PressRelease

PingIt,RingIt,RollIt,WriteIt
Excitingnewmusicalcommissionsinspiredbythe heroicquest,WilliamBlake,bellringing,tabletennis andthespiritoftheOlympicGames.

BirminghamConservatoirepresentsadayofmusicalfun andgamesonSunday6May2012inthecity'shistoric JewelleryQuarter.

Theevent,partoftheUKwidePRSForMusicFoundationsNew Music20x12programmeandinspiredbythespiritofthe OlympicGames,includestheworldpremiereofTheVoyage,a 12minuteoperafromcomposerMichaelWoltersandtheatre companyStansCafe. UsingtheOlympictheme,thestoryfollowsamythological characterleavinghometofacechallengesoverseas,inthehope ofreturningahero.Oneoftheperformance'smoststriking featuresisthemobilenatureoftheaudience.Mountedon castors,acustommadeseatingbankisdesignedtoroll spectators20metresfromtheactionbeforebringingthemback home. TheVoyage,aplayfultwoactoperaforavoice,adoublebass andeightrecorders,isthesecondcollaborationbetweenMichaelWolters,DeputyHeadofCompositionatBirmingham Conservatoire,andStan'sCafe,whoseradicaltheatreproductionshavebeenacclaimedaroundtheworld. AlsoairingthroughoutthedayarethreeotherimaginativeandinspiringNewMusic20x12works,eachjust12minutesin length. Ping!isacollaborationbetweencomposerandBirminghamConservatoireHeadofCompositionJoeCutler,CoullQuartet andFusionTableTennisClubwhichexploresthedistinctsoundsandrhythmsofagameoftabletennis.Recently premieredatWarwickArtsCentre,thepiececreatesintricatecrossrhythmsbetweentabletennisplayersandthestring quartet,withfilmbyinternationalvisualartistTomDale. ComposerandBirminghamConservatoireCompositionTutorHowardSkempton'sFiveRingsTriplesisanOlympiantwist ontheEnglishbellringingtraditionaheadycombinationofmusic,sportlikeskillandmathsfortheworld'sheaviest instruments!CoventryDiocesanGuildofBellringerswillberingingthepiecethroughoutthedayfromnearbyStPaul's Churchwhereattendeescanvisitthebelltower,andfindoutmoreabouttheartofbellringing. Finally,fellowBirminghamConservatoireCompositionTutorRichardCaustonintroducesafilmanddiscussesthe inspirationbehindhisyettobeperformednewpieceTwentySevenHeavens.Writtenforalarge120pieceorchestra,itis inspiredbyWilliamBlake'sfamedverse,Jerusalem,andareasofLondon,includingthemainOlympicsite. Performancestakeplaceatregularintervalsthroughoutthedayalongsideavarietyofotheractivities,including workshops,talks,facepainting,wiigamesandvideoscreenings.Withanonsitecafealsoopen,visitorsareinvitedtostay foraslongastheylike,andsampletherollingprogramme. DavidSaint,ActingPrincipal,BirminghamConservatoire,said:"TheNewMusic20x12commissionswerehotlycontested andweareproudthatfourofthe20havebeenwonbyourstaff.Thiseventwillbeagreatadventureforthewholefamily andwillprovethatcontemporarymusiccanbeenjoyedbyanyone.I'mverymuchlookingforwardtoit." VanessaReed,ExecutiveDirectorofPRSForMusicFoundation,said:Wearedelightedthatsomanytalentedmusic creatorsandorganisationswereinspiredtoapplytoNewMusic20x12,afantasticinitiativethatwillseetheUKsmusic communityleavingitslegacyaspartoftheLondon2012CulturalOlympiad.Thechosencollaborationsofferasnapshotof theUKsfantasticallyrichandvariednewmusicsceneandweareproudtosupporttheircontributiontothisunique, internationalcelebration. PingIt,RingIt,RollIt,WriteIttakesplaceonSunday6May2012at@AEHarris,110NorthwoodStreet,Birmingham B31SZfrom11.45amto5.30pm.Admissionis6/4,withunder5sfree.Formoreinformation,includingadvance bookings,see:www.aeharrisvenue.co.uk

Listings

Sunday6May2012 BirminghamConservatoirePresents:PingIt,RingIt,RollIt,WriteIt Adayofmusicalfunandgamesfeaturingthreenew12minutemusiccompositions,plustabletennis,wiigames,family events,workshops,talks,cafeandmore.

Ping!performances12:40,13:40,16:20 FiveRingsTriplesperformances(St.PaulsChurch)2.40pm,3.40pm,4.40pm TheVoyageperformances12noon,1pm,2pm,3pm,4pm,5pm TwentySevenHeavensscreenings1.20pm,2.20pm,4.20pm

Venue: @AEHarris,110NorthwoodStreet,BirminghamB31SZ Open: 11.45am5.30pm.Tickets:6;4concs;freeforunder5s. Bookings: www.aeharrisvenue.co.uk(50pbookingfeeapplicable)oronthedoor.

