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Hear and Now: Cardew’s ‘The Great Learning’

with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Saturday 29 October 2011, 7.30pm

Old Fruitmarket, Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NQ

Scelsi Ohoi for 16 strings (c.9')
Cage Solo for sliding trombone (c.8')

Howard Skempton Lento (c.16')
Cardew Paragraph 3 from ‘The Great Learning' (c.45')*

Glasgow Chamber Choir*
Amateur Musicians*
Simon Johnson trombone
Martyn Brabbins conductor

John Cage has long been at the forefront of contemporary music, and his Solo for Sliding Trombone is a virtuoso vehicle for the orchestra's principal trombonist, Simon Johnson. Cage's brand of iridescent harmony sits alongside the percussive rhythms of Giacinto Scelsi, often referred to as ‘the Charles Ives of Italy', and works by two of the best known exponents of British experimental music, Howard Skempton and the late Cornelius Cardew.

The second half of the concert presents an excerpt from Cardew's most influential experimental work, The Great Learning, based upon the teachings of Confucius. Cardew dedicated the work to the ‘Scratch Orchestra', a London-based ensemble he founded with Howard Skempton, and whose members included professional musicians and people with no previous experience of the arts. In this performance, the BBC SSO evokes the have-a-go spirit of the Scratch Orchestra by inviting a number of amateur musicians to take part, as well as the singers from the Glasgow Chamber Choir.

The works in this concert will be recorded for broadcast in BBC Radio 3's programme Hear and Now, at 10.30pm on 29 October (please check 'Radio Times' to confirm details). The concert will be presented on stage by Martyn Brabbins.

Tickets: Free (unreserved seating) limited to two tickets per application (children under age of 12 not admitted) (booking fee may apply)

How to get there
- By tube
  - The nearest subway station is St Enoch, which is approximately a ten-minute walk from the venues.
- By bus
  - Many local service buses pass close by City Halls and the Old Fruitmarket, either along Trongate or Glassford Street. Most are operated by First Bus.
- By train
  - Queen Street and Central Stations are a ten-minute walk from the venues. For information on rail travel within the UK, National Rail is the official source for all rail information, train times and timetables.
- By car
  - On the M8 motorway, take junction 15, turn left onto Castle Street following signs for the Royal Infirmary/East Kilbride/A730. Castle Street becomes High Street and at the fourth set of traffic lights, turn right onto Ingram Street. Candleriggs is the second street on the left.
- Disabled access
  - The Grand Hall at City Halls is accessible to those with mobility difficulties. A lift from the Candleriggs entrance gives access to all levels. The auditorium is equipped with an induction loop and an infra-red assisted hearing facility. Please notify the Box Office when booking.
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