Modern movements and ancient instruments feature in the
Fringe today.
Footnote Forte has landed in town with its latest production,
We Have Been There (Cloud In Hand) at Allen Hall.
''It's a full-length exploration of space and
relationships,'' Footnote founder Deirdre Tarrant told me
yesterday.
''It's a very provocative piece. Dance is in everyone and you
find a way to get it out. Shut your life out for an hour and
come on a trip.''
Tarrant's son is Bret McKenzie, who won an Oscar last year
for his original song Man or Muppet in The
Muppets movie and is the short half of Flight of the
Conchords. A disused Jetty St building becomes a theatre
for three nights from tonight. Break In is set in a
time where independent theatre is illegal and performed
underground.
''It's about a group of ageing theatre mercenaries in their
40s and 50s living together under one roof. They're all from
different art backgrounds and it's a satire about putting on
a show,'' director Karin Reid said.
''It's real living-room theatre. We've only got about 30
seats a night and the play will be happening around the feet
of the audience.''
I'm looking forward to Aames Quince's medieval music
performance Cantigas, in the Pioneer Women's Hall tonight.
''It is pretty much a solo music concert of songs from 13th
century Europe, with me playing mostly woodwind instruments
and hurdy-gurdy; instruments similar to those played when the
songs were written,'' Quince told me.
''It is an outcome of many years of dissatisfaction with
modern mainstream western music. That led me to listen to
other ethnic music cultures from around the world, as played
on instruments from those cultures.''
Quince will sing in a language related to Galician and
Portuguese, which is no longer a living language.
''The appeal is the different sound quality and style that is
absent from much modern music. It is not music that many
people are familiar with. Not only is the music unfamiliar to
many people, the instruments I will be using are, as well.''
Instruments featuring in the performance include the tabor
pipes, tambourin de bearn (string drum), double pipes and
hurdy-gurdy, which were all crafted by Hungarian carver and
instrument-maker Yuri Terenyi, at Long Beach.
''Music of the 13th century and for much of the 14th century
is based on modes unlike much western music from the 15th
century which is mostly based on harmonics, which means it
tends to use either a major and minor scale or a combination
of both these,'' she said.
''But major and minor scales are only two of the seven modes
that are used in early medieval music.''
Sounds interesting.
nigel.benson@odt.co.nz
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