BY SYLVIE WOODS, LEAD WRITER (NSW)
I’ve come to a renegade building on Elizabeth Street to watch Ensemble MUSE. The space is called Hibernian House, and it’s a well-lit chamber on the fourth floor characterised by bursts of colour and mismatch furniture. Above me is a disco ball; beside me, a bearded man in a beanie drinks Coopers.
The following is a conversation I had with Ensemble MUSE artistic director Rachel Drubetsky that flowed before, during, and after the event. Here’s what went down, as it happened.
SYLVIE: Hey, Rachel. Am I in the right place?
RACHEL: You sure are! Bit of a crazy entrance, but once you hit level 4, you won’t miss it.
S: I don’t know whether Hibernian House is more concert space, rehearsal room, or nightclub. (See disco ball).
R: We just loved performing in this space. Such a cool underground vibe, and a really intimate experience with the audience. It also seemed the type of music played was most definitely enhanced by the BYO policy.
S: Memories of the Seashore for marimba by Keiko Abe is delicate, but also really powerful at the same time. What a perfect way to kick off this performance. There’s a really lovely melody in this piece, and percussionist Niki Johnson is incredible to watch.
R: We love starting our concerts with a solo performer. I think it’s a really nice way to slowly draw the audience in, and show off an individual performer’s skill. We like starting small, and then working our way up in each half. Starting with Abe’s piece also seemed kind of funny, in a way, since its peaceful, calm sounds are so entirely opposite to the rest of the program. I think during rehearsals Niki phrased it as a ‘gotcha’.
S: Judd Greenstein, who describes himself as a composer of ‘beat-driven contemporary music’, has really made an impact within this program with his piece Change. Amongst other things, that fun, recurring theme makes it an engaging, accessible piece of modern music.
R: This was one of the favourites of the ensemble. It really does grow on you, and changes with every listen. It really grooves, and I feel it perfectly combines jazz language with a quirky classical style. It’s cute at points, but also has a lot of depth and complexity. It was also definitely the hardest piece to put together. I think it’s one of those ‘sounds easier than it is’ kind of pieces. I’m still in awe of it.
S: There’s so much unselfconscious experimentation going on in this program, it’s creating a fantastic atmosphere. I really want to know more about the Quartet for Heart & Breath. Group members play to the beat of their heart, so the piece is intentionally out of time. Everyone’s in their own zone.
R: Exactly. It’s a gorgeous idea. Everyone’s wearing a stethoscope, and are directed to play to their own heartbeat, as well as play as they exhale – to their breath. It creates this shimmering soundscape, and whilst it can be thought of conceptually, I still think as a piece it’s put together with a lot of thought, contrasting different textures, and building sections carefully and controlled. It was funny to find that the rehearsal runs were very different to performance, since our heartbeats were so much faster! I felt embarrassed playing this one; my heart was running like a motor.
S: Some people have brought along their own beers. (I now wish I’d brought beers). Does this happen at all Ensemble MUSE performances? I love classical music settings that are relaxed, but everyone has such different opinions about what is ‘relaxed’ and what is ‘rude’. I find it really interesting where different folks draw the line.
R: This was very different for us. I think all of our past concerts have been pretty ‘formal’ […] but surprisingly, I think this one had the best vibe. Alcohol could have possibly helped, but I think the real reason was the absence of that classical formality. I think the low-key nature of the venue took away the focus from perfection and judgement, and rather, gave more attention to the music for music’s sake. It was a really wholesome energy, and it felt like we were supported by the audience. Modern classical music fits into that category of neither here nor there. I’d say by the classical-going-public, it’s more ‘accepted’ or ‘reputable’ than something like free jazz or improvisation, but, at the same time, it would hardly ever share the stage with the Classical Greats. So in this weird middle-ground, I guess it’s up to us to decide how we choose to present it. Whilst I do like performing in a more serious uptight context, it felt so much more comfortable to just perform in a relaxed space like the Hibernian. Sorry, am I rambling?
S: Super diverse and engaging program you’ve put together as artistic director, Rachel D. There’s so much going on, so many different people to watch, and the way the experimentation is happening feels really natural, so I love the sounds that are being created. Everything is a risk. A lot of these girls (and guest guys!) are great friends, which probably provides the ideal kind of space to get a bit wild and have a bit of fun.
R: Getting to know these girls (and guys!) has been a joy. They’re all such characters, with such different passions and ideas. Something we all have shared, however, is this palpable energy to make the concert the absolute best it can be. We’ve really meshed since our first concert three years ago, and every rehearsal just feels like a hang. I was telling them before the concert that I was worried we had all become too close, since now it’s becoming harder to stay productive in rehearsals! We’ve really come together and collaborated on this one, right from curating the program, to ordering music, booking rehearsal rooms, advertising, financing, admin, rehearsing, and anticipating. Everyone’s played a part in the process, which I think makes it all the more special.
READ NEXT: Rachel talks about her mission to perform the music of minority composers in Ensemble MUSE.
Images supplied. Venue captured by Sylvie Woods. Ensemble MUSE captured by Inkling Productions.