NotesToEditors

Trust,CharlotteandDennisStevenson,TolkienTrust,TheLecheTrust, TheBlissTrust,FinziTrust,TheWorshipfulCompanyofMusicians, LilianSlowe,JohnandAnnTusa,JohnWatesCharitableTrust,Richard Walduck,HoneymeadArtsTrust,andSirAnthonyCleaver. TheNewMusic20x12consistsoftwentyoutstandingnewworks,each lasting12minutes,commissionedtofeaturecentrestageofthe London2012CulturalOlympiad.NewMusic20x12commissionswillbe broadcastbyBBCRadio3andtourtheUK,enablingasmanypeopleas possibletoenjoyexcellentnewmusicaspartofourcelebrationsofthe London2012OlympicGamesandParalympicGames. AlltwentyNewMusic20x12commissionswillbepresentedacrossone weekendwhichcelebratescomposingatLondon'sSouthbankCentre from1315July2012. Formoreinformation,includinginterviewswithcomposers,see: www.prsformusicfoundation.com/Partnerships/Flagship Programmes/NewMusic20x12

AboutBirminghamConservatoire
BirminghamConservatoireisavibrantcentreforcompositionand performancewhereexperimentation,thedevelopmentofunique compositionalstylesandworldclassstandardsareequallysupported. Aninternationalcentreforcompositionandperformancewith technology,includingliveelectronics,theDepartmentregularly welcomescomposersofinternationalstaturetoworkwithstudents. RecentguestsincludePierreBoulez,LouisAndreissenand,thisyear, HeinerGoebbels.TheCulturalOlympiad'sNewMusic20x12project servestohighlightthestrengthoftheConservatoire'sComposition Department:of20commissionedcomposerschosenfromaroundthe UK,fourarecompositiontutorsatBirminghamConservatoire. BirminghamConservatoireisapartofBirminghamCityUniversity,the substantialartstrainingprovisionofwhichalsoincludesBirmingham SchoolofActing,BirminghamInstituteofArtandDesign,Birmingham SchoolofMediaandtheInstituteofWriting.Formoreinformationon BirminghamConservatoire,pleasevisitwww.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire

AboutStansCafeand@AEHarris
Stan'sCafeisagroupofartistsfromavarietyofdisciplines,though primarilytheatrepractitioners,workingundertheartisticdirectionof JamesYarker.Thecompanyconsistsofacoreoflongterm collaboratorsandarangeofassociatedartists.Theiroriginalandoften radicaltheatreproductionsareindemandaroundtheworld. @AEHarrisisaperformancevenueandrehearsalspaceintheheartof Birmingham'sJewelleryQuarter,closetothecitycentre.Itwassetup byStan'sCafetohostprojectswhich,forreasonsofscale,expense, messinessoroutrageousoddnesscouldfindnootherhomeinthecity. Moreinformation:www.stanscafe.co.uk

AboutNewMusic20x12
TheVoyage,Ping!,FiveRingsTriplesandTwentySevenHeavensare partofPRSforMusicFoundationsNewMusic20x12aUKwide commissioningprogrammeinitiatedbyJillianBarkerandDavidCohen, anddeliveredinpartnershipwiththeBBC,LOCOGandNMC Recordings.Seewww.prsformusicfoundation.com TheVoyagewillbebroadcastonBBCRadio3sHearAndNow programmeonSaturday16June2012.Arecordingwillbeavailableto downloadfromNMCRecordingsatwww.nmcrec.co.uk Ping!willbebroadcastonSaturday19May2012andTwentySeven HeavensonSaturday25August2012.FiveRingTripleswasbroadcast followingthechimesofBigBenonNewYearsDay. NewMusic20x12isgenerouslysupportedbythefollowingcommitted patronsandfunders:ArtsCouncilEngland,CreativeScotland,JohnS. CohenFoundation,PRSforMusicFoundation,ArtsCouncilofNorthern Ireland,ArtsCouncilofWales,ColumbiaFoundationFundofthe CapitalCommunityFoundation,IncorporatedSocietyofMusicians, MusiciansBenevolentFund,JerwoodCharitableFoundation,RVW

FurtherLinks
MichaelWolters: RichardCauston: JoeCutler: CoullQuartet: TomDale: www.wolters.co.uk www.richardcauston.com www.joecutler.com www.coullquartet.com www.daletom.com

MediaContacts:

Formoreinformation,interviewsandimages,contact: Email: dave448creative@gmail.com