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Cage and the Musicircus
Live performance: 17 Jan 2004 -- 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm
Presented by: Stephen Montague
Public: Free
Barbican Centre Silk Street London EC2Y 8DS (How to get there)
London -- UK
http://www.barbican.org.uk/generic/details.asp?eventID=2123&artFormID=2&artForm=music

John Paul Jones, armed with his 12-string bass and Capybara, will join 200 to 300 other musicians scattered throughout the Barbican performing arts center in London to recreate John Cage's Musicircus event. Armed with a stopwatch and an I-Ching-generated score each musician can play whatever they want (just not whenever they want). Was Cage saying something of our potential as individuals within a society? Was he anticipating the fractionalization of musical genres and the cacaphony of the information age? Was he saying that everything we do is music? Or was it just something fun to do in the Stock Pavillion in Champaign Illinois back in 1967 when the piece was premiered? You can experience the answer for yourself when members of the BBC Symphony Chorus, the Cat & Fiddle Band, COMA Ensemble, The Electroacoustic Cabaret, Irish folk fiddlers, young musicians from local schools, GSMD and TCM and other musicians take to every corner of the Barbican to recreate the experience of a 60s happening in 21st century London.

3.00 pm Barbican Foyers Musicircus

4.00 pm and 4.35 pm Talk Prompt Corner John Cage and the Musiccircus

Composer Stephen Montague discusses Cage's Musicircus. (Please note that due to space limitations, the 4.00 pm talk is open to weekend Pass-holders only).

The 4.35 pm talk is open to all ticket holders for Cage events, but please note that space is limited.

5.00 pm Barbican Foyers Musicircus

A repeat performance. Or will it be? Can anything ever be the same twice?

Discussion (Eyewitness reports, descriptions, discussion):

• Review in the Independent
• Review in LiveArt Magazine (Blue LEDs meet the blue LED)
• Review by DJ Alchemi