"Kevos" is the Cornish word for "contemporary" and is the names chosed for a new Cornish band formed in 2015 by conductor Patrick Bailey. This last Saturday 5th November 2016 were making musical fireworks at the Poly, in Falmouth with live performances of new contemporary music film scores composed for classic movies by rising Cornish composer Ben Comeau and the more established Ed Hughes, who is Professor of Composition at Sussex University.
This is the second outing (I have attended) of the band Kevos which includes Philip Montgomery Smith (violin), David White (clarinet); Will Sleath (flute); James Robinson percussion, Danielle Jones Cello and Stella Pendrous piano. Their first at the Burrel Theatre in Truro back in April presented two settings of music to a 1929 film by Dutchman Joris Ivens of "Regen" meaning "Rain" first score written by Hans Eisler "Fourteen Ways of Describing Rain" a new version by Ed Hughes included a performance of Graham Fitkin's "Ardent" and a score by Martin Butler entitled Jazz Machines
Patrick Bailey interviews Ed Hughes in the interval prior while James Robinson re-arranged the percussion section!
These two new film scores are impressive and fast moving demanding dexerity and considerable virtuosity delivered with aplomb by the musicians and beautifully timed with the film by Patrick Bailey....on the surface beguiling effortless attesting to excellent preparation and rehearsal and a grip of the
Ed Hughes's piece had strong minimalist structures lulling us into a happy trance as we enjoyed the film , but beautifully paced, expressive and nuanced with the film narrative including quiet passages and pauses at key moments of change of mood in the film. There is a lot to film music writing which provides a strong framework for invention and the film was so engaging (eliciting a lot of laughter in the audience) that the artistry in.the score weave its emotional web around us. It woudl be really interesting to know what Japanese audiences made of this new score!
Carl Davis is perhaps the best known of contemporary composers who have scored such silent film classics as Ganz's "Napoleon" and put on live performances in new screenings. But as a discipline this is an engaging area for creative exploration particularly with beautiful classic black and white silent work of this quality and humour..
The first film screened here were newly transferred 16mm of "Our Gang" - a short produced (in 1929) in the celebrated Hal Roach Studios - Metro Goldwyn Meyer series which ran to 220 episodes see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Gang_filmography;
The second was "I was born, but...." by the Japanese classic director Yasujiro Ozu. Ozu's Tokyo Story has frequently appeared in lists of "Best FIlms of all time" from film Directors' choices. "I was born....but" is a slient movie made in 1929 and follows the story of two young brothers and their difficulties with their schoolmates at school and moving to the suburbs. It is beautifully observed, funny, true and follows a sequence that Ozu made of films including "I graduated....but"; "I flunked....but" which I also wanted to see having enjoyed this film. The films had text in Japanese as story cards which were translated by English surtitles. Strangely live music seems to interfere with the comprehension in a way that recorded music would not. We were not distracted but its certain that you focus more on the score when the music is live. Its a new sort of experience perhaps a throw back to what improvised Wurlitzer muisc would have been like in the early silent movie era.
This was a programme of great imagination and received by an enthusiastic audience at the Poly hosted by Cornwall Film Festival
Kevos are planning two more concerts in 2017 one returns to the minimalist territory:
Steve Reich Double Sextet, Music for Pieces of Wood, Come Out
Two new works from Anna Clyne and Jim Aitchinson
2nd April Burrell Theatre, Truro
and a second at Kestle Barton Gallery includes works by Charlotte Bray, Alison Kay (flux), Richard Causton (Phoenix) Sunday 21st May
Contemporary music is alive and kicking in Cornwall....join us enthusiasts at the next outing
This is the second outing (I have attended) of the band Kevos which includes Philip Montgomery Smith (violin), David White (clarinet); Will Sleath (flute); James Robinson percussion, Danielle Jones Cello and Stella Pendrous piano. Their first at the Burrel Theatre in Truro back in April presented two settings of music to a 1929 film by Dutchman Joris Ivens of "Regen" meaning "Rain" first score written by Hans Eisler "Fourteen Ways of Describing Rain" a new version by Ed Hughes included a performance of Graham Fitkin's "Ardent" and a score by Martin Butler entitled Jazz Machines
Patrick Bailey interviews Ed Hughes in the interval prior while James Robinson re-arranged the percussion section!
These two new film scores are impressive and fast moving demanding dexerity and considerable virtuosity delivered with aplomb by the musicians and beautifully timed with the film by Patrick Bailey....on the surface beguiling effortless attesting to excellent preparation and rehearsal and a grip of the
Ed Hughes's piece had strong minimalist structures lulling us into a happy trance as we enjoyed the film , but beautifully paced, expressive and nuanced with the film narrative including quiet passages and pauses at key moments of change of mood in the film. There is a lot to film music writing which provides a strong framework for invention and the film was so engaging (eliciting a lot of laughter in the audience) that the artistry in.the score weave its emotional web around us. It woudl be really interesting to know what Japanese audiences made of this new score!
Carl Davis is perhaps the best known of contemporary composers who have scored such silent film classics as Ganz's "Napoleon" and put on live performances in new screenings. But as a discipline this is an engaging area for creative exploration particularly with beautiful classic black and white silent work of this quality and humour..
The first film screened here were newly transferred 16mm of "Our Gang" - a short produced (in 1929) in the celebrated Hal Roach Studios - Metro Goldwyn Meyer series which ran to 220 episodes see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Gang_filmography;
The second was "I was born, but...." by the Japanese classic director Yasujiro Ozu. Ozu's Tokyo Story has frequently appeared in lists of "Best FIlms of all time" from film Directors' choices. "I was born....but" is a slient movie made in 1929 and follows the story of two young brothers and their difficulties with their schoolmates at school and moving to the suburbs. It is beautifully observed, funny, true and follows a sequence that Ozu made of films including "I graduated....but"; "I flunked....but" which I also wanted to see having enjoyed this film. The films had text in Japanese as story cards which were translated by English surtitles. Strangely live music seems to interfere with the comprehension in a way that recorded music would not. We were not distracted but its certain that you focus more on the score when the music is live. Its a new sort of experience perhaps a throw back to what improvised Wurlitzer muisc would have been like in the early silent movie era.
This was a programme of great imagination and received by an enthusiastic audience at the Poly hosted by Cornwall Film Festival
Kevos are planning two more concerts in 2017 one returns to the minimalist territory:
Steve Reich Double Sextet, Music for Pieces of Wood, Come Out
Two new works from Anna Clyne and Jim Aitchinson
2nd April Burrell Theatre, Truro
and a second at Kestle Barton Gallery includes works by Charlotte Bray, Alison Kay (flux), Richard Causton (Phoenix) Sunday 21st May
Contemporary music is alive and kicking in Cornwall....join us enthusiasts at the next outing
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