Introduction

Waves of sound and washes of colour will immerse us this evening in two majestic orchestral works inspired by the sea. Meanwhile, the surrealism of a Dadaist film and its accompanying score promises a disorientating and topsy-turvy experience alongside my own work which is perhaps somewhere between those two worlds.

Both Debussy’s La Mer and Bridge’s The Sea conjure up awe-inspiring nautical visions as they portray those many characteristics of the ocean that have inspired artists for centuries: energy, power, beauty, danger, mystery, serenity. These two works embody the tension we associate with the sea; it attracts and beguiles us, and yet is deeply foreboding. Its vastness scares us, while revealing the safety and stability that the land provides.

René Clair’s film Entr’acte, with accompanying score by Erik Satie, gives us that ‘inside of a washing machine’ feeling that we associate with the sea; a work that is humorously unsettling yet poised.

My offering for tonight’s programme is of course inspired in a variety of ways by these great artists and I’m honoured and humbled to be featured alongside them. The orchestral shimmering and playful energy from both impressionist works has made its way into my music but there might be a drop of Dadaist potion in the saltwater!

My new siren suite portrays five magical siren-like characters (the soprano) as they each control and manipulate the sea (the orchestra) in strange and powerful ways. The five movements follow the different forces that these mystical beings can exert on the water: the ability to control the tides, to make the waves dance, to pacify the swells, to create and destroy life within the water and finally to make the sea sing.

Héloïse Werner
Soprano, composer of siren suite

Friends in Love and War – L’Éloge des meilleur·es ennemi·es

Ikon Gallery is delighted to be collaborating with the CBSO on tonight's concert, inspired by our current exhibition Friends in Love and War – L’Éloge des meilleur·es ennemi·es.

Open until 23 February, the free exhibition explores friendship through artworks from the British Council Collection and macLYON. It spans painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, textile, film, sculpture and installation, combining existing and new works by international and Birmingham-based artists to form a rich depiction of our complex personal and political friendships. In Hetain Patel’s film Don’t Look at the Finger (2017), a signing couple’s kung-fu inspired combat creates an unexpected bond. The idea of ‘best enemies’ is also explored in installations by Rachel Maclean and Niek van de Steeg, which invite visitors to reflect on Anglo-Scottish relations and participate in friendly debate.

In this evening’s music, creative friendships surface in Debussy's La Mer ("The Sea") and the film Entr’acte. A collaboration between Debussy’s friend Satie and filmmaker René Clair, the film shows the absurdist spirit of play that characterised artists of the surrealist movement. It also conveys the different artistic sensibilities of Debussy and Satie, who despite their proclivities, were longtime friends committed to bending the rules of music.

Melanie Pocock
Artistic Director (Exhibitions), Ikon Gallery