With the Merce Cunningham Dance Company performing at The BarbicanTheatre, Silk St, London, UK.  July 2005.

A fantastic series, each night,  a different event presenting choreographed pieces selected by Merce using dice, different décor, different costumes and another trio of musicians. Playing in the pit, we musicians couldn’t see the dancers, were outside the quadraphonic space surrounding the seated audience and had the instruction to play independantly of each other and be silent for a total of 15 minutes within the 72 we played for. The audience therefore were able to each make their own event out of the chance collisions of mood, pace, activity+/- pace and timbre. Invariably they couldn’t believe this was the case. Astonishing that this kind of performance making work has been going on for 50 years or so yet was received with such new excitement here. The whole project remarkable and an honour to be a part of.

Kaffe played with Merce from 16th - 19th July 2005 as follows:

16th:    Musicians: John King, Kaffe Matthews and Philip Selway (Radiohead)      Decor: David Batchelor.

18th    Musicians: Takehisa Kosugi(MD), Kaffe Matthews and Steve Montague    Decor: Darren Almond

19th:    Musicians: Takehisa Kosugi(MD), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) and Kaffe Matthews.  Decor: Enrico David.

Start time: 7.45pm but 3pm on Sunday 19th.  Duration: 70 mins /no interval.

“My work has always been in process. Finishing a dance has always left me with the idea, often slim in the beginning, for the next one.

I do not think of dance as an object, rather a short stop on the way.” Merce Cunningham

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