Genevieve Murphy

Edge Ensemble + Genevieve Murphy (bagpipes)

Violent Push of an Unpredictable Strategy:

For Ephémère we presented an extended version of this work, with a more improvisatory approach to the original form. Notes on the original version:
“I started to learn bagpipes from the age of 8 and from this early age I was informed by my tutor that bagpipers would go into battle, to play alongside their army and to intimidate the opposition. The awareness of this has always stayed with me and has now become the inspiration behind the structure of this work. I imagine the bagpiper in slow motion, striking in the drones and beginning to play a piece that encourages his army but tries to push away the opposition. At the same time I think of the army who have encouraged this brave musician and that though everyone has their strategies they are still in an unpredictable situation. This piece is mainly based upon improvisation where the bagpipes encourage the ensemble to follow its tonalities and challenging dynamics. The group however, have their own strategies between them that work and harmonise outside of the bagpiper’s sound.”

The Edge Ensemble challenges the boundaries between notated and improvised music. Featuring singular performers from diverse musical worlds — contemporary, free jazz, rock, early music — they explore the new sonic territory where these traditions meet. Although the stylistic backgrounds of the performers may seem far apart, they are all rooted in performance traditions that have enough in common to allow for fascinating, unexpected points of confluence. The Edge Ensemble reflects and explores this situation with intensity, freedom, and precision.

Musicians of Edge Ensemble:
Christof May (DE) – bass clarinet
James Hewitt (UK) – baroque violin
Vasilis Stefanopoulos (GR) – bass
Brendan Faegre (US) – drums, director

Guest musician Genevieve Murphy (UK) – bagpipes