We are thrilled to confirm that Paraorchestra have been commissioned by Bristol Beacon to create a new work in celebration of the reopening of our city’s iconic music venue.
Trip the Light Fantastic is a brand new creation in collaboration with Paraorchestra, celebrated Bristol electronic composer Surgeons Girl and Charles Hazlewood, with a dynamic visual response from AV experts Limbic Cinema. Paraorchestra composer Oliver Vibrans, augments the composition for this dazzling night of electro-orchestral alchemy, reconnecting us to Bristol’s newly-transformed space.
The spectacle has been created to highlight the venue’s spatial capacity, employing the architecture and world-class acoustics to allow sound and light to collide in spectacular fashion in Bristol Beacon’s transformed space.
The evening will be opened by a new commission from multi-award winning composer and current Paraorchestra Musician in Residence, Xia Leon Sloane. Prelude to a Beginning, a sensual and spatial work, will further showcase the full extent of Bristol Beacon’s astonishing natural acoustic.
Join us on Thursday 30 November 2023 and celebrate this radiant new beginning together.
Bristol Beacon’s reopening is a moment of enormous importance to the people, the culture and the city of Bristol. We are proud to be Associate Artists of Bristol Beacon, and for the very first performance on this bright new stage, Paraorchestra are excited to premiere a standalone, bespoke commission. This deep and luminescent new composition will embody the sense of hope and possibility, opportunity and renewal that the new Beacon represents. Incorporating Paraorchestra’s trademark combination of acoustic, analogue and digital instruments, Trip The Light Fantastic is a collaboration with the uniquely gifted Bristolian electronic musician Surgeons Girl, Limbic Cinema, and others who are close to the Paraorchestra family. The result will be an incandescent experience as we collectively move towards and embrace the light.”
Charles Hazlewood
I’m so excited to be playing at the opening of Bristol Beacon. Working on Trip the Light Fantastic with Paraorchestra and Oliver has been a fascinating process. I’d always been a little sceptical about electronic musicians working with orchestras, but Paraorchestra’s unique collaborative approach has facilitated a space whereby Oli and I can create something fresh and intricate that feels authentic to us all and is truly exciting. We will soon start the final stages of the visual art with Limbic Cinema. Seeing our work brought to life for the first time in Beacon Hall will be a special moment.”
Surgeons Girl
When considering how to mark the occasion of reopening Bristol Beacon, we thought immediately of Paraorchestra. Not only does the ensemble represent the spirit of inclusion and reinvention that we cherish in this city, but they were also incredibly open to collaborating with other Bristol artists to create something truly innovative and celebratory”
Todd Wills, Artistic Director at Bristol Beacon
Work on the project has been well underway since the beginning of the year and we look forward to sharing more in the coming months.
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