Singapore Arts Festival 2005

Annex 1

Singapore Arts Festival 2005 the gogmagogs

Programme

Gumbo Jumbo

“gumbo” is the name for the classic Cajun stew local to New Orleans, United States, where any ingredient available is thrown into the mix. The result is extremely spicy and delicious! gumbo jumbo is an exhilarating fusion of music, theatre and physical movement. Devised and directed by theatre/opera director, Lucy Bailey, this is the gogmagogs’ signature show, and consists of some of the tastiest morsels from their entire repertoire, served with a garnish of five new pieces.

Consisting of 10 highly contrasting pieces, gumbo jumbo is a rich kaleidoscope of musical styles, theatrical wit and innovation. The performers fiddle in the dark, on the floor or while wearing false moustaches. They run at speed, dance in masks, get stuck in unbelievable knots and play whilst hiding their faces with their instruments. The music, written by several composers especially for the company, ranges from Malagasy dance rhythms to Arabic modes of improvisation to contemporary western classical and big band blues. Annex 2

Credit list

Artistic Directors Lucy Bailey Nell Catchpole

Director and Choreographer Lucy Bailey

Performers Nell Catchpole, Violin Sergi Claret, Violin Jennymay Logan, Violin Stephen Kennedy, Viola Laura Moody, Cello Desmond Neysmith, Cello Matthew Baker, Double Bass

Composers Django Bates Roger Eno Jane Gardner Billy Jenkins Patrick Nunn Hanitrarivo Rasoanaivo Roddy Skeaping Luke Stoneham Stephen Warbeck Mike Westbrook

Costume Designer Simon Vincenzi

Lighting Designers Zerlina Hughes Nick Malbon

Technical Stage Manager Ali Beal

Stage Manager and Costumes Supervisor Hannah Clark Annex 3

Company background the gogmagogs was founded in 1995 by theatre director Lucy Bailey and violinist Nell Catchpole through their common desire to release the physical expression of the classical musician. The company’s work has since received critical acclaim for its combination of virtuoso string playing, dynamic physical movement and inventive, groundbreaking theatre.

The shows, devised and directed by Bailey and performed by seven young string players, explore different ways, from the poetic to the absurd, of involving the whole body and personality of the player. the gogmagogs has so far created seven new shows and collaborated with 21 composers from the United Kingdom and abroad. Their shows, an exhilarating mix of styles ranging from contemporary classical, to jazz, rock, Arabic improvisation and Malagasy rhythms, have played to packed audiences throughout the United Kingdom, and has toured to festivals in Sydney, Toronto, San Paolo and New York.

Director’s Notes Lucy Bailey

I am a theatre director and a classically trained musician who has tried at every opportunity to use music in my work. I have always believed that it is possible to communicate new, and often difficult music, to a wider audience, by revealing it’s innate power through a theatrical language. There is so much movement hidden in music and this connection is a sensual one, which communicates on an immediate and subconscious level. My work therefore is to find those physical gestures that will unlock the meaning and the form of the music.

Whilst passionate about the performance of music I have attended many contemporary classical concerts and come away disheartened by the experience, finding the contact between audience and performer very minimal and unengaging in comparison to the more popular forms of music. I felt convinced that the connection between the performer and audience could be truly compelling and exhilarating, given a new approach.

Eight years ago, a group of young graduate musicians approached me, asking if I would work with them. Headed by Nell Catchpole, they were all highly talented string players who wanted to explore ways of playing music which made more demands on their skills as performers. I leapt at the opportunity and we held workshops over two weekends. None of us had the slightest clue as to the outcome. I remembered looking at this circle of very expectant faces and thinking what the hell do I do now! I began by using a series of acting exercises, working with physical movement in relationship to the release of sound. We explored ways of playing the music that engaged the whole of the body and the personality of the performer. The discoveries were profoundly exciting. My main objective was to take the tightness of their ensemble playing and their instinctive communication with each other, and to express it with the whole of their body, so that the physical ensemble became as sensitive as the musical one. I went on to explore the sheer theatrical presence and energy of the musician in relationship to the audience, using the whole of the performing space. My desire was to create a different relationship with the audience, one that engages with and responds to them and above all gives them immense pleasure. These were some of the starting points.

A year later we began working with composers to see if we could create pieces where movement and music could effect each other, and be combined in some way. This required the composer to work in rehearsal with us, before writing the final piece, in order to find the musical and physical starting points. In response to the success of these experiments Nell and I formed the gogmagogs.

