Friday 20 – Sunday 22 November 2020 hcmf.co.uk #hcmf2020 WELCOME 2 Welcome to the 43rd Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival! © Robbie van Zoggel © Robbie van While this is not the programme we had intended to present, it is hcmf// and British music to the rest of the world, this year through a series nevertheless one that we are very proud and excited to bring to you. We of events – Unbound Listening – which gets underway as part of the festival are grateful to all the participating artists for their creativity, and for the programme here, and continues into 2021. And to SPARC, City University enthusiasm and energy they have brought to working with the platforms London, and CeReNeM, University of Huddersfield, for partnering with us in available to them. the Artist to Artist conversations which will continue beyond the festival to form an ongoing archive. In devising an online programme for hcmf// 2020, we wanted to produce events that not only used the digital space, but that were designed I should also give thanks to our numerous international partners who have specifically for it, and would respond to it, building for that world, rather committed to renewing conversations regarding support for future festival than just existing adjacent to it. editions, just as soon as it is possible to do so. And it’s turned out to be bigger and busier than we initially imagined, with Our thanks also go to DCMS for their support through the Culture Recovery full days of music to be experienced as if you were moving around the Fund, administered by Arts Council England.. venues and hopping from genre to genre. I can’t pretend that we will not miss the buzz of welcoming old and new As we embrace the use of new technologies and online platforms, we are friends to Huddersfield, the anticipation of a packed St Paul’s Hall or Bates equally mindful that there is a long-standing and well tested means of Mill waiting for the premiere performance of a newly commissioned work – disseminating sound and music to listeners not able to be present in the but I am comforted by the thought of savouring such moments afresh as we physical space – and that is radio! Thanks to our enduring partnership with emerge, as we will, from the current situation. BBC Radio 3, we are excited to present three live concerts for broadcast, across the festival weekend, on special editions of The New Music Show, For the moment however, let’s focus on the positives and I say to those of dedicated to hcmf//. Two of those concerts, we are pleased to announce, you who for whatever reason have never made it to hcmf// before – we are will come to you from St Paul's Hall on the University of Huddersfield thrilled that you can finally join us! campus, undoubtedly long the spiritual home to the festival. Enjoy! Details of all of the above can be found as you read on. Throughout 2020, hcmf// has been particularly mindful of all the freelance composers and artists whose world suddenly paused back in March, and has not yet restarted or returned to anywhere approaching previous levels of activity. We have tried therefore to utilise whatever resources are available us to support the sector, by commissioning new works – from Graham McKenzie large-scale to miniature – from established composers to new voices – and Artistic Director & Chief Executive to provide an ongoing platform for the presentation of new music. To date this year hcmf// has awarded over 30 commissions, some of which can be experienced as part of this festival edition, with others following in 2021 and beyond. My thanks go to our core partners and funders for their continued support in these most challenging of times – Arts Council England, Kirklees Council, and the University of Huddersfield. To the British Council who continue to support our international and overseas activities, connecting FESTIVAL DIARY 3 UK UK PREMIERE W WORLD PREMIERE Date Event Time Venue All Weekend Matthew Grouse W Anytime Online Heloise Tunstall-Behrens W Anytime Online Auclair W Anytime Online Tonia Ko W Anytime Online Anna Appleby W Anytime Online Hannah Kendall W Anytime Online Fri 20 Nov Artist to Artist// In Conversation: 5.30pm Online Annea Lockwood + Auclair Thin Air 7.30pm Online Sarah Cahill UK 7.45pm Online Space Afrika + Tibyan Mahawah Sanoh W 9pm Online Kelly Jayne Jones W 9.30pm Online Explore Ensemble W 10pm BBC Radio 3 New Music Show Sat 21 Nov Music At Play: Session 1 10am Online Podcast: The Riot Ensemble 1pm Online Speak Percussion + Lamine Sonko UK 3pm Online Artist to Artist// In Conversation: 5.30pm Online George E. Lewis + Mariam Rezaei Anna Koch + Claudia Molitor W 7.30pm Online Matt Wright W 9pm Online Heather Roche + Eva Zöllner W UK / 10pm BBC Radio 3 New Music Show GBSR Duo W Sun 22 Nov Music At Play: Session 2 10.30am Online Darragh Morgan W UK 1pm Online Hayley Suviste W 3pm Online Artist to Artist// In Conversation: 