The ringing of bells has meant many things to people for centuries: the call to worship, a marking of time, an alarm for danger, the joy of marriage, the sorrow of death. Jill Jarman’s new piece for internationally renowned percussionist Evelyn Glennie with viols and voices mixes the sounds of old and new, life and death, celebration and mourning, and examines the call of bells pealing across centuries of human experience.
Composer Jill Jarman has written music for percussionist Evelyn Glennie before. She has also written for Chelys Consort of Viols, and for voices. It has long been a desire of Jill's to bring together this particular collection of players and sounds into a piece that explores new ideas for collaborative expression. Whether your music is old or new, whether your instruments are of the most modern invention or of the oldest design, music, song, rhythm, and melody have been a part of human expression since the world began. Making music is, and always has been, part of what it is to be alive!
The Language of Bells frames a concert programme that explores the connections between old and new music, with the bell as the starting point of the journey.
Composer Jill Jarman has written music for percussionist Evelyn Glennie before. She has also written for Chelys Consort of Viols, and for voices. It has long been a desire of Jill's to bring together this particular collection of players and sounds into a piece that explores new ideas for collaborative expression. Whether your music is old or new, whether your instruments are of the most modern invention or of the oldest design, music, song, rhythm, and melody have been a part of human expression since the world began. Making music is, and always has been, part of what it is to be alive!
The Language of Bells frames a concert programme that explores the connections between old and new music, with the bell as the starting point of the journey.
Here's the team after the premiere performance at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in 2021:
One of the pieces that inspired this programme is called Revelation. Jill wrote it in 2013 for viols and SATB voices. For this project she has added a percussion part, and we made a lock-down recording of the opening few minutes of it to give you a taste:
GET INVOLVED
An enormous thank you to everyone who is already involved by contributing to the successful crowdfunding campaign - we couldn't do it without you!
If you're wondering what percussion instruments might feature in the programme, don't really know what a viol is, or are intrigued as to how the voices will be used, come and watch some of our Introducing The Instruments videos. Come and meet the composer too, as Jill shares some thoughts on writing for this unique collection of sounds.
Make a contribution to our Online Sound Exhibition.
Come to the Creative Cafe. Share whatever the subject of bells inspires you to create - paint, write, compose - bring a cup of tea and see what everyone else has come up with.
An enormous thank you to everyone who is already involved by contributing to the successful crowdfunding campaign - we couldn't do it without you!
If you're wondering what percussion instruments might feature in the programme, don't really know what a viol is, or are intrigued as to how the voices will be used, come and watch some of our Introducing The Instruments videos. Come and meet the composer too, as Jill shares some thoughts on writing for this unique collection of sounds.
Make a contribution to our Online Sound Exhibition.
Come to the Creative Cafe. Share whatever the subject of bells inspires you to create - paint, write, compose - bring a cup of tea and see what everyone else has come up with.
