Bongpeople, Clancy Reynolds*

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First Dog in Space, Maddy Briggs*

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Are Ye Then With God?, Louis Wishart*

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John Gavanti, Mars and DNA (arr. Louis Wishart)*

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Scalp's debut concert, "Sounds from the floorboards," saw the premiere of 3 new works by artistic director Louis Wishart, and ensemble members Maddy Briggs and Clancy Reynolds. On the 13th of July, 2025, we saw 3 contrasting works exploring the drama of physical performance in the classical canon, with one foot steeped in gridded, text-based game pieces, and the other in the simultaneously tender and volatile arena of synthesised fixed and open notation. The program reached its thematic culmination with the premiere of Louis' arrangement of the punk operetta "John Gavanti", originally composed by the New York no-wave bands Mars and DNA. Loosely based on Mozart's "Don Giovanni", these alternative punk bands set aside their guitars in favour of second-hand violins, bass clarinets, trumpets and trash can percussion, spending a year composing a guided improvisation following the escapades of John Gavanti. From full-blown industrial freefalls to sultry sambas, Louis' arrangement directly transcribes the squeaks and squawks of unhinged musicians, presented by a collective of musicians who've dedicated their lives to their instruments. The result is a fascinating confrontation between discipline and naivety in both input and output.

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(video recordings of these works coming soon...)