Annex 4

Biographies of the directors and musicians

Lucy Bailey Director/Co-artistic Director

Lucy Bailey studied English at Oxford University where she directed the world premiere of Lessness by Samuel Beckett. She then worked as an assistant director at the Royal National Theatre, Glyndebourne Opera and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Bailey has devised many new pieces of music theatre working with combinations of singers, dancers, actors and musicians. Past collaborations with composers include David Sawer, Harrison Birtwistle, John Tavener, Errollyn Wallen, Alexander Goehr, Hakur Tomasson, and Georgio Battistelli. She also directed operas for festivals and companies such as Aldeburgh Festival, Glyndebourne Touring Opera, Scottish Opera, Munich Biennale, English National Opera in London; and theatre productions at the International Beckett Festival in Dublin, Shakespeare Globe Theatre, London and various other theatres in the United Kingdom.

Nell Catchpole Violin/Co-artistic Director

Nell Catchpole trained as a classical violinist, studying at the Guildhall School and attending master-classes at the Britten-Pears School at the Aldeburgh Festival. Her work covers many genres, performing internationally with bands from Palestine and Madagascar, in the string quartet with Nigel Kennedy on his Hendrix project and with various contemporary and jazz ensembles. Her rock band, The Bark, has supported Paul Weller at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, Dr. Robert on a United Kingdom tour and won the MGD National band competition. Catchpole has worked with Brian Eno over several years, featuring on his album with John Cale, 'Wrong Way Up' and on U2's 'Achtung Baby'. Having been featured on Eno's recent album with Peter Schwalm, 'Drawn From Life', she performed internationally as a soloist in their live band, including the 2001 Fuji Festival in Japan. Catchpole is currently a tutor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Sergi Claret Violin

Sergi Claret was introduced to music at home as his dad and uncle are both professional musicians. He studied the violin in his hometown and in Barcelona before completing his degree at Trinity College of Music with Diana Cummings. Claret has played with different orchestras in Spain, Andorra and London. He has had the opportunity of leading some of them as well as playing as a soloist. Besides the violin, Claret also studied viola as well as conducting. He has attended master classes of Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Sir Colin Davis, Michael Thomas and Gyorgy Sebok amongst others. He is currently involved in a string quartet called 4Dimensions and is developing new projects in the “classical music world” of Barcelona. Jennymay Logan Violin

Jennymay Logan started playing the violin at the age of six and studied at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music. Whilst at Trinity she was continuously involved in orchestral activities and chamber music, including leading the college String Ensemble in concerts all over Britain. She is a founding member of the Elysian String Quartet which is about to release its first album. Logan is also involved in the samba scene in London with 'Rhythms of the City' and 'Paraiso School of Samba', performing at various venues in London, festivals and events. She has recently joined a modern folk- based group, The Memory Band, currently performing all over London and the United Kingdom.

Stephen Kennedy Viola

Stephen Kennedy’s musical career started at the tender age of nine as a chorister in Westminster Cathedral Choir. He then went on to attend The Oratory School in Reading, where he studied singing with Henry Hurford and John Bernays and viola with Art McConnel. Kennedy now freelances as a Bass-Baritone and as principal viola with the Britten Pears Orchestra, Sussex Symphony Orchestra and Colchester Chamber Orchestra. He regularly sings with the BBC Singers, Apollo Voices, Westminster Abbey Choir and Westminster Cathedral Choir and has played with various orchestras.

Laura Moody Cello

Laura Moody picked up the cello at age seven and went on to graduate from the University of York with 1st Class Honours and Trinity College of Music with Distinction. While at university she studied with Alexander Bailie and as a postgraduate she studied with Natalia Pavluskaya. She also had master classes with Raphael Wallfisch, Karine Georgian, Paul Watkins, Brodsky Quartet, Chillingirian Quartet and Wihan Quartet. Along with gogmagogs violinist Jennymay Logan, Moody is a member of the Elysian Quartet.

Desmond Neysmith Cello

Neysmith received his Bachelor degree at the Royal College of Music under Professor Steven Doane and was subsequently offered the position of Teaching Assistant at the University OG Akron, Ohio. He finished his studies under the tutelage of Karine Georgian at the Royal Northern College of Music, gaining a Pgdp, (distinction in performance) and the PPRNCM. After winning first prize in the Texaco Sphinx Competition for Black and Latino String Players in March 2001, Neysmith has appeared as a soloist with several leading orchestras in the United States including Baltimore, Hartford, Louisiana, Florida’s New World Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony. He has also given recitals at Wigmore Hall London, Manchester, New York and New Orleans and continues to give concerts throughout the North West where he is based. Next season's engagements include two solo performances with the New York Philharmonic, chamber music concerts in the Carnegie Hall, New York and an international tour playing the part of Freddie in 'Bent' with the Graeae Theatre Company. Neysmith is currently principal cello with the Sinaloa de las Artes Philharmonica in Mexico.

Matthew Baker Double Bass

Matthew Baker performs a myriad of musical styles. As a chamber musician, Baker is involved with both the gogmagogs as well as the classical/world music fusion sextet, Panoply. In the orchestral world, Baker performs regularly with orchestras such as the Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared with jazz legends such as Clark Terry, Harold Danko, Victor Mendoza and Ryan Kisor.