London Sinfonietta with Beat Furrer and Naomi Pinnock

London Sinfonietta with Beat Furrer and Naomi Pinnock

On Tuesday 18 January 2011 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London Sinfonietta presents the world premiere of Naomi Pinnock’s Words as part of the ensemble’s first concert of 2011, In Portrait: Beat Furrer.

Furrer mentored Pinnock on the London Sinfonietta’s Blue Touch Paper scheme for emerging composers, and Words is the resulting piece – an enigmatic score for ensemble and baritone, with cimbalom and harp echoing each other amid a buzz of strings. Like Furrer’s Nuun (also performed at the concert), there is a shadowlike feel to the music. It’s a spare but intensely crafted piece, and Pinnock has clearly been inspired by the older composer’s striking use of voice and text, and is influenced by a similar range of non-musical artforms, from fine art to poetry.

Beat Furrer

On a cold day in November 2010, Naomi met with the London Sinfonietta musicians to further develop a piece which had its roots in the idea of memory, poetry and language. With clear ideas about the sounds she wanted to create, this was not a rehearsal. Instead, Naomi worked with the players to experiment, toying with different playing techniques and stretching the instruments (and the musicians!) to create new sounds and effects. The ensemble filmed the workshop – a piece of music in the making – and the finished video is now available to view on the London Sinfonietta website.

London Sinfonietta with Beat Furrer and Naomi Pinnock at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on 18 January 2011. Get tickets here.