puls::plus
pulsoptional, Durham’s band of composers, is internationally renowned for its engaging, adventurous, high-energy performances. With a hybrid rock-classical instrumentation, an aesthetic that transcends genre and resists easy classification, and a reputation for daring but polished programming, this collective of composer/performers has cultivated a broad and enthusiastic audience of listeners attracted to innovative yet accessible new art.
Their spring 2012 program, puls::plus, extends pulsoptional’s commitment to exploring the boundaries around the conventional concert experience. Integrating music, film and interactive video in live performance, and bringing together work by pulsoptional’s composer/performers with contributions by others, puls::plus should prove to be a unique and rewarding experience.
The concert highlights music from nearly a decade of pulsoptional’s activity, from early pieces that have not been publicly performed in several years to recent works currently in preparation for their next recorded release. In addition to these staples of the group’s repertoire, puls::plus features two premieres: Sidney Boquiren’s ritualistic soundtrack for Cuttlefish by filmmaker Jane Pickett; and a collective arrangement of O Superman (for Massenet), Laurie Anderson’s enduring 1981 classic.
Some of the ground-breaking new compositions on the program, bringing together electric strings, woodwinds, piano, drums, marimba and live electronics are:
Laurie Anderson (arr. faris/Mayrose): O Superman
Sidney Boquiren: Music for the Film Cuttlefish
John Mayrose: “What Hath God Wrought”
John Mayrose: TapOut
marc faris: Smile and Nod Knowingly
marc faris: What Chaos Received Bounds
Thom Limbert: Fastest Land Animal for Short Distances
Todd Hershberger: Kid Sparkle and the Parliament Prince
Carrie Shull: Bell Chimes and Drums