Iain Cameron's Diary
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2003-05-20 - 7:01 a.m.

Listening to Lamb � a duo from Leeds � electronic music with some live bits esp in the string dept � cello, string bass etc and also of course live vocals. I can�t remember which phase of electronica they belong to? Was it drum n bass? Anyway I was first drawn to them by a track on a Future Music cover disc � which led to me getting their debut CD. And then I bumped into the 2nd CD and bought that. Then James stole both of them but now he�s in Russia I can steal it back. There are links with the John Handy album of 1965 which I need to write to Andrew K about. The female singer sounds a bit like Eartha Kitt.

Gavin Gribbon mailed about Detroit and SAAT2 � I especially liked his idea that Miles� middle class background would predispose him to Malcolm X.

At lunchtime I drove into Coventry and parked on the roof of the retail market. I was a bit early and so I strolled around the old ruined cathedral � a shell left after it burned out in a bombing raid in the 2nd world war. It�s a powerful place � I haven�t been there since I was about 8 or 9. The artworks in the old cathedral pack a particular punch � some are 20C and others medieval.

The new cathedral � where the recital took place � has an axis at right angles to the old. Its impressively consistent � in a mid 20C way � impressive glass � both stained and plain carrying images. I sat in the choir stall to hear Colin Touchin play recorder accompanied by the organ. The first piece he played was a Handel sonata in A minor which I have performed myself � and subjected to various transformations. This is not the best way to hear a piece which is itself being executed in a non standard way. I really enjoyed the next piece which was a late 16th century solo by a street performer � it sounded good but I was really curious about how on earth it was collected.

It reminded me a bit of an early bassoon piece I had a hand in once in Guildford.

The reason I was there was to hear Colin�s new piece Draconne � which is a mixture of a drone and chaconne � specially written for that occasion. I thought it was pretty good and really quite close . For example I liked the mixture of tonal and more atonal and the pacing of the line.

Then there was a 20C organ solo � which you don�t get much in Guildford, a Loeillet sonata which I actually preferred to the Handel � maybe because I didn�t know the piece. And finally a frightening encore by Telemann � frightening because I cant play that fast and accurately on the flute yet alone on the recorder.

By coincidence the programme notes mentioned the Radio 3 competition which I heard last night. I have been turning over in my mind whether to write to Colin about it � yes I think I will. I would like to get the score for his piece.

I am working on an event in early July. In fact on Sunday I started sketching a part-work � simple participative singing that I am going to use for it. Anyway I cam across some stuff in the old cathedral that I decided to weave in.

We have introduced an editorials column on www.kwase-kwaza.org. I have had a first shot at one � it was harder than I thought.

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