Music: Drones and Dances

Featuring Martin Parker, electronics, Kit Hobkirk, organ and Berwick Brass Quintet.

Presented in immersive quadrophonic sound within the resonant interior of Holy Trinity Church, Drones and Dances draws listeners into a vivid sonic world where acoustic and electronic textures shift and merge. Brass instruments and organ harmonies emerge from within the electronic fabric, creating an evolving dialogue between ancient sonorities and contemporary technology.

An unusual and immersive evening of music will take place at Holy Trinity Church (Berwick Parish Church), Berwick-upon-Tweed, on Friday 12 June at 7pm, as Berwick-based composer Dr Martin Parker presents “Drones and Dances”.

Blending multi-channel electronics, brass instruments, church organ and even mobile phones, the work makes full use of the church’s resonant acoustic and will be presented in quadraphonic sound, surrounding the audience on all sides.

Structured as a sequence of eight short movements, the piece moves from slow-moving, drone-like textures into more intricate, shifting soundscapes. The result is an evocative and quietly absorbing listening experience, in which the space itself becomes part of the performance.  

Martin Parker, is a lecturer in sound and composition at the University of Edinburgh. His current research focuses on responsible and creative approaches to the use of artificial intelligence in music.  Martin said, ‘I’m excited to be able to share this research in Berwick, my home for the last ten years, and to work with Berwick musicians in the special interior of Holy Trinity Church. There is, rightly, deep concern in the arts at the moment around the exploitation of creative work for artificial intelligence. I hope this event will show some ways in which AI can be incorporated into our creative traditions rather than replacing them, helping us to craft and enrich new musical experiences.’