I first met and improvised with John on a visit to London early 2004, and again with Chris Burn's ensemble later in the year at Freedom of the City Festival. His music, particularly his exploration of the resonance of individual spaces though his improvisations has had a profound effect on my own music. [check out his most recent solo CD 'Geometry of Sentiment' on Emanem]

Needless to say I'm thrilled to be asked to join him and a killer group of improvisers for a few concerts in Holland and the UK in November. It's rare that Butcher (willingly) takes the role of leader in an ensemble, let alone composer so I'm very curious to see/hear his approach.

[from John Butcher's website 19 August 2008]

OCTET
November sees the first performances of my, as yet un-named, octet. It stems from a commission by Graham McKenzie for a new work at this year's Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.

The finished piece will be premiered at the HCMF, with an "in-progress" version at November Music in Den Bosch and an evening of sub-groupings at the BimHuis.

The line-up is a mixture of some very long-time colleagues, and some more recent encounters.

John Butcher - saxophone
Chris Burn - piano
Gino Robair - percussion
John Edwards - bass
Thomas Lehn - synth
Dieb 13 - turntables
Clare Cooper - harp/guzheng
Adam Linson - bass and electronic processing

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Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival

CREATIVE ARTS BUILDING RECITAL HALL 11PM, Tickets £12 (£10 concession)

John Butcher Composition for eight musicians
(HCMF commission) WORLD PREMIERE

John Butcher saxophones
Clare Cooper harp / guzheng
Chris Burn piano
dieb13 turntables
John Edwards double bass
Adam Linson double bass / electronics
Gino Robair percussion / energised surfaces
Thomas Lehn analogue synthesiser

In contrast to composition, the reasons for most events in a group improvisation are only born in the moment just before their sounds are revealed - and musical details can quickly evolve beyond any one person's pre-conceptions. I hope that this new work, a composition for eight highly individual improvisers, maintains faith in these special qualities whilst steering the performers through some of my personal concerns, taking in a few places less commonly visited by spontaneous consent alone.
John Butcher

Link to Signal to Noise Interview with Butcher (Fall 2004 Issue).... .. ..