Organ Reframed launches brand new record label with a live performance from Frédéric Blondy of their first release by one of the most innovative and influential living composers of all time Éliane Radigue.
On Tuesday 8th March 2022 Frédéric Blondy will perform live on Union Chapel’s world famous 1877 Henry Willis organ 'Occam XXV’ by Éliane Radigue. The work inaugurates the very special record series of works exclusively commissioned by Organ Reframed, the organ-only, one of a kind experimental music festival, carefully curated by Scottish composer/performer and Union Chapel organ music director Claire M Singer.
The bar will be open to celebrate after the performance.
The idea of Organ Reframed dates back to 2006 when I was commissioned to write my first organ piece. At the time I was mostly composing in the studio and was struck by the vast breadth of the instrument and how capable it was of creating timbres that were similar to what I was working with electronically. The lush acoustic quality of the sound resonating in the space was incredible and the sonic possibilities seemed endless. — Claire M Singer
Paris-born Éliane Radigue is one of the most innovative and influential living composers of all time. After working under Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry in the late 1950’s/early 60’s she predominantly worked with tape before developing a deep relationship with ARP 2500 modular synthesis in the early 1970’s. Through endless exploration and drawing on her personal journey as a practicing Buddhist she created an entirely new landscape of experimental sound. In the early 2000’s she made an extraordinary shift into writing predominantly for acoustic instruments. ‘Occam XXV’ is the latest chapter of Radigue’s broader series of works Occam Ocean which she has been composing in the last decade. Carefully selected by Radigue she has closely collaborated with various extremely experienced yet sensitive instrumentalists. For Occam XXV Radigue collaborated with pianist, organist, composer, improviser, artistic director of the Orchestra of New Musical Creation, Experimentation and Improvisation (ONCEIM) Frédéric Blondy, which is their second collaboration in the Occam Ocean series. ‘Occam XXV’ premiered in 2018 at Organ Reframed, and was later recorded privately at Union Chapel in 2020.
We live in a universe filled with waves. Not only between the Earth and the Sun but all the way down to the tiniest microwaves and inside it is the minuscule band that lies between the 60 Hz and the 12,000 to 15,000 Hz that our ears turn into sound. There are many wavelengths in the ocean too and we also come into contact with it physically, mentally and spiritually. That explains the title of this body of work which is called Occam Ocean. — Éliane Radigue
Since its conception in 2016, Organ Reframed has been commissioning serious acts like Low, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Philip Jeck, Phill Niblock, Mark Fell, Mira Calix, Darkstar, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Sarah Davachi, hailing from London’s Union Chapel, ending up also in Amsterdam and Moscow. Organ Reframed will be back this year on September 16–18 with Abul Mogard, Ipek Gorgun, Anna von Hausswolff, Claire M Singer and Cabaret Voltaire’s Chris Watson.
Union Chapel’s 1877 organ built by master organ builder Father Henry Willis is known to be one of the finest in the world. It is one of very few organs left in UK with fully working hydraulics (water powered) which can be used as an alternative to the electric blowing system. The organ is completely hidden from the listeners, allowing them to focus solely on the music.
In 2006 when I was commissioned to write my first organ work I felt so fortunate to have had the time to experiment and explore the instrument and realised perhaps the reason there wasn’t a huge amount of experimental works being written for organ was because they are mainly housed in churches and concert halls so you really need to know someone with a key. From that point on I started composing almost exclusively for organ and since launching Organ Reframed in 2016 I am now able to give fellow artists the opportunity to explore what an incredible instrument it is.
— Claire M Singer
Occam XXV is currently available for pre order and will be out on 4 March 2022. There will be CDs available to purchase at the launch.
Union Chapel Covid 19 precautions:
We highly recommend that all venue visitors take a lateral flow test before entering the building. We encourage visitors to wear a face covering throughout their time at Union Chapel.