Birmingham Contemporary Music Group

Birmingham (that’s the one in the U.K.) Contemporary Music Group, in association with Birmingham Jazz and Sound Investment, long ago invited me to write a piece for chamber orchestra and improvising soloists. The resulting work is now going into rehearsals, with Susie Ibarra, percussion, Mark Dresser, bass, and myself flying over next week to join the 14 BCMG players.

There’s great info on the organization here.

The new piece is tentatively titled Blue Latitudes after the book by Tony Horwitz. Its sonic world emanates from my imaginings of the eighteenth century South Pacific voyages led by Captain James Cook.

The official premiere will take place in Birmingham on April 2, 2006.