CCCT

The Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust (CCCT), in partnership with the Music Department of Morley College, is really excited to present this concert of new music written in response to the 2023 Call for Compositions of the CCCT. This is music for a unique collection of performers which reflects Michael Chant's specially written poem, Become the Sea, Become the Space, in a myriad of ways, forming thereby a whole which hangs together. This is new music not in any sense of not caring for the audience but rather pointing towards what it means to be in step with the times with music coming from the heart. This project takes inspiration from the example of Cornelius Cardew who linked his music with the struggle to open the door to progress, to lead to a cherished future of socialised humanity.

Composers who have contributed: Jonathan Case, Michael Chant, Rob Cooper, Alison Doubleday, Ann Gates, Ross Francis George, Andrew Kear Harrod, Elif Nur Karlidag, Peter Openshaw, Jane Serter, Hugh Shrapnel

Performed by: Lotte Betts-Dean and Rachel Roper (mezzo-sopranos) with Lesley Larkum (violin)

Please view the PDF for full details.

Remembering Carole, fine banjo player, finer artist, and a founder member of the Scratch Orchestra.
Performances of banjo and bluegrass music, experimental music, improvised music, Scratch Orchestra, Ligeti Quartet, Jem Finer, Tom Chant, Michael Chant, Ian Mitchell, Marcia Farquhar, music from India, poetry, audio-visual, and others too numerous to mention.
Reflecting Carole's wide-ranging interests and activities, and her long association, dating back to 1968, with Morley College, and paying tribute to her unquenchable spirit.
Concert organised under the auspices of the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust.
This concert will be broadcast live by Resonance 104.4FM

Emma Cons Hall, Morley College, 61 Westminster Bridge Rd, London, SE1 7HT

The Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust, in association with Morley College and the Ligeti Quartet, cordially invites you to attend a workshop of performances and discussion around string quartets in progress, being written to pay tribute to Cornelius Cardew in this his 85th anniversary year, and 40 years since his untimely death. The workshop will discuss how the compositions realise the content of the theme and how this is reflected in the form of the compositions, as well as dealing with technical issues of writing for a string quartet.

The finished string quartets will be performed by the Ligeti Quartet in a major concert to be held at Morley College on the evening of Friday, November 26, 2021. The concert aims to uphold Cardew's legacy of having fidelity to the ensemble of human relations, and being dedicated to the creation of a new world of socialised humanity.

If you require to participate online in this semi-virtual workshop, please email the CCCT or the Ligeti Quartet for a link.

View the event details as a PDF

New works written in response to the annual call for compositions by the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust (CCCT),in partnership with the Music Department of Morley College

The Venezuelan/Italian concert pianist Luis Parés will be joining the renowned Ligeti String Quartet in performing compositions by:
Jonathan Case, Rob Cooper, Alison Doubleday, Elif Nur Karlidag, Paul Sarcich, Jane Serter, Patrice Tournier

The composition by Hugh Shrapnel, Climbing to Heights Hitherto Unknown, will also be performed in a new version for piano quintet arranged especially for these performers.

View the event details as a PDF & watch videos of all eight pieces

MUSIC IN STEP WITH THE TIMES
Friday, October 4, 7.30pm, Emma Cons Hall
Tickets £8
The Ivory Duo and Piano Quintet De Madrugada perform compositions written in response to the Call for Compositions of the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust over the past few years.
Born to Society Michael Chant [piano duo and string quartet]; Cross Purposes (extract) Paul Sarcich [solo piano]; For an Alternative Hugh Shrapnel [piano duo]; One World Alison Doubleday [piano quintet]; Seven Resonances Jonathan Case [piano duo]; The World Transformed Rob Cooper [piano quintet]; Toccata and Momentum Lesley Larkum [piano duo]; Troposphere Elif Nur Karlidag [piano duo]; When Crossing Lines Jane Serter [piano quintet]
View the event details as a PDF

