STRANGE NEWS a work for actor, orchestra or ensemble, surround sound and video screen

Transcription

1 STRANGE NEWS a work for actor, orchestra or ensemble, surround sound and video screen Concept: Josse De Pauw, Rolf Wallin Music: Rolf Wallin Text, video, stage direction: Josse De Pauw Strange News is a large work for the concert hall that deals with matters in the world around us. It is not a piece of political art in the traditional sense, in which one often propagates against a clearly defined enemy and proposes a solution for the problem, but rather as an artistic parallel to a TV or radio documentary: a small, but informative window onto a particular matter, where the empathy with those involved is more important than dry information, and where no conclusions are made. The subject matter of Strange News is the children used so utterly cynically as soldiers in wars around the world, the so-called child soldiers. Many of those who have escaped have in recent years been taken into aid programmes, where they are helped to live normally in society again. One of the main challenges is that the social ties to their own community were often brutally cut when they were forced to commit atrocities to their own tribe, even their own family. As a part of the therapy, local traditional rituals can be used, focusing on the individual as a part of the collective, with song and dance as important ingredients. The wonderful thing is that the therapy actually works; a glimpse of hope in one of the darkest chapters of African contemporary history. The Norwegian charity Christian Relief Network (CRN) has long experience from work with child soldiers. Stage director Josse De Pauw and composer Rolf Wallin, together with a reporter and a cameraman from NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation), visited the CRN projects in Uganda and The Democratic Republic of Congo in November They met former child soldiers, talked to them, and recorded their words, which Josse De Pauw wove into the piece s libretto. Furthermore, they recorded sound and video material for use in the performance. And finally, they held auditions to find an actor to participate in the performance, ending up with the wonderful young Ugandan actor Arthur Kisenyi. Strange News is cast in five sections. The first section, News, is introduced by a newscaster with the words: Good evening. Here is the news, and features real video footage of children fighting in African conflicts, accompanied by a manic distorted version of the intense, pounding music that accompanies television news broadcasts. This music gradually dies away, and leads into the second section, Strange, in which the narrator tells his own terrible story of how as a young boy he was pressed into the service of the army that attacked his village. The horrors become ever more real to the audience, as real sounds of war invade the concert hall via the surround sound system, until in the third section Life Like Water, these sounds dissolve into an electroacoustic landscape. The narrator, in fact deserted by the musicians who have fled the stage, makes a monologue in which he compares life and water nourishing, cooling, but also dangerous and filthy. At last, in the fourth and fifth sections Singing and Dancing and Home, the narrator returns to his village, and, through participating in community music-making and dancing which we can see on the video screen, accompanied by the musicians on stage a possible re-integration into society is suggested. Strange News is intended to fill the second half of the concert. The program before intermission is up to the ensemble. However, many ensembles choose to fill the first half of the concert with other works that in some way shows a concern for political or ethical issues.

2 STRANGE NEWS PERSONNEL Orchestral version with live electronics Production schedule for Strange News This is a typical rehearsal set up for Strange News. It can be adapted, in consultation with Strange News, but all technical aspects must be in place before an extended stage rehearsal and full run dress rehearsal. Three/four weeks before the performance, the ensemble s production manager should have a Skype conversation with Rolf Wallin to ensure that all production aspects are clear. In addition, Rolf is always available to talk through the piece with the conductor in advance. Rehearsals 1. Ensemble only it is wise to have microphones for all instruments set up the day before the live electronics rehearsal, for the sound engineer and the live electronics operator to check signal levels and quality. 2. The day before the stage rehearsal: Musical rehearsals with live electronics. Full PA. 3. The evening before the stage rehearsal: Technical setup and test of video and lighting. Rehearsal with actor, conductor, PA (sound effects only) video, lighting 4. Stage rehearsal minimum 3 hours. Ensemble, actor, PA, video, lighting. 5. Dress rehearsal and concert. The rehearsals do not need to be in the same hall as the concert, but the closer one can move into the concert venue the better. Ample time has to be taken for the transport and setup of equipment. Personnel In addition to the ensemble and conductor, the following people are required: Actor The actor must be the Ugandan actor Arthur Kisenyi. In addition to dress rehearsal and concerts, he needs to attend the stage rehearsal 3 hours and the dress rehearsal. Before the main rehearsal, a run-through with him and the conductor is necessary (30-60 minutes). There must be a separate room for Arthur to prepare with the stage camera, or a similar camera. The ensemble is responsible for Arthur Kisenyi's fee, travel and accommodation, as well as the responsibility for paying for working permits and visa for the concert country and any transit country, as required. Operators and Equipment 1. Live Electronics Macintosh computers and operator: This computer, handling the live electronics and the pre-recorded sound files, must be operated by Rolf Wallin. In addition to dress rehearsal and concerts, he needs to attend to at least one musical rehearsal and the stage rehearsal, preferably for all rehearsals, because of the special nature of the score. The ensemble is responsible for Rolf Wallin s fee, travel and accommodation, and also working permit, if applicable. For additional performances after the premiere, the Audio and Live Electronic Macs can be operated by a person provided by the ensemble and trained and approved by Rolf Wallin. 2. Video Macintosh computer: This operator is a musician or other person provided by the ensemble that can handle the subtitles of the Actor, and simple trigging and mixing of the live camera with pre-recorded video files. The operator must be trained by Rolf Wallin in good time before the stage rehearsal. 3. Sound engineer: Provided by the ensemble. Must be present at concert and all rehearsals using PA. 4. Lighting engineer: Provided by the ensemble. Must be present at concert and all rehearsals using lighting. All the operators must be seated at a control table in the centre axis of the auditorium, if possible in the middle, not in a separate control room. If lighting engineer has to be in a control room, there must be an intercom connection with Rolf Wallin.

