Towards the end of what was, for many members of The Cambridge Free Improvisation Society, their final term before graduation, an idea was suggested which sounded as if it could be full of exciting possibilities. We hoped that a totally improvised opera could provide the chance for fertile cross-disciplinary collaboration, with sets, narrative/texts, acting and singing combining in a risk but potentially rewarding way. In the event, arrangements meant that the opera – or a trial-run version – happened during Graduation Week, and several of the planned participants weren’t able to make it. As ever, the audience was minimal, made up of less people than were performing (though maybe that was just as well, given the try-out nature of what we were doing). The Improper Opera took place in the Drama Studio of the English Faculty, a wonderful space, full of intriguing props and possibilities. Without any actors or other narrative figures, the ‘opera’ element ended up being provided by some hastily assembled pre-written  texts, which you can hear being read out from time to time, and physical performances (often close to mime, I suppose, though with vocal elements as well) from several musicians. The latter, of course, don’t translate into the recording: they involved slow and stylised movements, claustrophobic and hampered bursts for freedom, door-opening routines, foots in buckets, spades, and rope.  A couple of artists were also present: their main centre of activity was a long scroll of paper, onto which were poured various materials, the most prominent of which was a thick red dust. Quite a few photographs were taken, which I’ll put up on this site once I get hold of them. Hopefully this will be an ongoing project; watch this space for more news from September onwards. In any case, for now, here’s the recording, which is best listened to on headphones.

  • Jo Davis – flute, xaphoon, piano (very out of tune)
  • David Curington – oboe, recorder, piano (very out of tune), performance
  • David Grundy – laptop, recorder, performance, voice
  • Daniel Larwood – guitar

http://www.mediafire.com/?xtdr2tmznkc