Out of the turn of the 1980s, across that decade and into the 1990s, a young generation of British composers sought to realign themselves away from the modernist perspective of much of the new music mainstream in the UK at the time – a perspective exemplified by Paul Griffiths’ choice of composers for his New Sounds, New Personalities interviews published by Faber in 1985. Instead, these younger composers looked to connect with a wider set of musical styles and practices – minimalism, pop and jazz, US and UK experimental music – but also establishing and writing for their own ensembles, finding new venues, self-publishing, collaborating with postmodernist artists in other disciplines, and generating an independent and progressive art music scene, largely in London.
This inaugural conference brought together composers, performers, theatre- and dance-makers, musicologists, journalists, broadcasters and others to revisit this period, and to begin the investigation of research questions around compositional approaches, aesthetics, archives, collaborations, and social history. After an introduction, and a keynote by Prof. Keith Potter, three composers charted the development of their respective ensembles, three musicologists considered aspects of reception and context, a round table of creators chaired by Sarah Walker reflected on their experiences of working during this period, and the day concluded with a performance by Helen Ottaway of her piece, Wind and Unwind, for voice and music box, sung by Melanie Pappenheim.
Ian Gardiner (Goldsmiths, University of London): Introduction [LINK]
Keith Potter (Goldsmiths, University of London): Grumpy Old Men Go Fishing: a few answers to the question, “So what was it like to live in the Seventies, daddio?” [LINK]
Jonathan Parry (freelance composer): Rhythm and Energy: the start of 1980s Postminimalism in the UK – Regular Music (1980 – 86)
Andrew Hugill (University of Leicester): Systems and Special Interests: the formation of ‘George W. Welch’ in the early 1980s
Helen Ottaway (freelance composer): 3 or 4 Composers grapple with the notion of English Music [LINK]
George K. Haggett (Somerville College, Oxford): Contemporary Music-Making for Amateurs, Contemporary Music for All: Politics and Postminimalism in the early years of COMA
Roddy Hawkins (University of Manchester): Electric Weekend(s) and Missing Tape Parts: Minimalism, Complexity and the Invention of Postwar Music in 1980s Britain
Patrick Valiquet (University of Huddersfield): Adieu Nouveauté! Bryars, Cardew, Hobbs, Jeffes and Nyman as Heard in France, Spring 1983
Panel discussion with Sarah Walker (BBC Radio 3 presenter – chair), Laurence Crane (composer), Susie Crow (choreographer), Alan Hall (radio producer), Jocelyn Pook (composer, performer)
Plenary discussion, Where Next?, with Tom Armstrong (University of Surrey)
Performance, Helen Ottaway: Wind and Unwind (Melanie Pappenheim & Helen Ottaway)
BRITISH MUSICAL POSTMINALISM 1979-97 