Performing new music is a big part of what Mr McFall's Chamber does - and we think we're rather good at it! Getting to the heart of what the music means - seeing beyond the part on the stand, to truly understand the composers intention, is the key. My day started playing the bass guitar, but it quickly became apparent that the double bass was the right choice. Because all the instruments (electric 'Starfish' instruments for Robert, Brian and Su-a, a double bass with a pick-up for me) were being 'captured' by on-board mikes, we could talk to one another while creating recordings - a 'first', and it meant that we could partially open a glass door for air, and the bird-song and wind noise were not captured.
A large part of the purpose of this week is to give composers and their technical 'support' time to experiment with different technical approaches to achieve the desired result. This of course means long periods of feverish activity on 'planet tech' while the players wait, and rest, until required. I'm now interested to hear what the 'finished product' sounds like after the session is mixed and produced! Using seventeenth century technology (McFalls) in conjunction with 21st century digital technology opens a door to a vast world of creativity where both technologies are vital and complement one another. McFalls initiatives tend to lead on to further activity based on our experiences and the new tools we have acquired, so I imagine that this week will be the start of a new strand of music-making for us, and that is exciting.
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