'Music in Place' at the British Library

We performed contemporary music in this high quality indoor public spaces in London. We played in the foyer of the new British Library building in Euston Road, London.

The foyer is on several floors, and has a number of corners where groups of musicians were placed. From each of these the musical sounds travelled around the foyer. One of our groups started the event with a piece. As they concluded, a group elsewhere in the building started up - and so on, continuing for several hours, with the source of the music moving around the building.

The ideas behind it

Our aim was to celebrate this, and other, excellent public spaces in London. The British Library is a bulding of practical importance to our city, as well as delight to visit as an example of excellent architecture with a real social purpose - the very opposite of the Millennium Dome.

We want the music of our own age - contemporary music - to be of central importance in our society. We therefore offered our music as a way of enhancing and celebrating this wonderful building - music in its proper place - in front of the public of our city, not restricted to an audience in concert rooms.

The performance we gave was a cross between a John Cage 'Circus', and busking. We were there to enhance the building, and for people to take pleasure from the music we offered if they chose, or to ignore us if they chose.

Our music has to rely on its power to communicate, since we are not able to impress simply with virtuosity. In many ways our music therefore communicates more directly with audiences than some of the contemporary music written for professional players.

The music we played

We played music for:

String quartet music