The world’s first brass band dance work is among a series of original commissions which will form the cornerstone of Britain’s national dance company productions in 2015.
Crossover
It has been announced that Rambert Ballet Company will be joined in the week long production at its Sadler’s Wells home in London by Tredegar Band, in what has been described as ‘a historic crossover of artistic genres’.
It is the first time that a professional dance company and a brass band have collaborated in this way.
Dark Arteries
The work’s title, ‘Dark Arteries’, is a metaphor for Britain’s coal mines taken from a poem by Mervyn Peake.
30 years after the Miners’ Strike, and one week after the 2015 General Election, ‘Dark Arteries’ will celebrate the power of the music to sustain communities through times of social and political upheaval.
‘Dark Arteries’ is to be composed by Gavin Higgins, who wrote ‘Velocity’, the opening work for this year’s ‘Last Night of the Proms’ at the Royal Albert Hall, and will be choreographed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Mark Baldwin.
Higgins
For Higgins, who has written a number of critically acclaimed compositions for the brass band medium in the past, it is a work that has deep personal connotations:
He told 4BR: “Politicians have been asking recently if brass bands are valued in the arts. I truly believe that band music is relevant to today and it is utterly unique to Britain.
The only thing we have left from our mining heritage is the plethora of incredible brass bands throughout the country such as Tredegar — and this is something to be extremely proud of."
Significance
The significance of the artistic partnership is further enhanced by Rambert’s increasingly successful profile, which is supported by a new three-year cycle of funding from Arts Council England.
New works in 2015 include commissions with world renowned dance artists such as Kim Brandstrup, Didy Veldman and Alexander Whitley, building on the critical as well as the popular acclaim of its 2014 programme which saw sell out tours for productions such as its groundbreaking ‘Rooster’ — based on the music of the Rolling Stones.
Historic crossover
Rambert’s Artistic Director Mark Baldwin, Music Director Paul Hoskins and composer Gavin Higgins recently enjoyed listening to performances at the National Championship at the Royal Albert Hall, with Mark telling 4BR that he is delighted that Rambert has finally been able to collaborate with the brass band medium.
“From Plymouth to London to Glasgow, Rambert’s new works next year should give our audiences a real treat.
Sadler’s Wells won’t have heard anything like Tredegar Band before. It is a historic crossover of artistic genres — the big music and big dancing is going to raise the roof!
Tredegar has such an innovative, progressive musical outlook that they were the perfect band to work with on this ground breaking project."
Sadler’s Wells won’t have heard anything like Tredegar Band before. It is a historic crossover of artistic genres – the big music and big dancing is going to raise the roof!Rambert Artistic Director Mark Baldwin
Crucial opportunity
Tredegar Musical Director Ian Porthouse also believes that the collaboration provides a crucial opportunity to connect brass banding with a new audience.
“It is a great honour to be asked to work alongside such a world class artistic organisation — and one we are thoroughly looking forward to.
The band has worked closely with Gavin before and we are great fans of his music, whilst coming from a strong mining community we identify very closely with the inspiration behind ‘Dark Arteries’ and the power music has to sustain communities through difficult times.
This is a landmark collaboration which I hope will connect brass band music to a new audience.”
Image
Given with permission
Hannah Rudd & Pierre Tappon
The Strange Charm of Mother Nature © Hugo Glendinning
