'Tell me again' is a work for piano, handbells and video that asks a simple question over and over again. Each time the music moves towards some kind of answer, the narrative gets side-tracked and we arrive back at the opening question. Eight hand bells sit above the piano, each corresponding to a different voice, from Eckhart Tolle and Thich Nhat Hanh to Youtubers and Metaverse engineers. Like switches, the bells trigger the voices to appear in seemingly random sequences, like switching channels on a TV. Throughout the piece, the performer becomes a kind of manic, multitasking machine, and it’s up to them whether they can pull themselves away from the noise to find a moment of stillness.

Commissioned by UK New Artists and premiered at Leicester City Takeover Festival in February 2022.

Video: https://youtu.be/MZDdOMxt6AE?si=f3-lPI9thSLYn9iV

Tell me again

nobuto