Countdown to Bach collaboration

Sound Artist Andrew Deakin blogs on his preparations for Sunday's performance with manchester Camerata's Principal Cello, Hannah Roberts.
"So, the H&G phase has come to an end - it has to, though it could go on for ever of course. Once I have collected 'stuff' I enter what I thing of the sorting phase. I tip everything out onto the floor and start to sort through it, putting like with like, and in this way certain tendencies and connections emerge. Have you ever had visitors arrive unexpectedly expecting a meal and you have to search through the fridge and kitchen cupboards for ingredients and inspiration? Well, this stage is just like that. Given my experience has a cook (composer) with an understanding of basic and traditional methods I am looking for ingredients which will combine to make a wholesome and satisfying meal (piece of music).

So what am I left with?

Some really interesting soundscape recordings from Leipzig (found on YouTube). Surface noise from an old LP of Pablo Casals playing the Cello Suites. PB 'grunting from the same LP. I have written a couple of new patches in Max/msp (my programming environment of choice) which allow new (to me) forms of frequency shifting and time-stretching. I add these ingredients to my normal (but never finished) performance system and hopefully everything will turn out well. We will see on Sunday!
I used to play the French Horn and when I started to perform live with technology wanted to develop a system/interface/instrument which was as expressive as the horn so one of my criteria was that whatever I developed had to have the potential to go horribly wrong -that is one
way we know something is 'live'. If you have ever heard a horn player 'split' a note in the middle of an otherwise perfect melody you will know what I am talking about. Remind me to tell you the story of when Barry Tuckwell played the Beethoven Sonata at the Royal Exchange many years ago.

I am still having trouble with the Nintendo Wii controller which I will be using in the duet with Hannah. I am a bit worried that I won't be able to find any empty radio frequencies for my transmitters - central Manchester is very different to rural Cumbria. A mixture of excitement and anxiety as Sunday approaches. Just as it should be. Hope to see you there."

Read more about this performance and hear an interview with Andrew