Programme Note:

A conversation between two individuals on completely different wavelengths.

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Performed by Open Union
Modular Synth: Peter Bell
Electric Guitar: Patrick Ellis

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Bio:

May Chi is a Hong Kong-born songwriter, composer and visual artist based in the East Midlands. Her compositional works delves into aspects of her personal life as well as her intrinsic connection with nature and saudade to create a cathartic musical experience. Influenced by electroacoustic and ambient music production techniques, she is interested in the exploration of the limitations of instruments and small ensembles to create and mould various sounds, timbres and ambiences. Her works have been performed by ensembles including Quatuor Bozzini, Fidelio Trio, Thallein Ensemble and Tresonant. She was also the commissioned composer for Pilot Theatre’s ‘Monoliths’ VR (2022), which has been selected for festivals including BFI London Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival and Re:Publica Berlin.

More info on May here: www.may-chi.com

May Chi - this is what it feels like talking to you (2022) - Live at Centrala, Birmingham

Completely created with VSTs and a sax on top :-) ... enjoy !

With the Tides

Soundscape derived from Adam James’ larp ‘Chorus of Things’ for local choral groups in Berwick Upon Tweed as part of Gareth Hudson, Toby Thirling and Eleanor Cully Boehringers ‘Litany for the Borders’, commissioned by Berwick Shines. Sound assembled by Eleanor Cully Boehringer, 2025.

Chorus of Things

I spent a lot of time in the American Southwest.   It is beautiful.   It is arid.   It is majestic.   It is humbling.  The quiet there brings you inside - and it makes me wonder.

Benson

Played by Del Sol Quartet. Recorded by Stephen Bingen. Collaboration with Mei Blundell, Linda Bair, and Linda Bair Dance Company. 

...all dripping in tangles green...

Boring Music (I)
String Octet

Matthew Lee Knowles
June-July 2025

FULL SCORE VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpP8hqivmgE

Boring Music

a cosmic party political broadcast on behalf of the Voice party

A podcast about Silent Architects ( https://silentarchitects.art ) - a multimedia work by Dave Maric (film, music, photography, video loops, audio loops, sculpture) - created for Sound Festival 2025 at the Barn, Banchory - gallery and performance space, October 2025.
Featuring GBSR Duo, Duncan Pepper and Bamff Wildland.

Silent Architects Podcast

First performance -- 1 November 2025

Ekmeles + Mivos Quartet. DiMenna Center for Classical Music, New York, NY

O Maria (2024-25) for six voices and string quartet

Saxophone quartet (composed in 2025)

Performed and recorded at:
Jugend komponiert Brandenburg, 25.10.2025
30. Landeswettbewerb & Kompositionswerkstatt 
Preisträgerkonzert im Schlosstheater Rheinsberg

Performers: 
Aduma Quartett
Irina Yudaeva - Soprano saxophone
Christian Schilf - Alto saxophone 
Yunxi Cheng - Tenor saxophone
Kathrin von Kieseritzky - Baritone saxophone

Dietrich Petzold (Tonus Arcus) - Mixing and mastering

A project of Landesmusikrates Brandenburg e.V.
Funded by the Ministry of Science, Research, and Culture of the State of Brandenburg.

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recipient of 1st prize of 30. Landeswettbewerb & Kompositionswerkstatt Jugend komponiert Brandenburg

Deformed Fractals

Open Union is an experimental music duo made up of composer-performers Peter Bell (modular synthesiser) and Patrick Ellis (electric guitar) based in Birmingham and London.

Described by the treasured composer Howard Skempton as being, ‘sometimes subtle and unstable; sometimes rich and dense’, the duo aims to build up strong collaborative relationships to create new works. Their current collaborators are Christine Cornwell, Wilson Leywantono, May Chi, Paolo Griffin and Seán Clancy.

The duo have performed across the UK at events such as Ealing Extranormal, AMOK, Don’t Mind Control,  Birmingham Modular Organisation and CODA Festival. In 2023, they undertook a mini tour of The Netherlands as part of the Sounding Here concert series, where they performed at Splendor in Amsterdam and Batavierhuis in Rotterdam.

In 2025, they co-hosted a portrait concert with saxophonist David Zucchi featuring music by Paolo Griffin at the Hundred Years Gallery, and earlier that year, they supported Passepartout Duo at Centrala Space, Birmingham as part of their UK Tour.