
In October 1995 the Margins Project was set up to help with London’s homelessness crisis. From that beginning 13 years ago, the Project’s emphasis was on social support and providing facilities to meet basic human needs.
In the current ‘credit’ climate the project has witnessed a substantial uptake in services. The main effect has been at the Sunday drop-in service with a rise of guest numbers from an average of 110 to over 150 in the last 6-8 weeks. This constitutes an average rise of 20%. The project is therefore struggling to meet the needs of so many and so funding for the winter and Christmas period is more vital than ever.
The project provides services and facilities for those People finding themselves living on the streets and in crisis. The complexity of the challenges the guests face has always been astounding. Many of the guests are some of the most vulnerable and damaged people in society and have often slipped through the net of governmental health and social services. Being a small and volunteer driven organisation means that Margins is highly adaptable, allowing services to be renegotiated quickly to accommodate and support these often challenging people.
Marginalise is produced by Arctic Circle.