WEEKEND OF SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS - All welcome to participate!
October 26-27, 10am-5pm, Holst Room, each day
Tickets £10 for one day; £15 for the weekend
Seminars, Saturday, October 26: Seminar topics likely to include - The Draft Constitution of the Scratch Orchestra and its components (Scratch music; Popular Classics; Improvisation Rites; Compositions; Research Project); The Scratch Orchestra, its Motion, Experiences and Development (the concerts, the tours, the strivings); The Scratch Today and the Quality that Endures
Evening Social, Saturday, October 26: Venue to be announced
Workshops, Sunday, October 27: A workshop day to play music / discuss / design / prepare for the concert on November 1
(ALL welcome to join in! Includes plenary and workshops)
More information

HOWARD SKEMPTON AND MICHAEL CHANT IN CONVERSATION
Thursday, October 31, 6.00pm - 7.30pm, Emma Cons Hall
Tickets £5
Michael Chant and Howard Skempton talking about composing and playing some of their compositions.
More information

A CELEBRATORY SCRATCH CONCERT
Friday, November 1, 7.00pm, Emma Cons Hall
Tickets £8
Celebrating the Scratch Orchestra at 50 with a concert bringing everyone together in the spirit of the Scratch.
More information

EXHIBITION OF SCRATCH MATERIAL
Exhibition of Scratch Orchestra memorabilia, watch for further details.

All celebrations will attract a modest charge (depending on the event), payable via Eventbrite (or at the door).
Follow the @ScratchOrchestraat50 Facebook page for updates


View the event programme as a PDF

The Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust, in partnership with the Music Department of Morley College, is for the fourth year in succession hosting a concert at the College. This concert celebrates first and foremost the path that the renowned composer and musician Cornelius Cardew was instrumental in opening up in the world of music, by encouraging new music to be written that consciously participates in advancing along this path.

Composers in writing to this year's theme have taken further inspiration from two specially written poems by noted poet Carol Rumens on the theme of "One World":
The Hazel Nut (Posing the Problem)
Circling the Square (Posing the Solution)

New works by Michael Chant, Rob Cooper, Carlo Francesco Defranceschi, Alison Doubleday, Seah Cheng Tat, Jane Serter and Hugh Shrapnel

Performed by Luis Parés and the Quartet De Madrugada

This is the seventh annual concert in memory of James Allen, celebrating and inspired by the path of enlightenment and progress characteristic of the works of Cornelius Cardew.

View the event details as a PDF.

Performed in the Holst Room, as part of the Morley College "Planets" Festival of Arts and Culture, celebrating the centenary of the first performance of The Planets by Gustav Holst. Introduced by Sarah Walker.

Pieces include: Four Vignettes, Love Sonnets of a Building Worker, Hunt Hunt, Oxleas Wood, Spring, For An Alternative, Easter Uprising 1916

Performers include: Hugh Shrapnel, Jo Cooper, Lesley Larkum, Michael Chant, Ruth Shrapnel, Sarah Walker, The Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble, Quartet De Madrugada, Johan Höglind, Alan Tomlinson and Elif Karlidag

Listen to a recording of the concert.

The Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust (CCCT), in partnership with the Music Department of Morley College, is once again issuing its annual call for compositions dedicated to the spirit of the New which Cornelius Cardew embodied. To emphasise that composers take their inspiration from the urge to transform the world, this year we are announcing that the theme is "One World". Two poems have been specially written by poet Carol Rumens for the CCCT expressing this idea, not for vocal setting but to act as inspiration for composers (see link to PDF below for the poems).

The compositions should be for Piano Quintet. We are very pleased that this year the Venezuelan/Italian concert pianist Luis Parés will be joining the Quartet De Madrugada to make up a very distinguished instrumental ensemble. The new works chosen will be performed at Morley College, London, on Friday, October 5, 2018. This is an exciting opportunity for composers, and we hope to include as many of the submitted works as possible in the concert, so please bear this in mind in terms of the length and complexity of the pieces. The CCCT, Morley College, and the performers will jointly decide on the final programme. The compositions must be submitted to be in the hands of the CCCT no later than 11:59pm on Sunday, May 27, 2018. Please send PDFs of score/parts by email to the address of the CCCT given below. We welcome Sibelius scores, but please also submit PDFs.

