Turnage About Water premiere at Southbank Centre

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Turnage About Water premiere at Southbank Centre

(June 2007)

Mark-Anthony Turnage has collaborated with jazz singer Barb Jungr to create a new 35-minute work, About Water, which receives its premiere at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on 15 June.

The score was commissioned by Southbank Centre, as part of the celebrations upon the reopening of the Royal Festival Hall and relaunch of the site as a whole, and is performed by the London Sinfonietta conducted by Stefan Asbury. As well as Barb Jungr, solo performers include bassist John Patitucci, pianist Gwilym Simcock and cellist Gabriella Swallow.

Interspersed between the sections of the original Turnage score, Jungr will perform waterthemed songs, in new arrangements for ensemble and orchestra by Turnage, including Nick Drake’s Riverman, Otis Redding’s Sitting on the Dock of the Bay and Take Me To The River by Al Green and Davin Seay, with a total running of just over the hour. Turnage's About Water sets out, like many of his works, to straddle the seeming divide between classical and jazz styles.

Mark-Anthony Turnage said: “I knew as soon as I heard Barb Jungr's voice I wanted to write for her. She is totally unique and individual. She brings an intensity to her performance that is so exciting and rare. I wanted to surround her with soloists I've worked with over the years from the great American bass player John Patitucci to the fabulous sax players Mark Lockheart and Martin Robertson, the outstanding jazz pianist Gwilym Simcock and the beautiful cello playing of Gabriella Swallow. Along with four singers and the London Sinfonietta I wanted to make a lyrical brew of my own music interspersed with arrangements of some familiar and some less familiar songs.”

Barb Jungr said: “When Mark asked me if he might write something for me to sing, I was thrilled and amazed. And then I wrote some texts and we were collaborating. Working outside of one's own genre pushes the envelope – stretches the muscles. I take back to my own work new harmonic ideas and new improvisation. I hope I bring to Mark's work something new, too. It's a joy always to be in inspiring and inspired company, Mark is a terrific artist and I'm loving working with him.”

Visit the Southbank Centre website for further information and tickets.

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