Kitchen Sink Music

KITCHEN SINK MUSIC by Simon H. Fell

the scripts of 2 1-hour radio programmes made for the LMC's Resonance FM, and first broadcast in June/July 1998 [all music examples are from Simon Fell's Composition No. 30]

programme one • programme two

programme one

1^st six chords from opening Movt I

Hello. Welcome to the first of two programmes of Kitchen Sink Music. OK, first things first, why Kitchen Sink Music? Well, these programmes are built around the first broadcast of several parts of Compilation III, a recently-completed large-scale piece for improvisers, jazz and classical musicians. (Unfortunately, time will not permit the broadcast of the full work, but you will hear about 75% of the finished music; these programmes will focus mainly on pieces with both composed and improvised elements.) The scale of Compilation III is sufficiently large, in particular with regard to its wide-ranging orchestration, that many people's reaction to my listing of its components included some reference to throwing in the kitchen sink too.... Although some aspects of the piece simplified during its realisation (for example, given the richness of the acoustic music created, I judged it unnecessary to add the originally intended electronics), stylistically the kitchen sink concept remains fairly apposite; I'm trying to create some kind of fusion of improvisation, jazz and modernist classical music which distils the best, most creative aspects of each idiom, and which manages to achieve an ambiguity in the relationship between 'improvisation' and 'composition' that makes such distinctions both difficult and irrelevant.

Here is the entirety of Part 1 of Compilation III; at the beginning of this programme you heard the opening 6-chord fanfare. In one sense this is the whole piece, since every note of written music which follows is a horizontal presentation of vertical pitch information contained in these chords, each of which (in true serial tradition) contains all twelve-notes of the tempered western scale. These chords lead into initially two, subsequently three and momentarily four superimposed improvisations, punctuated by the gradual expansion of the written material contained in the six chords. The first big band section makes its appearance about 8 minutes into this first part, playing what is probably the main theme of the work, a flexible 12-tone ordering of the notes from the opening chord. All the harmonies throughout this section are strictly derived from classical serial principles; this resulted in some especially awkward notation for the horns, and here I must pay tribute to the Royal Northern College of Music Big Band, directed by Clark Rundell, who managed to make even the most perverse of charts swing. The rhythm section is myself and Mark Sanders. This 1st Part concludes with a most bizarre episode; Webern's Variations Op 30 re-scored for big band and strings, with Webern's original tone row replaced by the one derived from the first chord which has created all the music of this piece.

Compilation III Part 1 [12m47s]

Prelude, Swing & Variations, Part 1 of Compilation III. Let's get back to some of that unfinished business from earlier. What about the implications of overlapping and combining separate improvisations? Why write for improvisers in the first place; why not just let them improvise? There are many such questions arising out of the work you're in the process of listening to, and many of them do not have clear answers. Firstly, I would agree that completely spontaneous improvisations are undoubtedly as capable of approaching perfection as anything can be, and have no inherent need of composition to enrich their existence. Much composed music, however, lacks the human spontaneity and rapidity of discourse of improvised music, and certainly must envy its incredible textural richness. As both composer and listener, I'm extremely interested in the ambiguity, complexity, irony and polyvalence created when notation does not have complete control (or anything approaching it) over the sounds we experience. Traditionally, composers have often used extreme complexity to generate a situation where even the highly-trained reiteration machines that are classical performers cannot accurately realise what's notated and begin to busk it a bit. This is where the fun starts for me; it's the sound of musicians struggling with something that's almost or occasionally within their grasp which excites me about much of the composed music I love. (This sense of spirit can often be crushed by overly accurate performances. One thinks of Gunther Schuller's recordings of scores by Mingus and Graettinger for example, or the current vogue for classical musicians playing Zappa. Extremely accurate, but often lifeless and barren.) One of the problems I have with Western composition is its excessive and inordinate obsession with pitch relationships at the expense of rhythmic subtlety and colour; of course, there are exceptions to this, but the balance between these elements is much better struck in jazz or improvised music. My work tries to break down the fixed grip that Western notation exerts over composition without abandoning the possibilities that it offers. In this context, improvisation can act in many different ways; for example, the xenochronous combining of disparate improvisations can effectively transform improvisation into complex notation, since although the components were improvised, the music you hear most obviously was not.