While we welcome all new compositions on the theme of "One World", we encourage composers to acquaint themselves with the path that Cornelius Cardew took in linking his music with the struggle to open the door for the progress of society. The CCCT upholds his legacy of keeping in step with the requirements of the times, accepting no limitation on the human spirit and being dedicated to the creation of a new world of socialised humanity.

The concert also pays tribute to James Allen, who was the passionate and dedicated secretary of the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust until his death in January 2012.

View the Call for Compositions as a PDF

Friday, October 6, 2017
7.30 for 8.00pm (refreshments served prior to concert)
Morley College Holst Room
61 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HT
Tickets are £8, available on the door

Performed by the Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble and the Quartet De Madrugada

This is the sixth annual concert in memory of James Allen, celebrating and inspired by the path of enlightenment and progress characteristic of the works of Cornelius Cardew.

New works by Alessandra Canepa, Michael Chant, Alison Doubleday, Elif Karlidag, Paul Sarcich, Seah Cheng Tat and Hugh Shrapnel

A day school under the topic of:
"The music of Cornelius Cardew and the field of music-making in the 21st century"

PROGRAMME

Morning: The music of Cornelius Cardew

• Characteristics of his music at each stage of his career
• The focus of his later works

Afternoon: Music-making in the 21st century

• What problems face composers today
• Composing as part of the movement for enlightenment and progress

The emphasis will be on discussion and the contributions of the participants.
Everyone is welcome, irrespective of qualification.
Sessions led by Michael Parsons, Natalie Tsaldarakis, Lesley Larkum and Michael Chant, with the participation of Peter Collyer, Morley Head of School.

Film to be shown from 13.00-14.00: Pilgrimage from Scattered Points by Luke Fowler, about the transformational journey undertaken by the Scratch Orchestra

HOLST ROOM, MORLEY COLLEGE
61 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7HT

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE! Book Now!

Book a place at the day school

The Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust (CCCT), in partnership with the Music Department of Morley College, is for the third year in succession issuing a call for compositions dedicated to the spirit of the New which Cornelius Cardew himself embodied. This year we are calling for compositions with the theme 'Born to Society'.

We are very pleased that the Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble has once again agreed to perform. But this year they will be joined by the Quartet De Madrugada. This provides the exciting opportunity for composing new works for the unique combination of string quartet with piano duo (either piano four hands or two pianos). The new works will be performed at Morley College on Friday, October 6, 2017. We hope to include as many of the submitted works as possible in the concert, so please bear this in mind in terms of the length and complexity of the pieces. The CCCT, Morley College, the Ivory Duo and the Quartet De Madrugada will jointly decide on the final programme. The compositions must be submitted to be in the hands of the CCCT no later than 11:59pm on Sunday, June 4th, 2017.

Composers in writing to this year's theme may take further inspiration from the lines:
From every sinew of labour
From every note of love

Cornelius Cardew, as well as being an outstanding musician and composer, was a leading political figure and adherent of modern communism. The CCCT upholds his legacy of keeping in step with the requirements of the times, accepting no limitation on the human spirit and being dedicated to the creation of a new world of socialised humanity.

The concert also pays tribute to James Allen, who was the passionate and dedicated secretary of the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust until his death in January 2012.

View the Call for Compositions as a PDF

Featuring a programme of new works performed by the Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble.
Friday, October 7, 2016, 7:30pm
Holst Room, Morley College, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HT
£8/ £5 (c) available on the door

See the FaceBook event page: here

New compositions:
Gresford - Michael Chant (two pianos)
Accept then these songs - Louise Drewett (two pianos)
Obsesi - Seah Cheng Tat (piano solo)
Troposphere - Elif Karlidag (two pianos)
Migration - Patricia Livingstone (two pianos)
Two Miniature Pieces of Yin and Yang - Meilina Tsui (two pianos)
Two pieces 2016 - Chris Scobie (two pianos)
Remembering Carla - Alessandra Canepa (piano duet)
Follow me up to Carlow - Hugh Shrapnel (two pianos)


