UBS Openings: Live
Alvin Curran: Maritime Rites
Featuring members of the London Symphony Orchestra
Tate Modern, The Thames and the Millenium Bridge
Admission Free
Friday 14 September, 17.30 – 19.00
For public information
please call 020 7887 8888
or see www.tate.org.uk
Explosion of music on The Thames for the UK premiere of Maritime Rites
On Friday 14 September the American composer and artist Alvin Curran will be stationed on a barge in the middle of The Thames, leading the London Symphony Orchestra Brass, the UBS Orchestra and over 300 volunteers for the UK premiere of Maritime Rites. This spectacular performance inspired by the sounds of the river, and concluding with the bells of St Paul’s Cathedral, will take place outside Tate Modern and on the Millennium Bridge.
Maritime Rites has been made possible through UBS who has pioneered unique partnerships with both Tate and the London Symphony Orchestra. Commissioned by Tate Modern, Maritime Rites is the first collaboration between Tate Modern and LSO and is part of UBS Openings: Live, a series of bi-monthly performance events at Tate Modern.
Previously performed in Sydney and New York Harbour Maritime Rites will begin at 17.45pm. Curran will start playing a keyboard/synthesizer which contains a wide variety of sounds he has captured, re-used and transformed. These sounds come from rivers, ports, lighthouses, foghorns, claxtons and boat signals. Like Handel’s harpsichord on a barge playing the Water Music, originally performed in 1717 for Charles I, Curran’s performance will link many elements together.
On his barge, Curran will be joined by a cadre of improvising musicians including Evan Parker on the Saxophone and Melvyn Poore on the Tuba. Outside Tate Modern on the north landscape, the London Symphony Orchestra Brass will be playing Curran’s re-composition of music historically associated with The Thames written specifically for this UK premiere.
The UBS Orchestra, which brings together UBS employees and the Administration staff from the London Symphony Orchestra, will perform from the Millennium Bridge, leading volunteers with their instruments. The performance will last 75minutes and finish at 19.00. The bells of St Pauls Cathedral will play a specially-composed carillon to conclude the event.
Alvin Curran says: ‘In the 1970s I began to formulate ideas and projects leading to the making of music outside concert halls often in large open and naturally beautiful sites. Ports, lakes and rivers etc were ready sources of my musical inspiration and now became theatres for my music’.
Maria Bentley, Global Head of Human Resources at UBS comments “Maritime Rites is a unique event which sees the collaboration of two of UBS’s leading cultural partners. It is particularly exciting to have the UBS Orchestra take part, highlighting the rich opportunities that are available to UBS employees as a result of these partnerships.
Maritime Rites is curated by Catherine Wood, Curator, Tate Modern and Richard Bernas, Gramophone Award-winning conductor and Music Consultant at Tate Modern, assisted by Vanessa Desclaux, Tate.
For further press information please contact Jenny Lea, Tate Press Office
Call 020 7887 4942 Email pressoffice@tate.org.uk
Notes to Editors
Maritime Rites is the result of a unique collaboration, of two of UBS’s leading cultural partnerships, Tate and the London Symphony Orchestra. It also features the UBS Orchestra which consists of UBS employees as well as administrative staff from the London Symphony Orchestra.
Tate and UBS: Opening up Art
Tate and UBS share a vision to open up art. Together we have created UBS Openings, a dynamic and wide-reaching programme focused on the Tate Modern Collection.
The programme features the complete re-hang of Tate Modern’s permanent Collection, including a selection of works from The UBS Art Collection, an annual cultural festival, regular live events and an exciting range of activities for families.
By working together, we believe that our unique partnership will enable us to reach out to more audiences than ever before.
Opening up art. Tate Modern Collection with UBS
UBS and Tate related enquiries should be directed to Sophie Dennys at Brunswick Arts:
Call 02070256500 / 07889002972
Email sdennys@brunswickgroup.com
LSO and UBS: Extraordinary Music Together
Over many years, UBS has supported the LSO in its mission to make the most extraordinary music available to the greatest possible number of people, a goal that requires commitment and teamwork — values that lie at the core of UBS, a leading global financial services firm.
The partnership covers the full range of the Orchestra’s work from its world-class concerts to its education initiatives and work in the community through LSO St Luke’s, the LSO and UBS Music Education Centre. We bring together many of the finest musical talents and provide new opportunities for composers, musicians, teachers and pupils, helping to shape the future of exceptional and inspiring music, for all to share.
For further information on the partnership between UBS and the LSO please contact:
Rachel Clarke at Four Communications
Rachel,Clarke@fourcommunications.com
Tel: 0870 0668733
For further information on the London Symphony Orchestra please contact:
Dvora Lewis PR
dlpr@dvoralewis.com
Tel: 020 7435 9257