Gavin Prior and Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh in Sabre Series

Gavin Prior is a composer and experimental musician based in Limerick, also known for his work in the bands United Bible Studies, Sabre Seriess and Toymonger. On 18 May, he will be joined by viola player Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh and instrumentalist Ed Devane at The Joinery for a performance of his work Biforking, a dronefield work for tape, strings and electronics.

‘When performed Biforking creates an all-encompassing drone which has a hypnotic effect on the audience,’ Gavin explains the process behind the improvised work. ‘It’s a “3D dronefield” because the live performers walk around the room playing beat tones against the pre-recorded part and resonating with each other. Every audience member will hear a different blend of tones. Inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, the performers are encouraged to walk slowly and mindfully as in a walking meditation. Another inspiration is the Deep Listening practice of Pauline Oliveros: audience and performers are all invited to delve into the drone and listen for subtleties discovering that a drone is never truly monotonous.’

Prior is in the process of making Biforking into an open-source composition, so that the score and materials can be accessed online for performance by any interested parties. This will be incorporated into the Joinery performance, with Devane using recordings of previous performances as source materials in his improvisation. The first performance can be found here.

Biforking begins at 8pm on 18 May, and is a Bring-Your-Own-Beer event. Tickets cost €8 and will be available at the door.

thejoinery.org