Name: Our Fair Isle Sounds by CHROMA ensemble in Sound art, spoken word
Duration: 4 min 44 s
Description: Sounds of Fair Isle chosen, recorded and curated by the children of Fair Isle Primary School, under the guidance of Kerry Andrew - "Half-Island Half-Bird" project, Fair Isle August 2016

The track conjures up the beauty of the area.  One of these days, we hope to visit Fair Isle!

Sound art, spoken word

This theatrical chamber piece was written for 3 female voices, clarinet, trumpet, electric guitar, electric bass, vibraphone, electric piano, electric organ, and radio player. It was inspired by listening to lots of post-rock and a sound I heard a tube train make on the London Underground.

Its programme note is a poem:

It started late into the night, sitting on the Tube
caged in its hammer-glare 
the air filmy with sweat
drunks turning the seats to liquid.

Then the train curved on the rail.
It made a sound like light bending.

This piece should feel nothing like sitting on the Tube.
(KA)

This recording is from a live performance by The Chimera Ensemble.

late night radio (sleepmusic)

Performed by CHROMA at St Cyprian's, Glentworth Street, London on 24 April 2004

In The Mendips

The Bride's Journey was commissioned by Rusne Mataityte of the Kaskados Trio and received its first performance in the Vilnius Philharmonic on 12 May 2005.

The piece is part of an on-going series of pieces inspired by the folk music of Lithuania, much of it now only to be heard in early 20th century recordings.

The piece uses three traditional songs that tell of a bride's journey from first love (as siu nakti nemigau/I did not sleep this night), to the walk home from the church after the wedding (Anksta ryta keliau/I woke up early) and finally a week later, to her lamenting the loss of her mother and family home (Prapuoliau, motula/I am lost, mother).

The last section of the work uses the lively song Oi kai mes augom/O, when we were young and tells of the bride's memories of life before wedlock- 'oh when we three sisters were growing we were young and fair. When we became daughters-in-law, we had to wake early, go to bed late and forget the songs.'

The Bride's Journey was dedicated to my mother on her birthday in 2005.

The work was released on NMC D125, available from http://nmcrec.co.uk or on Amazon.


20 The Bride's Journey In Three Songs And A Memory  IV A Memory Of Days Before The Wedding

19 The Bride's Journey In Three Songs And A Memory  III Lamenting A Week After The Wedding

18 The Bride's Journey In Three Songs And A Memory  II The Song Sung Returning From The Wedding

A walk around the People's Park in the centre of Zhengzhou, which was full of activity on a Saturday afternoon.

Ping pong, traditional performers, karaoke, rollercoasters and lots of people dancing to some Chinese ska.

Kerry is a Musician in Residence in China with the British Council/PRS for Music Foundation. She is visiting the Henan region, mostly based in Zhengzhou, from February 25th-March 31st. She is making work based on the trickster fox in European and Chinese folklore.

Find out more at fox-pop.com

People's Park, Zhengzhou

'Inside Colour'
for solo violin
live recording by Daniel Pioro
Commissioned by the London Sinfonietta with funds provided by Lark Insurance

Inside Colour (live recording)

Graininess and Sheen was made while I was Composer in Residence at Handel House Museum in London (2010-12). I spent time recording interviews with the volunteers at the House, and recording myself playing the three keyboard instruments there as well as other sounds in the House. Every sound you hear comes from the House.

www.kerryandrew.net

Graininess and Sheen

Sounds of Fair Isle chosen, recorded and curated by the children of Fair Isle Primary School, under the guidance of Kerry Andrew - "Half-Island Half-Bird" project, Fair Isle August 2016

Our Fair Isle Sounds

Alula

for Violin & Drone

9'

Premièred by Daniel Pioro at St Andrew Holborn as part of SOLO.

More info at www.thisissolo.co.uk

Alula

2nd movement from trombone concerto, The Book of Miracles. Performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Helen Vollam, conducted by Alexander Vedernikov.

Book Of Miracles - 2nd movement, excerpt

Yerbury Primary School play their version of Composer in Residence 2010-12 Kerry Andrew's 'Screech', live at St. George's Church, Hanover Square, London on February 26th 2013.

The piece is part of a suite for recorder quintet Consortium 5 called 'badluck birds', and was commission by Handel House Museum. 'Screech' exists as a graphic score comprising 52 flexible fragments which can be played in any combination and order.

'Screech' is old regional British name for the mistle thrush. It was believe that these birds were bad luck because they sang lustily just before, and throughout, storms.

You can compose your very own video-composition version of 'Screech' at screech.handelhouse.org

handelhouse.org
consortium5.com
kerryandrew.net

Screech - Yerbury Primary School

Kerry Andrew is a composer, performer and author based in London. 
She specialises in vocal music and opera, choral music, folk, jazz, and community music. Choral and experimental work has been heard on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, 6Music and Classic FM and on national news channels. She won a British Composer Award in 2010 and two more for her chamber operas 'Woodwose' and 'Dart's Love' in 2014. She won her 4th for 'who we are' for the National Youth Choirs at the Royal Albert Hall. She was 2010-12's Handel House Composer in Residence. In 2017, she made her Proms debut with BBC Ten Pieces.

Her debut novel, Swansong, is out now: https://www.waterstones.com/book/swansong/kerry-andrew/9781911214229 and her second novel, SKIN, is published in February 2021.

Kerry performs as alt-folk artist You Are Wolf http://soundcloud.com/you-are-wolf; music can be heard and ordered here: https://youarewolf.bandcamp.com/

She performs with the award-winning vocal trio https://soundcloud.com/juicevocalensembleuk

She also performs with the jazz/classical/rock collective https://soundcloud.com/dollyman.

‘Stunning‘ Classic FM

‘Brilliant, Berio-like vocal effects…‘ The Times

www.kerryandrew.net

CHROMA is an acclaimed London-based chamber ensemble dedicated both to new music and to revisiting classic repertoire in fresh and exciting contexts; mentoring the next generation of composers, and involving audiences in compelling, inspirational experiences.

--- CHROMA MEMBERS ---
Artistic Director - Stuart King
Producer - Claire Shovelton
Violin - Marcus Barcham-Stevens, David Le Page
Violin/viola - Charlotte Bonneton
Viola  - David Aspin
Cello - Zoe Martlew
Double Bass - Elena Hull
Flute - Sarah O'Flynn
Oboe - Emma Feilding
Clarinet - Stuart King
Horn - Richard Bayliss
Trumpet - Heidi Bennett
Trombone - Ryan Hume
Tuba - Edd Leech
Piano - Roderick Chadwick, Martin Cousin
Percussion - Steve Gibson
Harp - Helen Sharp
Accordion - Ian Watson
Guitar - Stewart French

Our Fair Isle Sounds

CHROMA ensemble

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