Naturally, there are profound political implications stemming from creating apparent improvised interactions which did not actually take place, since the sensitivity of interaction is one of the improvising musician's most highly prized skills. Fortunately, the result of these combinings is not simply a larger-scale improvisation, but a construction in which new relationships can be created and music realised which it would not be possible to create by any other method. I talked to Rhodri Davies about the moral implications of re-contextualising improvisations, and the possible concerns this might cause participating musicians. Was the only answer to this a question of faith in the overall creative aims of a project?

Rhodri Davies interview: 1m53s to 3m38s (to "work") [1m45s] click to hear

Of course, not all musicians are so generous and trusting with their art, but I would certainly like to thank all those who took part in this project. It's much appreciated. Time for more music. Lest you should think that all the above combining techniques should inevitably result in the kind of dense (and often raucous) music with which I have sometimes been associated, have a listen to Part 2. This opens with a composition for prepared piano, percussion and harp combined with a duo improvisation from Nikki Dyer and Thanea Stevens. This then flows into a trio of John Butcher, Mark Sanders and myself, before Rhodri Davies plays a notated harp coda. Although there are intense moments, I hope you will agree that this is music of great beauty.

Compilation III Part 2 [12m03s]

The next piece is where I get in trouble with the purists (of all persuasions). Part 3 is a blues, but it's a blues which combines the direct influence of three of my favourite composers; Charles Mingus, John Cage and Charles Ives. The rhythm section (myself and Mark Sanders) works through a series of permutations of different chorus constructions used by Mingus and Dannie Richmond in Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting (the singing, shouting and clapping which you might just hear going on in the big band are also part of that homage). The melodies used in this piece are (of course) 12-tone series derived from the fanfare chords, and once again prove how groovy and swinging serialism is! Ives's influence can most specifically be felt in the collaging of elements of jazz history and direct quotations which are transplanted wholesale into this piece, and Cage's in the way that all of these elements have been arranged randomly, right through from single bar solo sections to 16 or 24-bar full orchestrations This notated piece is accompanied throughout by a semi-structured improvisation from Mick Beck and Paul Hession. The piece also feature jazz solos by Simon Willescroft (alto sax) and Tom Rees-Roberts (trumpet).

Compilation III Part 3 [9m20s]

Part of the brief of Compilation III was to devise a way of working in improvised (and experimental notated) music which would allow volunteers of any standard of experience and ability to make a contribution. Most of the players you heard in the previous track were students from the Royal Northern College of Music, whose big band, under the direction of Clark Rundell, undertook many of the written passages. However, you've also heard a further group of 11 students and amateurs which I gathered together from volunteers based around Cambridge; many of these people had no experience whatsoever of improvised or contemporary music, but all had responded to leaflets asking for interested adventurers. Finding roles for all these players was one of the most challenging (and gratifying) parts of preparing this recording, and in the process I was rewarded with several fine improvisations. I talked to two of the participating students - Irene Lifke and Guy Avern - about the experience. One of the things I'd worked hard to achieve was a recording environment where even the most inexperienced musicians would feel able to explore and experiment without fear of censure; did they feel that this had been achieved, or were they still worried about making so-called 'mistakes'?

Irene Lifke/Guy Avern interview 25m19s - 26m38s [1m19s] [these interview recordings were for some reason omitted from the final edit of the programme, and the originals have been lost. Consequently, they're not available for listening; sorry.]

