The 2019 Glasgow Short Film Festival programme was released today, 6 February, and it was announced that the Glasgow School of Art Choir will make its debut performance at the 5-day festival in March 2019, performing the world première of “Accents”, a new film / music project by Glasgow’s UNESCO City of Music artist-in-residence, Richy Carey.

The event will comprise a live performance at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, bringing together communities to perform a live soundtrack to a film exploring the sounds of identity and place. Using the film itself as the score, “Accents” is about the everyday music in our voices: asking questions around how we listen and speak with each other, and exploring the sound between our individual and collective identities.

The piece itself comes from the tradition of the “Open Work”; improvisational musical scores which are open to chance, that are completed by the decisions and participation of the performers. Specifically, tracing the lineage of Pauline Oliveros’ works, her exploration of equality, of deep listening, of individual and community identity and the celebration of difference within that.

Audience members are encouraged not simply to attend the world première, but to participate in an open workshop earlier the same day, to join in with members of Glasgow’s community choirs as composer, Richy Carey, explores ways of improvising sounds for films using only voices. Thinking about how individuals relate to the places they live – and to each other – participants will learn how to sing the film score before taking part in the world première later that day.

“Accents” world première and workshop will take place on Saturday 16 March 2019 at the New Auditorium, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The workshop runs from 11.00am – 1.00pm with the performance from 1.00 – 2.00pm.

More information about the world première can be found here.

Artist biography: Richy Carey is a composer and sound artist undertaking PhD research into film sound, materiality and language. He is interested in the sound-of-the-thingness-of-things and often works collaboratively to understand the role language plays in the construction of audiovisual works. He makes films that are about listening. He won the 2015 Scottish BAFTA New Talent award for composition and is an AHRC funded researcher. He regularly works with artists on realising sound for film and gallery installations. Recent projects include; “Part-time” for Margaret Salmon, Tramway 2018, “Special Works School” with Bambitchell, Gallery TPW, Toronto 2018, “Memo to Spring” for Sarah Rose, Scottish National Galleries of Modern Art 2017, “Wandering Soul” with Alexander Storey Gordon, CCA Glasgow for Radiophrenia 2017 and “INCONGRUOUS DIVA” for Cara Tolmie and Will Holder, British Art Show 2016.