Pianofield

Snape

The Reed Beds

Throughout the weekend

08/10/2017 11:00 - 16:00

Solar powered grand piano?  Talking to reed beds?? . . .  Using nothing but the power of the sun, Frances Shelley takes her 'grand piano' out into the marshes in front of the concert hall at Snape.  Using only the power of her imagination she will then create new music inspired by the reeds, wind, and weather . . . (hopefully not too much of the weather!)  The result will be a one off performance of improvised music reflecting the precise contours and energies of the day.

'Pianofield' is a collaboration between composer/pianist Frances Shelley and hardware/software engineer and sound artist Matthew Bickerton.  

 Whether creating their own alluring, ethereal landscape of atmospheric beauty or collaborating electronically with the precise movements of trees via wi fi in Rio de Janeiro, Pianofield blend music and technology to hypnotic effect.  Sultry, slow-burning passages give way to rhythmic crescendo and delicate flights.  Frances’ lilting piano melodies, at once familiar and mysterious, dissolve in and out of stark minimalism as they converse with Matthew’s vast original soundscapes.  

 A committed nature lover, animal lover and vegan, Frances' work has a deep affinity to the landscape.  As 'Pianofield'  she and Matthew have worked on a number of public installations exploring the connection between the environment and the artist.

Intuitive inspiration meets technical wizardry in this duo, who give voice to the subtle and ineffable human relationship with the natural world--from earth, sea, sky, thunder, and rain to gravity and the movement of trees.  

Art Music