At a summer 2022 sell-out show in London’s Pentameters Theatre, the Vocal Constructivists reinterpreted groundbreaking works of earlier decades and premiered several exciting new pieces. Founder Jane Alden described Pentameters Theatre as ‘the perfect venue for a concert specifically designed to highlight the creative work of women from a generation for whom the arts were still mostly male-dominated’. Run by the remarkable poet/curator Léonie Scott-Matthews, Pentameters plays an active part in expanding recognition of past innovations and broadening future creativity.

‘Scratch and the Sequence’ featured new commissions from the ‘musical philosopher and radiator of electricity’ Jin Hi Kim, Scratch Orchestra original Linn D., and local voice expert Barbara Alden. The Vocal Constructivists also sonified text scores by Fluxus artist Nye Ffarrabas, movement artist Simone Forti, and pieces by Cornelius Cardew, Christian Wolff, Daniel J. Wolf, Ben Zucker, and Alvin Lucier.

Programme

Cornelius Cardew Schooltime Compositions incorporating Linn D.’s Half Rite
Linn D. Nothing In Nothing (world premiere)
Jin Hi Kim Living Tones with Living Sounds II (world premiere)
Nye Ffarrabas (formerly Bici Forbes Hendricks) 4 rounds, Paper Concerto, Egg Watching, WHAT IS THIS?
Christian Wolff Sticks with Simone Forti [Beehive] and Ben Zucker Wolff Distributions (for a few)
Barbara Alden Inner Word in a Word (world premiere)
Daniel J. Wolf Spectral Madrigals (UK premiere)
Alvin Lucier Opera with Objects