York Late Music Concert Series: Peyee Chen, 1pm; Juice, 7.30pm, November 6 (From York Press)

York Late Music Concert Series: Peyee Chen, 1pm; Juice, 7.30pm, November 6

12:29pm Friday 29th October 2010 in Music news and reviews By Charles Hutchinson

Irishman Samuel Beckett is rather better known as a playwright, but next Saturday the York Late Music Concert Series will give a rare outing to his avant-garde work Not I.

This will form the opening piece of solo vocalist Peyee Chen’s Word Play recital at 1pm at the Unitarian Chapel in St Saviourgate.

“Even though we focus on the work of living composers, we wanted to include the late great Samual Beckett,” says artistic director Steve Crowther.

“Peyee will present an intriguing recital which explores the connection between words, sounds and music, and her programme will include two works from the flamboyant, even playful, sound world of Greek composer Georges Aperghis. He’s very theatrical, which ties in well with Beckett.”

Roger Marsh’s deeply moving A Little Snow will be a further highlight.

“Peyee did her post-graduate singing studies at the University of York, where Roger is a professor, so it’s nice that she should be performing one of his compositions,” says Steve.

Peyee, who now lives in Huddersfield, also will sing Michael Finnissy’s Song 1 and Song 16; Erin Gee’s Mouthpiece I and Mouthpiece II and York composer Edward Caine’s Poem In Silence.

Next Saturday’s second concert of the day, by the vocal trio Juice at 7.30pm, will take the theme of Love Labour Loss.

“It should be a real splash, a real breath of fresh air; they bring such energy to their music,” says Steve.

The ‘Love’ part of the concert title will come in the second half when one-time York student Kerry Andrew, Sarah Dacey and Anna Snow focus on Laid Bare: Ten Love Songs.

“They’ve commissioned ten diverse British composers/songwriters to write a three-minute ‘love song’, including Gavin Bryars, Errollyn Wallen, the award-winning folk artist Jim Moray and Mica Levi of internationally acclaimed artpop band Micachu And The Shapes,” says Steve.

“These short, sweetly sharp songs will contrast with a wacky first half entitled Labour, Loss, where the songs will be based on work, such as three exhilarating medieval lyrics by Janet Oates, and on death, as represented by three Cruel Family folk song settings by Sarah Dacey… and some twisted arrangements of bluegrass tunes.”

A new work by Stef Connor will be performed, too.

• Tickets for Peyee Chen (£5, concessions £3) and Juice (£8/£6) are available on 01904 658338 or online at ncem.co.uk

See latemusic.org/concerts for more details on December 3 and 4’s concerts.