Summary:
Busker’s Suite was a work commissioned by the Brisbane City Council to be performed as part of an event aimed at revitalising the cultural life of Stones Corner.
It incorporated the themes of rebirth, musical and cultural spaces, growth, and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.
The performance involved seven musicians who appeared as separate buskers. They all played their own tunes until seamlessly joining with one another to play a single piece of music as one group.
Joff’s Notes:
I designed the performance to be a sensuous experience for the audience – something they could literally walk around, and sit inside. They would get a different experience of the music depending on where they were standing.
Every note was written with the venue in mind, so the piece could only come to life on the street. There were many improvised sections wherein the musicians were encouraged to listen texturally and create swelling waves of sound. I was fortunate enough to work with some delicious minstrels who made this possible.