3 5. Video technician: Provided by the ensemble. Must set up the video equipment and make sure it is functioning at all times. Person 3 and 5 can be the same person, if he/she is capable of both the technical side and the running of the video. Other information Opening section: Strange News starts with a 2 minutes video recording of a nationally well-known TV newsreader looking at the audience and finally saying "Good evening, here is the news" in the national language. This video must be provided by the ensemble. This has been no problem so far the newsreaders have been very intrigued by the project. And in fact the news stations even provided a studio and a camera etc., so this was virtually free for the performers. If there already exists a recording for your country, and we are permitted to reuse it, this recording session is not necessary. Collaboration with aid organisations or educational projects (optional) Strange News encourages the ensemble to collaborate with an aid organisation working with child soldiers. For example, i. the aid organisation can have a stand in the foyer, giving information about their work before and after the concert and in the interval. ii. the program book and the ensemble's website can have a presentation of the organisation, contact information and links. iii. Strange News is working on an educational project for collaboration with schools, combining information at school with attending the concert with Strange News. Commissioning (this information is to be included within programme note for concert) The orchestral version of Strange News was commissioned by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, who gave the world premiere performance in May 2007, and co-commissioned by the Casa da Musica, Porto. The ensemble version of the piece was commissioned by the Integra consortium of new music ensembles, and was premiered by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in June For further information and viewing a demo video from the premiere in Oslo please visit and rolfwallin.org/snvid.html

4 STRANGE NEWS EQUIPMENT LIST Orchestral Version 1. GENERAL PA Sound equipment must be of high standard and free from audible noise. i. Quadrophonic PA, with fullrange loudspeakers in all four corners, surrounding the audience and elevated well above the audience. ii. subwoofer in front, if possible also in rear of hall iii. one small audio monitor on stand for the conductor iv. mixer with at least 8 channels, 1 aux (pre fader, for monitors) and four busses (for FOH and surround speakers) v. wireless lapel mic for the actor 2. LIVE ELECTRONICS MAC i. MacBook Pro running Strange News live electronics program. ii. Soundcard with minimum 4 outputs. Rolf Wallin will bring the computer with all necessary software and soundfiles (MOTU 828). 3. VIDEO MAC i. MacBook Pro running Strange News video program (mixing live feed from actor's camera ii. Video input from onstage semi-professional DV camera with DV or S-Video output, VGA/DVI output from Mac to projector. The sound is connected with the sound mixer with a minijack cable. iii. Rolf Wallin will bring the Mac Mini computer with all necessary software and video files. 4. VIDEO SCREEN i. 16:9 video screen, as large as possible, with back-projection if possible, suspended behind orchestra ii. High quality DLP projector with sufficient power to give a good picture despite the stage lighting 5. ACTOR i. Positioned on soloist's place, to the left of conductor. ii. Wireless lapel mic. iii. DV camera on tripod, which should have a flip out screen so the actor can see himself. 6. PODIUM Towards the end of Strange News, the Actor dances along the front of the stage. There must be at minimum 1 metre of space between the front edge of the stage and the musicians, on the left hand side of the conductor 7. LIGHTING i. The light on the ensemble is a general steelblue wash and the music stand lights for all musicians. ii. The music stand lights should not be filtered. A white spotlight circle on the Actor. A small face-light mounted on the camera stand (can be a music stand light). iii. Lighting of the area in front of the ensemble where the actor dances. iv. A white spotlight on the conductor to make him clearly visible for the musicians. v. All lighting should not affect the video screen, taking care that it also does not reflect on floor and walls.

5 Fees and costs All fees are payable within 30 days of the performances taking place. Actor Arthur Kisenyi Euro 1,200 for first performance, Euro 600 for additional performances/schools concerts Return travel from Uganda Accommodation Visa / work permit costs (Ugandan passport) Travel insurance Live electronics, composer and administration Rolf Wallin Euro 1,750 for first performance, Euro 600 for additional performances/schools concerts Return travel from UK (eg, low cost airline is acceptable for European performances) Accommodation Work permit costs if required (Norwegian passport) Hire library fees These fees are set by the publisher in each individual territory. For appropriate contacts, please visit These fees are correct as at October Contact To discuss any element of these details, please contact: Charlotte Burke Producer, Strange News (UK mobile) Skype: CJRBurke charlotte@strange-news.info