Half a Blue Pig is the second in a series of pieces depicting culturally significant Mancunian landmarks.
In 1880, a town on the outskirts of Manchester was demolished to make way for the construction of a large reservoir. The people were displaced and rebuilt their town next to this new body of water.
In 1990, part of this reservoir was demolished in order to build a motorway. During this process builders found amongst the rubble a stone pig, broken in half. A surviving artefact from the demolished town. 
They decided to cement it to a wall as a funny joke. 
A local named Allan "Brad" Bradbury with an unrivalled sense of humour painted this new monument blue, mirroring the name of the pub on the opposite side of the road, "Ye Olde Blue Pig".
This bizarre, easily overlooked monument is a story of change, displacement, discovery, humour, and loss.

First performed on 10th March by the Trinity Laban Shapeshifter Ensemble at Blackheath Halls.

Conductor: Jamie Philips
Soloist: Marika Tsuchiya

Half a Blue Pig

Antiphony - Recording 2

a little improv based on Arthur's Fuzzbuster #10 from Picture of Bunny Rabbit, which came out on 23rd ! new Arthur ! listen to the original !

Arthur Russell Fuzzbuster #10 improv

THE ILLUSION OF WITCHCRAFT

This soundscape delves into the dark history of witchcraft on the island of Jersey, creating an unsettling atmosphere that depicts the horrific trials and torture faced by the convicted witches. Manipulating sounds from the original sculpture of the same name, designed by Mike Woods in 2006; the soundscape portrays the unsettling journey of these accused individuals, evoking emotions of fear, injustice and mystery.

"...it is therefore strictly forbidden to all the inhabitants of this island to receive any counsel or assistance in their adversities from any witches or diviners, or anyone suspected of practising sorcery, under pain of one month's imprisonment in the castle on bread and water..."
"...i cannot say there are no witches, but since the difficulty of convicting them has been recognised in the Island, they all seem to have disappeared, as though the evidence of time gone by had been but an illusion..."

THE ILLUSION OF WITCHCRAFT

Performance on 9 June 2022 at Blackheath Halls as part of RECONSTRUCT, Nneka Cummins' final performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Performed by Alex Lyon (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet), Ashley Brand (tenor saxophone), Rebecca Burden (Cello), Marika Tsuchiya (Percussion). Clarinet Sampled from a performance of the piece 'Melody Please' composed by Nneka Cummins and performed by Alex Lyon.

Chip Away (June 2022)

Performance on 9 June 2022 at Blackheath Halls as part of RECONSTRUCT, Nneka Cummins' final performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Performed by Ashley Brand (Clarinet in Bb) and Alex Lyon (Bass Clarinet). Clarinet Sampled from a performance of the piece 'Melody Please' composed by Nneka Cummins and performed by Alex Lyon.

Everyone's a Catfish (June 2022)

Somnic Phantasmagoria - A Waltz for String Orchestra (2022) for string orchestra.

Performed live by Trinity Laban String Ensemble on Oct 14th 2022, in the Great Hall of Blackheath Halls, London.
Conducted by Nic Pendlebury.

A Waltz for String Orchestra, "Somnic Phantasmagoria" (2022) | live at Blackheath Halls, London '22

04 La Sonn'nie D'clioches (The Sound of the Bells) by Emily de Gruchy

Imagine if you could hear the same sounds that your ancestors from a thousand years ago heard. How would you feel? Would you feel the fear of persecution? Would you run and claim sanctuary? Would you think of devils and witches, or liberation and triumph? This work provides an opportunity to reflect on your ancestor's sonic memories, whether sacred or secular - whichever side of history they chose to take.

Emily de Gruchy has a keen interest in how Jersey's religious outlook changed depending on which geopolitical events were occurring either between England and France, or in each respective country. There were many people over hundreds of years that flocked to the Island to practise their faith free from the risk of persecution, and in tandem brought with them their musical heritage. Jersey's sacred music history is a fascinating amalgamation of political, societal and religious perspectives still engrained in the Island's culture today.

Emily's work was presented in the form of a sound installation, using a mix of field recordings she made during 2023 of church bells around Jersey and open-source sound material/ The installation takes the listener on a chronological journey through different forms of sacred and secular bellringing practices from the Island. Over the space of an hour, visitors could follow an audio timeline from the beginning of the 11th century through to the end of the 20th century, mixed with ecclesiastical soundscapes and sonic reimaginings of traditional Island folkloric tales and traditions.

“This unique and ambitious installation functions as a teleportation device through which to explore the entanglement of historical and cultural processes within the archive. At the hands of this work, we travel back and through time at the speed of ecclesiastical tonality.” - Daniel Heaven, on La Sonn’nie D’Clioches

Mixed and Mastered by Matt Norriss

La Sonn'nie D'Clioches — a sound installation

If you are interested in working with Emily, please email degruchycomposer@gmail.com 🧩💭

Emily has worked with several ensembles & soloists, including the performer-composer Sam Pugh, Terra Invisus, the Carducci Quartet, Sandbox Percussion, the Riot Ensemble, the Hermes Experiment, Transitions Dance Company, the Manchester Contemporary Youth Opera, the Royal Holloway New Music Collective, and the National Centre for Early Music. She has also been commissioned by several cultural organisations, including Jersey Heritage, ArtHouse Jersey and Art for Guernsey.

Born and raised in Jersey, Channel Islands, traditional Jèrriais culture often influences her compositions, providing a unique amalgamation of French and British sonorities. In recent years, her career has moved towards sonic art and soundscapes, which has led her to collaborate with and compose for cultural heritage and charity organisations - something that she enjoys deeply, and has aimed to bring her prior experiences from working with many professional ensembles back home to Jersey.

La Sonn'nie D'Clioches — a sound installation

Emily de Gruchy

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