Violin
Southbank Sinfonia’s #ConcertLab series explores innovative new approaches to the presentation of orchestral music. Whilst we still share music in many ‘traditional’ concerts over each season, #ConcertLab provides opportunities for experimentation and collaboration across genres and media, along with chances to re-think how we use performance spaces to engage with audiences. So far this year, we have undertaken two #ConcertLab projects: in The Collectors, we enlisted the support of world-renowned English folk musicians Sam Sweeney and Rob Habron to prepare a programme of folk-inspired orchestral music and original folk arrangements for mixed chamber ensembles; in The Night Sky, St John’s Smith Square was turned into a planetarium, with audience members dispersed amongst the orchestra as they gazed at ceiling projections during a programme of music inspired by the cosmos. Both were very challenging and rewarding artistic experiences for the members of the orchestra. The Collectors pushed many of us – myself definitely included! – out of our comfort zones, providing an opportunity to dive head-first into unfamiliar styles of rehearsing and performing. However, we ended up with a set of varied original arrangements that we were excited to present, and we definitely widened our creative toolkits as musicians along the way. In The Night Sky, we had to work with timed audiovisual material and perform at much greater distances from each other to normal, but this all contributed to a uniquely immersive experience for the audience (and players!) that I particularly enjoyed. We continue in that spirit of immersive music-making with House of Music, which will see St John’s Smith Square transformed into an enormous salon for a diverse and century-hopping programme of chamber music.
So how will we bring the spirit of these musical gatherings to St John’s Smith Square in the present day? With light fixtures and comfortable furniture dotted around the concert hall, members of the audience will be invited to move through the space to hear a variety of bitesize chamber performances by members of the orchestra, traversing centuries of musical styles. You can expect an intimate party with a live, multi-era playlist (including music by Schubert!), each ‘track’ being introduced by players who will tell you what they love about it. Whilst Schubert and his friends certainly wouldn’t recognise all of the music we will have on show, we know that they would recognise the joy of sharing music with friends in this kind of open and informal way.
I’m really excited to take part in this project, as I most enjoy performances that feel as though they are genuinely about sharing and storytelling. At Southbank Sinfonia, we always introduce the music we perform and seek to give a bit of insight into its background and why we think it is special. However, here we will really be foregrounding this aspect, bridging any gaps that might otherwise exist between audience and performers, as well as between styles of chamber music. Whether you are a seasoned concert-goer or a complete newcomer, we think there will be something unfamiliar, memorable and hopefully moving for everyone. We look forward to seeing you there!