We also discussed the strikingly pitch-centred playing of many 'academic improvisers' who took part in the project. I met several music students who had studied and practised improvisation as part of their courses, but who repeatedly seemed determined to use improvisation simply to reinvent Ravel. Guy told me about his experiences of 'official' improvisation:

Irene Lifke/Guy Avern interview 32m24s - 33m10s & 34m23s - 34m59s & 35m38s - 36m03s [1m47s] [these interview recordings were for some reason omitted from the final edit of the programme, and the originals have been lost. Consequently, they're not available for listening; sorry.]

Here's a short piece featuring 6 of the volunteers - Irene Lifke is on violin & Guy Avern is on piano, with Matthew Wilkes & Kate Hurst ('cellos), John Preston (double bass), and Fardijah Freedman on harpsichord - in a construction which also includes John Butcher on soprano saxophone and Colin Medlock on electric guitar. With the exception of Colin's guitar solo, all elements of this short piece were notated, although recorded xenochronistically. Colin is in fact soloing over the rhythm section from Part 3, which you've already heard.

Compilation III Construct 2 [1m22s]

The final piece in today's programme is Construct 3. This combines de-synchronised performance of written material by strings and woodwind with a trio improvisation by Damien Bowskill, Paul Hession and myself, which itself runs concurrently with a trio improvisation by Orphy Robinson, Mark Sanders and myself. This is one of several pieces in Compilation III which get near to a new jazz mutation. More will follow in the second programme.

Until then, I'll leave you with Construct 3. These are the musicians you've heard in this programme:

NIKKI DYER piccolo/flute
SAM KOCZY oboe
BECKY SMITH clarinet
CHARLES WHARF contrabass clarinet
JEREMY WEBSTER bassoon
JON HALTON contrabassoon
JOHN BUTCHER soprano sax/tenor sax
CARL RAVEN soprano sax/clarinet
SIMON WILLESCROFT alto sax
HAYLEY CORNICK alto sax/flute
MICK BECK & KATY HIRD tenor saxes
ALAN WILKINSON baritone sax
JO LUCKHURST baritone sax/bass clarinet
GARY FARR, TOM REES-ROBERTS & JOANNE BAKER trumpets
DAVID TOLLINGTON & TIM PAGE french horns
PAUL WRIGHT, CAROL JARVIS & MATTHEW HARRISON trombones
ANDREW M. OLIVER tuba
IRENE LIFKE violin
MATTHEW WILKES & KATE HURST 'cellos
JUSTIN QUINN acoustic guitar
STEFAN JAWORZYN, COLIN MEDLOCK, DAMIEN BOWSKILL & ANDREW STEWART electric guitars
RHODRI DAVIES harp
THANEA STEVENS dulcichord
FARDIJAH FREEDMAN harpsichord
GUY AVERN piano/bass guitar
JAMES CUTHILL prepared piano
ORPHY ROBINSON vibes
JOHN PRESTON double bass
PAUL HESSION & MARK SANDERS drums/percussion

I played harpsichord, prepared piano and double bass; technical realisation of the project was by Phil Darke. Recordings were by Phil Darke and Damien Bowskill. The recording was made possible by funding from the Arts Council of England and Anglia Polytechnic University.

Compilation III Construct 3 [8m47s]

programme two

1^st six chords from opening Movt I

Welcome to this second programme of excerpts from Compilation III, my latest large-scale piece for improvisers. Today's first extract is Part 4, a piece which sets out to more fully explore the rhythm series first heard in Part 2. Its middle section contains music whose combination of composition, improvisation and aleatoricism is typical of the fundamental concerns of this music. After an introductory trio improvisation, rhythms generated from an application of the basic series are randomly orchestrated throughout the big band and strings; these are simultaneously explored by both Paul Hession and Mark Sanders in solo. I talked to Paul Hession about the implications for him of mixing improvisation and composition.

