HAUSER & WIRTH
Press Release
The Passion of Joan of Arc With Adrian Utley, Will Gregory and Charles Hazlewood Supported by Hauser & Wirth Somerset
Wells Cathedral, Somerset, England Friday 7 October 2016, 8 pm
Hauser & Wirth Somerset, in collaboration with Adrian Utley (Portishead), Will Gregory (Goldfrapp) and award- winning conductor Charles Hazlewood, presents a special live orchestral performance and film screening in the magnificent medieval setting of Wells Cathedral. Adrian Utley and Will Gregory have devised a new score sound-tracking the dramatic and moving narrative of Danish film director Carl Theodor Dreyer’s ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ (1928), which chronicles Joan of Arc’s trial and execution during her captivity in France. Initially commissioned by the Colston Hall and supported by The Watershed, Bristol, the inventive new score will be performed live alongside a screening of the film, led by Charles Hazlewood with members of the Monteverdi Choir, percussion, horns, harp and synthesizers.
Wells Cathedral is located at the heart of England’s smallest city, Wells in Somerset, situated 13 miles from Hauser & Wirth Somerset. Cited as one of the earliest English cathedrals to be constructed in Gothic style, the building is a treasured and significant architectural landmark in the south west of England. The distinguished setting will provide a unique opportunity to witness Hazlewood, Utley and Gregory’s breathtaking and inspired production.
Located on the outskirts of Bruton, Hauser & Wirth Somerset is an innovative world-class gallery and arts centre that works in partnership with many local institutions, businesses and organisations to foster local creative talent and champion charities related to art, community, conservation and education. ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ performance at Wells Cathedral will be Hauser & Wirth Somerset’s second collaboration with Somerset-based world-renowned conductor Charles Hazlewood. It follows the recent David Bowie tribute at this year’s Glastonbury Festival, which involved Army of Generals and members of the British Paraorchestra in a performance of Philip Glass’s Heroes Symphony, inspired by Bowie’s 1977 album. HAUSER & WIRTH
Since opening in July 2014, Hauser & Wirth Somerset has welcomed over 250,000 visitors. Accompanied by an extensive education programme and regular artists’ residencies, Hauser & Wirth Somerset shares contemporary art with new audiences and aims to engage the public with art, the countryside and the local community. The location, its social history, countryside and community remain a main driving force and inspiration for the gallery today.
Iwan and Manuela Wirth, Presidents and co-Founders of Hauser & Wirth say:
‘There is a hive of creativity in the south west of England and ‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ represents the very best of it – three artistic bright lights have brought their talents together to breathe new life into a cinematic masterpiece, reigniting it for a new generation. I could not imagine a more fitting setting for such an act than the spectacular Wells Cathedral. Their spirit of collaboration, invention and an adventure across creative disciplines is water from the same well that we draw from at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. This inspired project connects the dots between community, art and architecture – three of our shared passions – and we couldn’t be prouder to support it.’
Ticket Information
Tickets range from: £40 / £35 / £30 / £25 / Restricted seats: £15 / £10
Tickets can be purchased from the Hauser & Wirth Somerset website or directly at Wells Cathedral. To purchase online please visit: www.hauserwirthsomerset.com/events
Adrian Utley was born in Northampton, England and is a musician and producer. Utley is a member of Bristol- formed band Portishead. In 1991 Utley met producer, engineer and musician Geoff Barrow and singer Beth Gibbons and formed the three-piece band. Alongside his work with Portishead Utley has pursued solo projects in film, production of albums – Perfume Genius, Francoiz Breut, Three Kane Whale and others, as well as recording and performing with many artists – Jarvis Cocker, Marianne Faithfull, Patti Smith. Following performances around Europe, his recording of Steve Reich’s ‘In C’ was recently released on vinyl through Invada Records and he continues to work on pieces for the guitar orchestra he formed in 2010. He is currently co-producing the band Algiers. In 2012, Utley formed Adrian Utley’s Guitar orchestra composed of 24 musicians, including 19 guitarists, four organs, and a bass clarinet.
