On a mild September evening back in 2016, a large group gathered on the old, cobbled approach road of Edge Hill Station, slowly and with intention. The sun was low, the stage was set, the bar was open, and there was a quiet hum of anticipation in the air. We had come together for a unique shared experience: a live performance of Steve Reich’s Different Trains by the London Contemporary Orchestra, in the presence of Reich himself, just days before his 80th birthday.
Image credit: Mark McNulty, 2016.
Audience members described the evening as “magical” and “one to last in the memory”. It certainly is a highlight of mine from my time at Metal. I was heavily pregnant with my first child, and the concert was my last major project before going on maternity leave. So, returning from my second maternity leave and finding myself planning to stage the work again, exactly ten years later, feels particularly special.
Next month, we will bring Different Trains back to Liverpool, this time in partnership with the Liverpool Philharmonic at the Tung Auditorium. It promises to be another unique moment in Liverpool’s musical calendar.
We will be showing Bill Morrison’s film accompaniment again; the only film Steve Reich has ever permitted to be attached to one of his works. It’s an immersive, hard hitting and beautiful experience, utilising found footage from archives in America and Europe from the Second World War. 10 years on, it feels even more poignant, watching it now in a world still experiencing global conflict, a rise of fascism, and attacks on the rights of people, particularly those forced to seek safety and asylum.
Image credit: Mark McNulty, 2016.
To accompany this contemporary viewing, this year, we have commissioned two local artists, Rebecca Ainsworth and Abdullrhman Hassona, to reflect on their experiences of displacement. Inspired by the idea of taking a journey together, this summer they took part in a day-long train-based residency, travelling through and around the local landscape. The resulting audio-visual artwork will be shown on the first floor of the Tung Auditorium on the night of the concert.
This is more than just a return to something we did 10 years ago. It’s a chance to experience this significant audio and visual work together, listening, watching, reflecting on the world differently.
I hope that, just as in 2016, this moment of gathering and sharing will last long in the memory of everyone who attends.
Image credit: Mark McNulty, 2016.