Paul Hession interview 48m36s - 50m11s (slight edits) [1m35s] click to hear

Compilation III Part 4 [11m04s]

The next piece you'll hear is Construct 4, a somewhat more abstract piece for string trios and harp. This piece was specifically conceived for the trio IST, which consists of Rhodri Davies on harp, Mark Wastell on 'cello and myself on double bass. It is constructed from two improvisations and a complex notated harp piece, itself constructed from superimposed elements of Part 1, Interlude, Construct 5 and Part 6. Of course with improvisers as gifted as Mark & Rhodri, one is again forced to question the necessity of constructing or composing a structure for them to work within. For me the following music has most of the attractions of improvisation as well as the joy of thematic complexity that notation can bring; whilst certainly not better than a pure improvisation, I do believe that this music represents a fascinating alternative option.

Compilation III Construct 4 [6m36s]

Construct 6 is another of the new jazz mutations which I mentioned in programme 1, and is one of the most fascinating pieces to come out of the process of realising this work. The rhythm section is Paul Hession and myself, and we accompany a theme statement and solos by a front line of Alan Wilkinson, Colin Medlock and (perhaps somewhat surprisingly) John Butcher. However, nothing here is as it seems; only Paul & I could hear each other, and neither of us could hear anything else. Even Alan's solo was 'composed' from arranged phrases taken from longer solo improvisations and set against the rhythm section. Colin's solo was recorded against the rhythm section you heard on Part 3, not the one he is heard with now. The rhythms being played by Paul & I for the blues which forms the second section of this piece are exactly the same as those played by the wind and strings in the central section of Part 4 (which began this programme); indeed this was originally the rhythm section for that track. To confirm this relationship, a further take of wind and strings from Part 4 was introduced at the end of this piece, synchronised to the guitar solo. However, any apparent interaction between the two is illusory. Although no great lover of notation, Alan Wilkinson has consistently proved himself open to all possibilities in the cause of new music. I asked him about whether these retrospective minglings of improvisation and composition caused him aesthetic problems.

Alan Wilkinson interview "ultimately..." 59m23s - 1h00m14s [0m51s] click to hear

Compilation III Construct 6 [7m01s]

Alan Wilkinson on baritone sax and Colin Medlock on guitar in Construct 6 from Compilation III. My final extract is the largest and longest of the Compilation III pieces, Part 6. Structurally, it explores every single one of the improvisation/composition interfaces thus far expounded, and a few more besides. The ornate percussion writing in this movement caused Mark Sanders to reflect on the psychological problems for the musicians which result from my insistence on pushing them to the limits of what they consider physically or intellectually realisable. As I mentioned in the first programme, committed musicians working on the edge of their ability is what excites me most about any kind of music; Mark's done this a few times with me, which gave him a bit of a head start:

Mark Sanders interview:12m51s to 13m49s ("Cambridge session") [0m58s] click to hear

Perhaps it's this anger, this barely controlled frustration which lends this music its focus and intensity. Certainly musicians like Mark will attempt to realise what's requested rather than simply throw it back at the composer, and in the process a wonderful amalgam of composition and re-composition is achieved which has elements of both composer and musician embedded deep within it. This alchemy is what this music's about. Charles Wharf has the distinction of being the only musician to have played on Compilations I, II & III. He had some interesting things to say about the effect of using improvising musicians to perform complex notation:

Charles Wharf interview 44m09s - 46m10s [2m01s] click to hear

Before we listen to this final piece, I'd like to hear from Phil Darke, possibly my most important collaborator on this recording. Of course, the music couldn't have been made without the musicians, but the concept of making this particular realisation was inspired by Phil's use of computerised multitrack recording & editing. Compilation III could not have been brought into being without Phil's patient assistance; I asked him whether he'd ever used his Soundscape editing software in quite such a directly compositional way before:

Phil Darke interview 13m01s - 14m06s & 15m19s - 15m54s [1m40s] click to hear

Here then is Compilation III Part 6. The musicians you'll hear (and have heard) are:

I play harpsichord, prepared piano and double bass; technical realisation of the project was by Phil Darke. Recordings were by Phil Darke with Damien Bowskill. The recording was made possible by funding from the Arts Council of England and Anglia Polytechnic University.

Compilation III Part 6 [22m30s]

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