Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Review: Where Sound and Silence Collide
The annual HCMF festival descended upon the town in November, shrouded in cloud and chilling temperatures. Yet, within the confines of indoor venues, a rich tapestry of sound unfolded, blurring the lines between acoustic and electronic music.
In Huddersfield Town Hall, London-based Explore Ensemble took to the stage, their performance of Lithuanian composer Rytis Mažulis' Canon Mensurabilis evoking an otherworldly atmosphere. The piece, featuring sparse octaves and fifths, effortlessly transitioned into a full-bodied electronic track, leaving the audience in awe of its precision.
Next up was Bryn Harrison's The Spectre … Is Always Already a Figure of That Which is to Come, a haunting work that seamlessly integrated acoustic and electronic elements. As the musicians responded to their electronic counterparts, a sense of compulsion took hold, drawing the audience into its dark, pulsing world.
A late-night concert at the HCMF saw the venerable French outfit Dedalus Ensemble take on Sarah Hennies' Motor Tapes, an hour-long exploration of rhythm and timbre inspired by human brain activity. The piece featured a dizzying array of effects, from knuckle-knocks to metal-on-metal chinks, but its true impact lay in its ability to disorient and captivate.
New music is at the heart of HCMF, and this year's festival offered a diverse range of performances that pushed the boundaries of what we consider "new." Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's Sarah Was Ninety Years Old was a welcome reminder of his enduring innovation, while the UK premiere of Žibuoklė Martinaitytė's Aletheia showcased the Carice Singers' remarkable ability to navigate complex soundscapes.
Throughout the festival, it became clear that HCMF is all about embracing the unknown and exploring the frontiers of sound. Whether through electronic manipulation or acoustic experimentation, the performances were united in their quest for the new and the uncharted. As the dust settled on another successful HCMF, one thing was certain: this was an event that would leave a lasting impression – a ghostly echo that would linger long after the final note had faded away.
The annual HCMF festival descended upon the town in November, shrouded in cloud and chilling temperatures. Yet, within the confines of indoor venues, a rich tapestry of sound unfolded, blurring the lines between acoustic and electronic music.
In Huddersfield Town Hall, London-based Explore Ensemble took to the stage, their performance of Lithuanian composer Rytis Mažulis' Canon Mensurabilis evoking an otherworldly atmosphere. The piece, featuring sparse octaves and fifths, effortlessly transitioned into a full-bodied electronic track, leaving the audience in awe of its precision.
Next up was Bryn Harrison's The Spectre … Is Always Already a Figure of That Which is to Come, a haunting work that seamlessly integrated acoustic and electronic elements. As the musicians responded to their electronic counterparts, a sense of compulsion took hold, drawing the audience into its dark, pulsing world.
A late-night concert at the HCMF saw the venerable French outfit Dedalus Ensemble take on Sarah Hennies' Motor Tapes, an hour-long exploration of rhythm and timbre inspired by human brain activity. The piece featured a dizzying array of effects, from knuckle-knocks to metal-on-metal chinks, but its true impact lay in its ability to disorient and captivate.
New music is at the heart of HCMF, and this year's festival offered a diverse range of performances that pushed the boundaries of what we consider "new." Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's Sarah Was Ninety Years Old was a welcome reminder of his enduring innovation, while the UK premiere of Žibuoklė Martinaitytė's Aletheia showcased the Carice Singers' remarkable ability to navigate complex soundscapes.
Throughout the festival, it became clear that HCMF is all about embracing the unknown and exploring the frontiers of sound. Whether through electronic manipulation or acoustic experimentation, the performances were united in their quest for the new and the uncharted. As the dust settled on another successful HCMF, one thing was certain: this was an event that would leave a lasting impression – a ghostly echo that would linger long after the final note had faded away.
they did such amazing things with sound and silence, it was like you were transported to another world 
i mean, who wouldn't be fascinated by a composer who uses human brain activity as inspiration for music? 
it's so cool how the musicians pushed boundaries and experimented with different effects to create this whole new world of sound 
and i'm loving the fact that they featured all these talented performers from around the world! 
what really stood out to me was how the different pieces blended together, like a puzzle coming together in perfect harmony 
. the way they mixed acoustic & electronic sounds together was pure magic 
. i especially loved the explore ensemble's performance of rytis mažulis' canon mensurabilis - it gave me chills 
. but what really impressed me was how new music is still pushing boundaries and exploring uncharted soundscapes 
. it's events like hcmf that remind us to stay curious and keep seeking out the unknown 
.
and the fact that they had a whole lineup dedicated to exploring the unknown really resonated with me. it's like, we're living in a time where the possibilities are endless and the only limit is our imagination.
AND THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM WAS ELECTRIC!!! I ALSO LOVED HOW THEY PLAYED THESE REALLY OLD COMPOSERS LIKE ARVO PÄRT AND PUT THEM IN NEW LIGHT WITH THE CARICE SINGERS ON STAGE 
and bryn harrisons piece was so hauntingly good 
the way they blended acoustic & electronic elements was pure magic 
. i mean, who needs electronic manipulation when you've got good ol' acoustic instruments? didn't really get what all the fuss was about with that arvo párt piece... just a bunch of repetitive notes if you ask me 
. and don't even get me started on the brain activity thing - sounds like some sort of scientific experiment gone wrong 
. still, can't deny that it was an interesting festival... but i'm not convinced it's all that groundbreaking 
. I love how HCMF pushes the boundaries of sound – it's like they're speaking a new language 
And the Carice Singers killing it with Žibuoklė Martinaitytė's Aletheia? Goals 
. I mean, what's wrong with festivals being just plain loud and chaotic? Don't get me wrong, it sounds like HCMF was pretty lit, but sometimes a good ol' fashioned ear-shredder is just what you need to wake up the town hall crowd 
. Also, I'm not sure about the emphasis on electronic manipulation – don't they know that acoustic music can be just as innovative and groundbreaking? 
. It's always dope to see artists pushing boundaries and exploring new sounds 
. Arvo Pärt's piece was a highlight for me too - his music is just so calming yet thought-provoking at the same time 
. And can we talk about Dedalus Ensemble's performance - those effects were wild! 
and i'm still trying to process the whole experience 
anyway back to music - what's with all these new composers everyone's talking about? is arvo pardt still alive or something? 
. Can't they just break up the text into clear paragraphs? And what's with all these random sentences about the atmosphere and compulsion? It's a concert review, not a literary analysis 
.