Cara Bleiman
posted 30 April 2007

As I walk through the humble entrance to Britain’s oldest concert hall, a swollen wadge of paper is thrust into my hand. Fat, burdenous programme notes are the norm for ‘experimental’, ‘contemporary’ or ‘modern’ performances and I wonder if Radius’ chosen epithet ‘new’ will mark them out as any different.

Including a selection of works by 20th century masters, newly premiered works and pieces by slightly lesser known living composers, Radius neither attempt to associate themselves with trendy electronic fusion movements, nor pander to the general concert-going audience by sandwiching Mozart with Modern. However their unabashed and fairly straightforward approach to the ‘new’ does deserve a wider audience outside of enthusiastic music students and fellow composers.

Concluding the first half of the concert, Anthony Gilbert’s 'Moonfaring' draws the audience into the tribal rites of spiritual evocation at one level removed; for this is the evocation of an evocation - a musical translation from Aboriginal to European classical instruments and ears. Cellist Oliver Coates manages the controlled carelessness required to emulate the didgeridoo with great precision, and his bowing, both percussive and athletic, displays wonderful dexterity and flexibility. Gilbert’s aim to go beyond merely borrowing or referring to the musical gestures and expressions of another culture, and to actually re-represent them in ‘Western’ terms is really quite a challenge, but such issues are absorbed into what is overwhelmingly an experience for the senses.

In 'Five', in which the composer John Cage believed he had achieved his re-definition of harmony as ‘sounds noticed at the same time’, we were offered a perception-focused explanation to the almost lonely experience of this music, which ultimately evades programme notes. In many of these works, the intelligence of the composer is not in representing ideas which might as well remain as programme notes, but in manipulating actions and sounds into captured sensations. Radius director Tim Benjamin’s 'Five Bagatelles' followed Cage perfectly as a game for our memory, imagination and aural perception, which we inevitably lost in the twisted subversions and amusements of a piece that continually eluded expectation.

Including BBC ‘Young Musician of the Year’ winner, percussionist Adrian Spillet, Radius is the sum of a remarkable group of parts and they demand to be listened to and engaged with as more than an accompaniment to the weighty programme notes. Although you have to be looking to find something in this music, you don’t necessarily have to be told exactly how and where to look.

Also performed at the Wigmore Hall, London, 20 April 2007.

Radius website.