Intriguing sounds of the underground
There was a time when “modern music” was an intimidating business. How different was Wednesday night’s Open
Ear Prom. It formed part of Open Ear, BBC Radio 3’s live series showcasing music that falls between the pop, classical and electronic genres and it was presented with her usual charm by Sara Mohr-pietsch, who also curated the event.
The Prom took place at a circular concrete tank underneath Tate Modern, where the lighting was dim. Around the edge were raised platforms where music would suddenly materialise in a pool of light; a laptop musician here, a harpist there, two singers somewhere behind. In the middle were the audience, either rapt as if at a seance, or wandering in the darkness.
As for the music, it soothed and lulled us, making the potentially alarming situation of being underground in a concrete tank in the dark seem really quite pleasant. Much of it was very quiet, above all the first piece, The Minutes, by French-canadian Emilie Levienaise-farrouch. Tiny scratchy sounds crept into being, played by a handful of string players of the London Contemporary Orchestra, and grew timidly in a way which suggested the ghost of familiar harmony and part-writing.
It was attractive but felt like a sketch for something, as did the frankly dull solo set for side-drum electronics and coordinated coloured lighting from Rodrigo Constanza, and the peculiarly tentative piece from DJ Actress, which combined one of his own beat-based pieces with a few surprisingly ordinary orchestral sounds.
More rewarding was Catherine Lamb’s Prisma
interius V. Its slow drifting clouds of sound for three separate ensembles was much more intriguing.
Standing head-andshoulders above everything was Cassandra Miller’s Guide, which was inspired by a 1960 recording of a Southern Baptist hymn. The eight voices of the choir Exaudi recreated the hymn, each in their own way, creating a beautiful and moving sense of voices raised in rapt, quiet praise.
Listen to every Prom for 30 days after broadcast via the BBC Proms website, and via the BBC iplayer Radio app