BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra: Fred Frith / George Lewis / Roscoe Mitchell

Sat 22 February, 8pm
City Halls, Grand Hall

Press release begins...

Fred Frith The Right Angel
Roscoe Mitchell Nonaah
Frith, Mitchell, Lewis Improvisation
George Lewis New Work (World Premiere)
Fred Frith Guitar
George Lewis Trombone and electronics
Roscoe Mitchell Saxophones/reeds
Ilan Volkov Conductor
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Roscoe Mitchell, Fred Frith, and George Lewis have long been at the forefront of new musical expression: saxophonist Mitchell, an original member of the AACM, with his groundbreaking performances with the Art Ensemble of Chicago; guitarist Frith, a founding member of the important English avant-rock group Henry Cow; and trombonist Lewis, a pioneer in interactive computer music. 

Henry Cow were a rare example of a British psychedelic band who genuinely engaged with exploring improvisation and the like: various members have turned up in other bands (Frith was in John Zorn's Naked City project, Tim Hodgkinson was in GOD, my favourite noise free jazz collective).

AACM have provided hours of difficult listening pleasure, especially when they put down the proper instruments and used toys instead.

For many years all three have been engaged with composition and in this special concert, for BBC Radio 3’s Hear and Now, their works for orchestra are featured, with an arrangement of the title track of Mitchell’s 1976 album Nonaah; Frith’s 2003 work The Right Angel, with the composer performing on guitar; and the World Premiere of a new work by Lewis. In addition, Mitchell, Lewis, and Frith, who have known each other for decades, will perform together for the very first time. Join conductor Ilan Volkov, members of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and three icons of experimental music from both sides of the Atlantic for a genre-busting evening.


The SSO have been trying to mix it up over the past few years: making connections beyond the predictable and putting together events that bridge the gap between the orchestral and the world beyond classical music. After last year's evening of John Zorn, and the Tectonics festivals, they seem to be making an argument that the boundaries are dissolving...