Sound Sculptures at The International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor
Composer Simon Knighton brings the cumulation of a new project to the International Anthony Burgess Foundation this June. Designed to push the boundaries of concert music, the performance will merge the open-ended qualities of dynamic sound installation environments with the temporal nature of live performance, creating a unique and immersive musical experience. By exploring the fusion of performance and installation, the ensemble will generate new musical experiences that challenge our understanding of both forms, creating fertile environments for creativity and collaboration across composers, performers, technologies, and audiences.
This concert will feature the second performance of Simon Knighton’s ‘Sound Sculpture No. 8’, a piece originally commissioned by Nonclassical and premiered at the Southbank Centre in 2024. Combining a String Trio, Installation, and Electronics, this work explores new tuning systems and spatial harmony through chimes, micro-tuned xylophone bars, live instruments, and synthesizers, creating an evolving sound world that immerses audiences in a multi-sensory experience.
The event will also feature ‘Missing Pieces’ by Gemma Bass, a collection of compositions in which key elements of the music are left to chance or choice and put into the hands of the performers. This opens up infinite opportunities for involvement and interpretation, from deep intimacy and vulnerability to chaos and anarchy. The concert will be rounded off with ‘Milton’ by Emmy Lambert, ‘Figure 7’ by Sidney Patrick, and a new work by Gloria Xia, showcasing the incredible creativity of fellow Manchester based composers.
