Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Review: A Haunting Landscape of Sound
As I stepped into Huddersfield Town Hall on a chilly autumn evening, I was enveloped by an eerie atmosphere – fittingly, given the festival's reputation for avant-garde and experimental music. The Explore Ensemble's performance of Rytis Mažulis' Canon Mensurabilis was a masterclass in precision, its repetitive microtonal dissonance punctuated by sparse octaves and fifths. What struck me most, however, was the seamless integration of acoustic and electronic elements, creating an unsettling feedback loop that drew both musicians and audience members into its haunting world.
The evening's main event took place later, with Bryn Harrison's The Spectre... Is Always Already a Figure of That Which is to Come proving a work of mesmerizing magic. With a chamber ensemble backing him, Harrison conjured ghostly echoes on a prerecorded electronic track, weaving together creaking seesaws and shards of acoustic material into an unnerving soundscape that seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of space.
The following night brought a different kind of challenge: the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival's latest composer-in-residence, Sarah Hennies, presented her Motor Tapes. An hour-long exploration of rhythm and timbre inspired by human brain activity, it featured an array of effects – knuckle-knocks, mouthy squelches, and chinks of metal-on-metal – that gradually phased across the ensemble like a series of mini jackhammers. By its conclusion, several in the audience had succumbed to sleep, overwhelmed by the sheer force of Hennies' sonic onslaught.
If some may view the festival as an acquired taste, there's no denying the wealth and diversity on offer. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, hardly an avant-garde trailblazer, proved a welcome reminder of his daring in the Carice Singers' performance of Sarah Was Ninety Years Old, featuring four pitches, three voices, a percussionist, and an organ – all coming together to lap into silence with absolute calm.
The Carice Singers' rendition of Žibuoklė Martinaitytė's Aletheia showcased their lucid sound, full-bodied timbre, and fine-grained blend. Here, it was clear that Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is a platform for music daredevils – fearless voices and innovative sounds to challenge, provoke, and haunt the audience long after the last notes have faded into silence.
As I stepped into Huddersfield Town Hall on a chilly autumn evening, I was enveloped by an eerie atmosphere – fittingly, given the festival's reputation for avant-garde and experimental music. The Explore Ensemble's performance of Rytis Mažulis' Canon Mensurabilis was a masterclass in precision, its repetitive microtonal dissonance punctuated by sparse octaves and fifths. What struck me most, however, was the seamless integration of acoustic and electronic elements, creating an unsettling feedback loop that drew both musicians and audience members into its haunting world.
The evening's main event took place later, with Bryn Harrison's The Spectre... Is Always Already a Figure of That Which is to Come proving a work of mesmerizing magic. With a chamber ensemble backing him, Harrison conjured ghostly echoes on a prerecorded electronic track, weaving together creaking seesaws and shards of acoustic material into an unnerving soundscape that seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of space.
The following night brought a different kind of challenge: the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival's latest composer-in-residence, Sarah Hennies, presented her Motor Tapes. An hour-long exploration of rhythm and timbre inspired by human brain activity, it featured an array of effects – knuckle-knocks, mouthy squelches, and chinks of metal-on-metal – that gradually phased across the ensemble like a series of mini jackhammers. By its conclusion, several in the audience had succumbed to sleep, overwhelmed by the sheer force of Hennies' sonic onslaught.
If some may view the festival as an acquired taste, there's no denying the wealth and diversity on offer. The Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, hardly an avant-garde trailblazer, proved a welcome reminder of his daring in the Carice Singers' performance of Sarah Was Ninety Years Old, featuring four pitches, three voices, a percussionist, and an organ – all coming together to lap into silence with absolute calm.
The Carice Singers' rendition of Žibuoklė Martinaitytė's Aletheia showcased their lucid sound, full-bodied timbre, and fine-grained blend. Here, it was clear that Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival is a platform for music daredevils – fearless voices and innovative sounds to challenge, provoke, and haunt the audience long after the last notes have faded into silence.
it was SO intense!! 
i'm not even kidding when i said the music gave me chills like 3 times i felt like i was in some kinda sonic sci-fi movie 
the soundscape was so immersive and hauntingly beautiful at the same time 
i loved how they blended acoustic & electronic elements it was like a feedback loop of sound madness 
bryn harrison's performance was EVERYTHING 
his music gave me goosebumps every single time 
and sarah hennies' motor tapes was like a sonic assault on my eardrums lol 
And Sarah Hennies' Motor Tapes? Mind blown! Who knew brain activity could be so... audible? 
The use of microtonal dissonance and repetitive patterns can be kinda jarring, especially when it's not your cup of tea. But hey, to each their own! I did enjoy the blend of acoustic and electronic elements, though - it added a nice layer of complexity to the performances. 
One thing that struck me was how some of the pieces were so immersive, like they really drew you in and made you feel like something was off. Like, I've never heard anything like Bryn Harrison's soundscape before... 
I loved how the review described the atmosphere of the festival as "haunting" - that's exactly what I'd expect from a bunch of noise-makers 
.
and Sarah Hennies' Motor Tapes was like a sonic assault on my senses... i mean, who needs sleep when you can just zone out to brain activity? 
just went to this festival and i'm still trying to process it all... i mean, it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea but omg the explore ensemble was insane! 
i'm seriously considering getting a sound therapist to help me deal with the still-lingering echo effects from motor tapes 
but in all seriousness, the diversity and creativity on display were truly inspiring 
but honestly can you explain what's going on with Sarah Hennies' Motor Tapes 
I totally felt the vibe of this festival! The combination of acoustic and electronic elements was 
magic. I loved how each performance was like a mini-movie, drawing you in with soundscapes that made your skin crawl 
. Bryn Harrison's music was especially hypnotic – it was like being transported to another realm 
#ExperimentalMusic #FestivalVibes #SonicExploration
And don't even get me started on Bryn Harrison's The Spectre... Is Always Already a Figure of That Which is to Come... was that thing just haunting my brain for hours afterward or what? 
. But hey, if some people might view the festival as an acquired taste, I guess I kinda agree with them now 
.
.
. And the fact that they featured all these different instruments and effects was just incredible – it was like a whole new world opened up for me.
. Like Sarah Hennies' piece – I think I dozed off at one point... 
. But that's the thing about art, right? It's supposed to push you out of your comfort zone and make you feel something deep down inside 
.
. And Bryn Harrison's performance? Mind-blowing! He weaves together these ghostly echoes and sounds that just seem to come out of nowhere 
. The only thing that kept me awake (and some other audience members too 
. Arvo Pärt might not be avant-garde, but his performance with the Carice Singers was a breath of fresh air - who knew he could bring such calm to chaos? 
and honestly, have you seen those new smart glasses everyone's been raving about? just another way for companies to collect our personal data and sell us stuff we don't need 
. They're all about this experimental stuff that's just noise to me 
. And don't even get me started on the prices 
.
. The way they blend acoustic and electronic elements is actually quite clever 
.
, but sometimes I just want to hear some good old-fashioned melody 
.