Cornelius Cardew was a tutor of the experimental music class at Morley College from 1968 to 1973. It is well known that Cornelius, as well as being an outstanding musician and composer, became a leading political figure and modern communist. Cornelius Cardew's great legacy is of keeping in step with the requirements of the times in a manner that accepts no dogmatic rendering of reality or limitations on the human spirit and striving to contribute to the creation of a new world of socialised humanity . That is the significance of the title of the concert, suggesting music that, like the music of Cornelius, is dedicated to the New, a living music that embodies lyricism, passion and drive.

We also remember James Allen, who was secretary of the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust until his death in January 2012. In celebrating his memory, we are paying tribute both to him and to the life and work of Cornelius Cardew.

View the concert flyer

Following on from the success in 2015 of the call for compositions which were performed at Morley College last October, the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust (CCCT), in conjunction with the Music Department of Morley College, is again issuing a call for new compositions for piano, piano duet or two pianos. The compositions should be previously unperformed.

The new works will be performed by the Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble at Morley College on Friday, October 7, 2016. The decision as to which new pieces to include in the concert will be made jointly by the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust, the Ivory Duo and the Music Department of Morley College. The compositions must be submitted to be in the hands of the CCCT no later than Friday, July 8, 2016.

Cornelius Cardew was a tutor of the experimental music class at Morley College from 1968 to 1973. It is well known that Cardew, as well as being an outstanding musician and composer, was a leading political figure and communist. Cornelius Cardew’s great legacy is that of keeping in step with the requirements of the times in a manner that accepts no dogmatic rendering of reality or limitations on the human spirit and striving to contribute to the creation of a new world of socialised humanity. That is why we have given our call its name, suggesting music that is dedicated to the New that Cardew represented, a living music that might have a beautiful, militant, human-centred character.

We also remember James Allen, who was secretary of the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust until his death in January 2012. In celebrating his memory, we are paying tribute both to him and to the life and work of Cornelius Cardew.

The organisers have decided to request that all composers should also submit a short supplemental statement. This should explain how they have considered Cardew's later works or his legacy as outlined in the Call in their submitted compositions.

Friday, April 8, 7.30pm. Morley College, 61 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7HT

Performed by Quartet De Madrugada: Tim Wright (violin), Lesley Larkum (violin), Josie Stein (viola), Peter Rayner (cello), with Jo Cooper (folk fiddle)

Jonathan Case: The Topography of War; Michael Chant: Beware of the Risen People; Jo Cooper: Lament for the Lost; Vincent Ott: Stomp; Peter Rayner: Awakenings; Chris Scobie: Banna Strand; Hugh Shrapnel: Easter Rising 1916

Sponsored by the Cornelius Cardew Concerts Trust

Music In Step With The Times is a concert of new music for two pianists. This concert first and foremost celebrates the life and work of renowned composer, musician and political activist Cornelius Cardew.

Panayotis Archontides & Natalie Tsaldarakis are the Greek pianists behind the highly successful husband-and-wife duo, the Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble.

Friday, October 2, 7.30pm.
Holst Room, Morley College.
Works by Case, Inglis, Larkum, Lau, Ott, Sarcich, Scobie, Shrapnel and Cornelius Cardew

This concert first and foremost celebrates the path that the renowned composer, musician and modern communist Cornelius Cardew was instrumental in opening up in the world of new music. Significantly, Cardew was a tutor in experimental music at Morley College from 1968 to 1973, and the Holst Room was the venue for these classes. As Howard Skempton wrote:

Morley was the engine room of English Experimental Music, but the engines were human, conjuring from their energies an experimental movement.

Cornelius Cardew remained a pathfinder, summing up experience, militating as an integral part of whatever collective he joined, being in step with the movement of the times and at the forefront of meeting the demands of the times. The characteristic thread running through his music could be said to be that of human-centredness.