Poetry Meets Music: Counterpoint

This exploration of the space between poetry and music, marshalled by the Red Room Company and Musica Viva,  has been kept as free and open-ended as possible, with just one boundary: it must result in a public showing and a printed publication.

We have taken a fresh look at ways in which music can reflect upon, respond to and benefit from, poetic collaboration. In chamber music, musicians take responsibility for their own contribution while responding intimately and immediately to those around them. Here the paradigm is transformed into a tableau of live and recorded music, and live and recorded words. Composers are architects of sound, so it was Melody Eötvös’ task to draw together the work of the individual poets and create a synthesis through the performance of master percussionist, Claire Edwardes.

Although composers are popularly considered to work alone in ivory towers, composition is more commonly a collaborative process. Performers and composers take ideas and inspiration from each other, as well as the occasional very practical pieces of advice. Claire Edwardes’ impressive performance flair, combined with her remarkable preparedness to step into the unknown, was a vital part of this exercise. Counterpoint was a leap of faith for all the artists, and I thank them for their courage and willingness to look beyond the natural fences of their own artform to see what strange invention might lie on the other side, waiting to be discovered.

Carl Vine AO
Artistic Director

Poetry Meets Music: Counterpoint, Sunday November 2 at 2pm, Giant Dwarf Theatre (199 Cleveland Street, Redfern, 2016). For more information on Counterpoint, and to book your tickets, please visit; www.musicaviva.com.au/counterpoint