My compositions use a wide palette of sounds which involve the investigation of natural sounds, environmental sounds and conventional instrumentation through the use of computer technology. The composers Olivier Messiaen, Michael Tippett, Pierre Henry, Jonathan Harvey have and remain guiding lights …
My main area of work is electro-acoustic music composition, graphic notation, the exploration of sound and the creation of son et lumiere installations. Research into and the use of musique concrete techniques gives a rich, expressive and wonderful palette of new ‘instruments’, with an unlimited set of colours and textures to draw upon.
The acousmatic music for spatialisation over arrays of loudspeakers such as ‘Rock Mass’ (1998), ‘Music for Bells and Spaces’ (2003), ‘Natural Histories Book 1’ (2005/6), “… another mighty angel…” (2006) and ‘Lamina Lux Suite’ (2010) – all utilise quadrophonic or octaphonic diffusion.
Electro-acoustic works include a group of pieces called PLAY which explore improvisation and graphic notation; ‘Play 2’ (1985, revised 2003), ‘Play 2.5’ (2009) both for harpsichord, synthesiser and live electronics, and ‘Play 4.1.1’ (2013) for solo ‘cello and live electronics. P5 for piano and computer (2014) is a more interactive performance with electronics utilising a tablet device with Lemur and GRM tools from INA. The final work in the Play series, PLAY 6 for two keyboards and live electronics is dedicated to the organist and composer Jean Guillou – it was given its’ first performance at the Kardomah performance space in Hull in 2019.
Graphic Scores
The scores for ‘Play 2’ and ‘Play 2.5′ have been exhibited at the Guadeamus Muziekweek in Utrecht (Sept. 2012) and Notations 21 Architecture in Sound in Clermont-Ferrand (Nov. 2012) as part of Theresa Sauers’ Notation 21 project, and Play 2′ is published in her book ‘Notations 21’ (ISBN: 0979554640) celebrating the famous Notations book by John Cage.
The most recent work in progress is DUET 1 ( 2022 ) for ‘cello and live electronics and is the first of two works to the explore the acoustic properties of the ‘cello – in this piece the explorations involve live gestural responses from the computer and a graphic score.
Other projects have included film music for “The Sweeper”, a poem by Jacques Prevert for the film maker Anne Parouty, a sound environment for the film “Rangoli Afloat” (2004/5) for British Waterways and sound design for the aleph.net website which won the 2004 BAFTA Digital Arts Award.
son et lumiere:
After receiving a commission to celebrate the 150 years RIBA, by composing the music for the Tidal Barrier Event in 1984, I became interested in the use of lighting and installation with music, and spent some time researching the art form of son et lumiere.
Performing with the sound artist Max Eastley, utilising ‘sound to light’ lasers, led me to larger events. Works involving the use of lasers, pyrotechnics ( such as ‘Celebrations’ for Hull in 1989 – 91), film and still images projected on enormous screens, were used to celebrate the opening of buildings, civic events and civil engineering projects throughout the country, with audiences of up to 12,000 at a single performance.
Since 1994, the son et lumieres have incorporated unique hybridised 3D fractal geometries, complex projection screen installations (developed for the installation ‘The Persistence of Memory’, commissioned for the re-opening of the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, U.K.) and the spatialisation of music over multiple loudspeaker systems. ‘Fractals’ (1994) was made possible with a Gustav Holst Foundation Award, whilst ‘Chaos of Rainbows’ (1997) was made possible with a National Lottery award through the Arts Council of England and Hull City Council. Recent son et lumieres have been installed in sacred spaces, exploring the relationship between nature and spirituality – ‘Patterns and Emanations’ performed at Day of Light at Lastingham in 2004 is an example.
J.S. 2022
recent work:
Moments in Time
a commission for a celebration of freedom …
Nigel Bartram, 22nd September 2017
Moments in Time invites us in with familiar sounds, allowing us to hear everyday life and unfamiliar sounds of the bridge mechanisms and then shaping this into a piece that has momentum, a point of repose and reflection before taking us to a world of musical freedom where the sounds are transformed into a dream like musical landscape before returning us to the familiar, as the composer says ‘in a moment.’ Shaped sounds and intricate rhythms take the listener on an evocative journey building dynamically to the ‘revelation’ of the working sounds of the bridges and beyond. – Electro Acoustic Ensemble cellist Nigel Bartram
… at a further anniversary performance the following year in Beverley, East Yorkshire:
comments :
I attended the opening of the Turner Prize at the Ferens – bit this was a different class.
It was amazing last night thanks. I’ve not seen the film before and it was brilliant. The soundtrack was worked brilliantly and the kids really liked it. They do loads of music at school but they’d not heard anything like it and really enjoyed it and were interested in how it affected them. Thanks again for an amazing evening …
Play 6 for two keyboards and computer dedicated to Jean Guillou
first performed at the Kardomah Theatre, Hull.
Bardo Visions 2018 – 20 (8 channel)
first complete performance 26th November 2021. ( St.Columba’s, Laburnum Ave., Hull )
Audio
DUET 1 for cello and computer
(first performance) – 2023
Performers:
Piano: Nigel Bartram and Stanislaw Hansel
Cello: Nigel Bartram
Electronics and diffusion: John Stead
Production: John Howes and Gavin Kauffman
Duet – clip 1
Duet – clip 2
Duet – clip 3
Dream of Numbers for 8ch. tape
(first performance) – 2021
Forthcoming:
A concert for World Music Day including: Bardo Visions, Dream Signal. Fibo 144.
Venue TBA.
Works in progress:
Les Arbres
DUET 2 for chamber organ, cello and live electronics
Event posters over the years.
