Music speaks to us in various ways – but whose voices do we hear? With music from three composers and spanning almost 400 years, Danish accordionist Andreas Borregaard explores the communicative potential of music with and without the use of text.
The ancient sounds of Byrd’s compositions transport us into the wordless interactions of dancing at the royal courts of the Renaissance. Pavanes and Gaillards were popular at the time, though they seem almost forgotten today. Performed now, the music opens a pathway 400 years back in time, allowing us to sense an echo of the past.
Monrad Møller’s new work also reaches back in time – to an era when sailing a ship required hard manual labour, and the well-being of a crew of mainly male sailors often gave rise to activities that might now be read as queer. Inspired by traditional work songs – the sea shanties – Møller aims to “make visible a different history, and to make possible a future in which the celebration of queer love is one celebration among many.”
At the same time, he hopes to create shanties that can also be interpreted as love songs, ones that accordionists might sing with, and even to, their instruments.
Although based on material from our own time, the work by Philip Venables and Ted Huffman also draws on lived history. In this remarkable piece, sounds and words delicately intertwine to generate multi-layered storytelling: Borregaard accompanies himself while recounting the life story of his mother.
In association with Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums.