Will Gregory is an English musician and record producer from Bristol, England. Gregory is best-known as the lead keyboardist, producer, and composer of the electronic music duo Goldfrapp. In the 1980s, Gregory recorded and toured with English pop / rock band Tears for Fears. Since then Gregory has performed with other major artists including Peter Gabriel and The Cure. He has played saxophone with various groups such as Portishead, the London Sinfonietta and the Apollo Saxophone Quartet. In 2011 Gregory produced his first opera ‘Piccard in Space’; which premiered at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. In 2013 he released a baroque-inspired work performed at The Roundhouse in London.
Charles Hazlewood has conducted with some of the world’s greatest orchestras including The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, Netherland, the Gothenburg Symphony in Sweden and the Philharmonia in London, England. Hazlewood has worked with artists as diverse as Wyclef Jean, Professor Green, Nigel Kennedy and Steve Reich and conducted over 100 world premieres. In June 2016 Hazlewood conducted the first ever orchestral headline performance at Glastonbury Festival, with Army of Generals and members of the British Paraorchestra, to an audience of 20,000 people screened live on BBC Television. Other recent conducting highlights include; new initiatives with the Philharmonia in London and the regions; concerts with the Swedish Radio Symphony, Gothenbury Symphony and Copenhagen Philharmonic; a tour of Holland with the Metropole Orchestra and Squarepusher; his ‘Close Up’ concert series with Malmo Symphony and NSO Dublin; and special projects with the British Paraorchestra and Sacrum Profanum Festival in Karkow, Poland. HAUSER & WIRTH
About Wells Cathedral The Cathedral’s history goes back over 1000 years. The present buildings are the result of a building period from the 12th to the 15th centuries. This includes the completion of associated buildings – namely Vicars’ Close and Hall – provided for the Vicars Choral who continue to occupy the medieval houses. Despite its traditional heart, the Cathedral is very much alive today and prepared to innovate in the face of the modern challenges that face it. It’s an inspiring space for daily worship and a busy community hosting a huge range of activities. The Cathedral welcomes thousands of visitors each year who join in with regular daily services and events or who come to simply spend time in this special building.
About Hauser & Wirth Hauser & Wirth Somerset is a pioneering multi-purpose arts centre, which acts as a destination for experiencing art, architecture and the remarkable Somerset landscape through new and innovative exhibitions of contemporary art. A landscaped garden, designed by internationally renowned landscape architect Piet Oudolf, includes a 1.5 acre perennial meadow, which sits behind the gallery buildings. Hauser & Wirth Somerset’s restaurant, the Roth Bar & Grill, serves seasonal, locally sourced produce and includes a site-specific bar created by Björn and Oddur Roth. In the far corner stands the original farmhouse, which is used as accommodation for artists and is available to rent. The centre also provides resources including a bookshop and dedicated learning room. Hauser & Wirth Somerset supports an immersive artist-in-residence programme. The residencies are housed in Bruton at The Maltings in converted artist studios. The program offers an alternative environment for artists, encouraging them to benefit from the rural surroundings.
Hauser & Wirth Somerset is one of six locations of Hauser & Wirth, a world-class leading international gallery devoted to contemporary and modern art. Founded in 1992, the company has evolved into a global enterprise with spaces in Zurich, London, New York, Somerset and Los Angeles. It represents over 50 established and emerging artist, including Phyllida Barlow, Martin Creed, Subodh Gupta, Roni Horn, Paul McCarthy and Pipilotti Rist, and is responsible for significant artist estates and foundations including the Estate of Philip Guston, the Louise Bourgeois Studio, the Eva Hesse Estate, the Estate of David Smith and Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts.
Press Contacts: Wells Cathedral The Passion of Joan of Arc was originally Amelia Redgrift Cathedral Green, Wells, commissioned by the Colston Hall and supported by The Watershed, Bristol [email protected] Somerset BA5 2UE +44 207 255 8247 www.wellscathedral.org.uk Images:
Left: Olivia Cerio Hauser & Wirth Somerset Carl Theodor Dreyer, Joan of Arc (film still), 1928 [email protected] Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane Right: +44 207 183 3577 Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NL Wells Cathedral, Wells, Somerset www.hauserwirthsomerset.com