Unstrung
Instrumentation:
Percussion quartet / 2 percussionists and 2 dancers
2 sets of 5 recycled metal tubes, suspended chime installation
Duration: 9’
World Premiere: April 6 2024 by WHACKollective at ‘islands’ for the Shepparton Festival
Program notes:
Is it possible to play instruments without ever touching them?
Percussion performance is a highly visual art form, usually requiring eye-catching and intriguing physical movement in order to play the instruments. Unstrung flips the script by placing physical gesture as the primary focus of this piece, with the resulting musical sounds becoming seemingly incidental.
This concept is paired with a puppet and puppeteer dynamic, extending the idea of vicarious instrument playing. Who is really controlling the playing of the chimes? Who is the performer, and who is the musical implement?