The Art of Noise

PRSF present a series of free concerts at the National Portrait Gallery as part of a season of events that celebrate the 150th Birthday of the NPG. These concerts feature PRSF commissioned new music by Marque Gilmore & Richard Benjafield, Jane Harbour, Max de Wardener and Stephen Montague.

PRSF is a long-time supporter of the ‘Friday Evening Series’ concerts, which are held weekly at the Gallery and which feature a range of new music by living UK composers and songwriters.


In this special birthday year, PRSF has teamed up with the NPG to curate a celebratory series – the ‘Art of Noise’ - of newly commissioned work which showcases some of the diverse and innovative composers funded by PRSF over the last 5 years. These composers have specifically used the environment and exhibits of the Gallery as inspiration for their works.

All performances run from 6.30pm – 7.30pm at the National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE. All concerts are free, so make sure you get there early!

PRSF hopes that these works will also move out of the gallery and be performed at other venues throughout the UK. If you would like further information in order to programme these works again, please contact us.
 

10 March               6.30pm        150th Anniversary Special Music Event

PRSF 'Art of Noise' Commission: Marque Gilmore & Richard Benjafield

'inna-Groove-Dimensions' - a new musical "rhythm-and-space" session combining West African drums, orchestral percussion, digital drums and audio-video sampling, based on the National Portrait Gallery's architectural dimensions.

24 March                6.30pm        150th Anniversary Special Music Event

PRSF 'Art of Noise' Commission: Jane Harbour - 'Small Mammal Mirror'

Jane Harbour's new band delivers a genre-crossing ride through dense instrumentals, with imaginative filmic lyrics featuring characters whose bizarre situations crystallize the strange states of the human condition.

7 April                 6.30pm        150th Anniversary Special Music Event

PRSF 'Art of Noise' Commission: Max de Wardener  

Jazz bassist & electronics composer Max de Wardener incorporates acoustic instruments and electronics in a new work especially written to reflect the intimacy and serenity of the Statesmen's Gallery.

28 April                6.30pm        150th Anniversary Special Music Event

PRSF 'Art of Noise' Commission: Stephen Montague 'Facing the Carnyx'

The Carnyx is a 2000 year old Scottish war horn blown through the head of a Wild Boar. Four brass groups echo the alarm throughout the galleries, 30 masked violinists glide up the escalator and four field drummers signal the Carnyx at bay.