5.30pm Online Cassandra Miller + Clara Iannotta Raymond MacDonald + Rachel Joy Weiss W 7.30pm Online Podcast: Ziad Nawfal 8.30pm Online Dillon @ 70 W 10pm BBC Radio 3 New Music Show FESTIVAL SUPPORT 4 hcmf// would like to thank the following Members Funders for their support: Benefactors Roz Brown & Colin Rose Dr Peter Bamfield Mr & Mrs Mervyn & Karen Dawe Professor Mick Peake OBE Project Funders Mr Martin Staniforth Professor Emeritus Richard Steintiz Allan & Mo Tennant Patrons Martin Archer Mrs Shirley Bostock Sir Alan Bowness Mr Alex Bozman Susan Burdell Dr E Anna Claydon Mr C W Dryburgh Dr Colin G Johnson Ms Rosemary Johnson Joe Kerrigan & Christine Stead Graham Hayter & Kevin Leeman Mr John Moffat Laurence Rose Trusts and Foundations Dr M R Spiers Terrence Thorpe Peter John Viggers Barnaby & Maria Woodham Friends Mr Derrick Archer Miss Mary Black In partnership with Media Partner Broadcast Partner John Bryan Mr Richard Chalmers Marie Charnley Ms Rona Courtney Mrs Mavis Green Dr John Habron Andy Hamilton Festival Partners David Hanson Mr Bryn Harrison Mr David A Lingwood Dr Anthony Littlewood Nikki & James McGavin Mr Nicholas Meredith Mr Graham Moon Mr Philip Bradley & Ms Geraldine Kelly Dr Roger M W Musson Miss Harriet Richardson James Saunders Judith Serota OBE Mr & Mrs David & Phillida Shipp Mr & Mrs Vic & Alison Slade Colin Stoneman Gregory & Norma Summers Mr Gordon Sykes John Truss The Festival also gratefully acknowledges support from Rob Vincent hcmf// members James Weeks Professor Mick Peake OBE Cover image: Jamie Hudson FESTIVAL SUPPORT 5 Arts Council England foremost contemporary music festival as the high point in the cultural year of the University and the region, against all odds. I’m looking forward to this year's edition of hcmf//, which will be in a very different format than in other years. I’m sure that hcmf//'s loyal and Professor Thomas Schmidt growing audience of contemporary new music fans will miss attending the Dean of the School of Music, Humanities and Media, University of festival in its physical form, but this year's alternative programme will still Huddersfield provide a wide range of performances, films, podcasts and talks which will be enjoyed by many people far and wide. British Council The festival has responded creatively to the challenges of the current I’ve just looked again at the programme for this year’s Huddersfield circumstances, while taking the opportunity to share some new audio- Contemporary Music Festival, and am delighted to report that I feel visual works, live broadcasts and a range of premieres which will interest exactly the same sense of excitement and anticipation that I normally do and delight its audience. For those based in Huddersfield, the new sound at this time of year, in spite of our changed circumstances. What makes it and audio-visual installations will offer a more interactive experience for a particularly exciting is the festival’s and the artists’ creative response to very lucky, but limited, and socially-distanced audience. our new digital reality which sits alongside a rich offer of films, talks, and streamed and live-streamed performances (thank you, again, BBC Radio 3, I commend the team at hcmf// for its ingenuity and inspiring artistic for all you are doing during this our period of Covid-restricted freedom). programme during these difficult times, and look forward to joining in digitally this November. With best wishes for a successful hcmf// 2020. Once again, the British Council and hcmf// are working in partnership to bring together UK and international voices in a creative act of sharing Claire Mera-Nelson experiences, collective thinking, and of looking for new ways for cross- Director, Music, Arts Council England border artist-to-artist collaboration. This will start during the festival, and continue through two further initiatives, next February and March, giving Kirklees Council this year’s partnership a new and welcome longevity. In many ways, our inability to travel physically has unleashed new possibilities for much wider These are strange and difficult times, and music in Kirklees like many global participation. I’m moved that we will be joined by colleagues and places has been impacted by Covid-19 and the restrictions put in place to artists from countries facing massive challenges quite apart from those protect the health and well-being of our residents, communities and to ease caused by Covid 19, and also by many alumni of the British Council/hcmf// pressures on the NHS and other public services. partnership from all around the world. There’s nothing left to do but hook up the computer to the speakers, settle back and enjoy, be stimulated, be It has been a time of challenge and of innovation, of lockdowns and of challenged – and share, nourish the soul, and help to build towards a better reaching new audiences through new ways of presenting works.