Another video from my concert in Coton in July 2011. This is “Duplicity”, my homage to the music of Steve Reich, inspired by his piece “Clapping Music”. The initial violin figure is looped live, and then I play along with it, but every eight repeats I move one quaver out with the loop, resulting in a variety of interesting cross-rhythms. Eventually, by continuing to move out of phase by one quaver at a time, I “catch up” with the original loop, and we end up in unison.
This has been a staple item in my live concerts for many years, and continues to be fascinating and challenging to play, and hopefully to listen to as well!
This video was recorded live as part of a concert in Coton, Cambridgeshire, in July 2011. Many thanks to my friend Phil Toms for the excellent arrangement, and to Nicky Anderson for the lovely venue!
Last week I played again at the excellent New Cut Arts Centre in Halesworth. Situated in rural Suffolk it’s an excellent venue where I’ve previously performed solo, and also with the “Touchable Dreams” show.
Last Sunday I was there with my duo partner Kelly Jones as “Phase 2″: This exciting collaboration has seen us exploring not only the acoustic violin duo repertoire, but also building up an interesting array of arrangements for electric/electric and electric/acoustic combinations.
Sunday’s show included duos by Wieniawski, Miklos Rozsa, Bartok, Judith Weir and Philip Hansell, plus arrangements of Arvo Part, Satie, Nyman and even Massive Attack, using a mixture of violins with, in some cases, some live looping. For two pieces I used my Bridge Octave violin, which is basically one octave lower than a normal instrument, providing some useful bass pitches.
We filmed and recorded the concert, in order to provide some useful clips for the new Phase 2 website, which I’m currently putting together at www.phase2duo.co.uk. Meanwhile here’s a video of the Nyman piece we played – a new one to our repertoire – which went down extremely well with the audience. I hope you enjoy it!
For my first post of 2010 I’ve got a new video release: It’s part of the “Touchable Dreams” performance which I did with Jeremy Harmer in December 2009 in Cambridge. This clip is just me doing a looped version of the famous “Canon in D” by Pachelbel. I worked out the programming needed in order to perform it properly in it’s original form – bass line and three canonical violin lines – a while ago: It involves a straight loop for the bass line and then lots of careful loop/replace functions for the canon. I was delighted it proved possible to do; and it proves popular in live performances.
This particular concert was the first outing for my new Bridge 5-string electric violin: More about the superb Bridge instruments soon…..
Thursday 10th December sees Jeremy Harmer and I presenting our show “Touchable Dreams” in Cambridge, at the Emmanuel United Reformed Church in Trumpington Street.
Subtitled “Words and Music in the Key of Love” the show has had great success so far this year, and lots of our friends and colleagues in the Cambridge area were asking when we’d do it locally: So here it is.
This show blends my playing, using my usual blend of looping, electric violin, pedals and acoustic violin; with Jeremy’s expressive readings from poets as diverse as Shakespeare and Carol Ann Duffy (with a little singing thrown in!). The words frame the music, the music illuminates the words. And when they happen together, the effect is spellbinding….
If you’re anywhere near Cambridge do come along! Tickets will be available on the door, but can also be purchased online from http://www.stevebingham.co.uk/shop/. Just click the “ticket” link.
