Art and the Public Realm Bristol

On Saturday 11th March, members of the public and the Citadel’s congregation were invited to individually conduct The Salvation Army brass band – without using sheet music. Responding to the conductor’s gestures and movements, the band created a spontaneous and bespoke piece of music with each conductor contributing to a score made on the day.

On Saturday 11^th March, members of the public and the Citadel’s congregation were invited to individually conduct The Salvation Army brass band – without using sheet music. Responding to the conductor’s gestures and movements, the band created a spontaneous and bespoke piece of music with each conductor which contributed to a score made on the day.

The original 1896 Salvation Army Citadel building (which provided the bricks for Theaster Gates’ Sanctum) was replaced in 2015 by a new Community and Family Centre. To mark the development, Andy Ingamells was commissioned to produce a new public artwork. The artist began his research in the Citadel’s music archive, exploring 100 years of composing and performing. From this initial research and supported by Situations, he has developed a proposal for a new score, written through a meeting between the brass band and the public.

As an experimental musician and artist, Andy Ingamells explores unusual methods of composition that blur the line between composer and performer. He has triggered performances in over 30 different countries during a single day, read traffic lights as musical notation and invented the game of violin cricket.

Andy Ingamells and Situations are in the final stages of producing the next stages of the project which will take the form of a new musical score composed of the music from the 11th March, along with an accompanying film work.

Andy Ingamells

Andy Ingamells is an experimental musician who develops unorthodox methods of composition that blur the line between composer and performer.

He has dispersed brief instructions via the internet to be interpreted and performed in over 30 different countries during a single day, filled taxis with recorder players reading traffic lights as musical notation, invented the game of violin cricket, and completed a marathon five-day performance-journey across Europe inspired by organ music.

His work has been performed in the National Portrait Gallery, the Handel & Hendrix House Museum and Café Oto in London, the Orgelpark and Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, the Lapidarium of Kings in Copenhagen, Walled City Festival in Derry, Wunderbar Festival in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Cheltenham International Music Festival.

His work has been described in TEMPO as “outstanding … demonstrating a skilful balance of compositional elements and performance qualities, with well-planned theatrical effects”.

Situations

Situations are award winning public art producers based in Bristol. Founded in 2002, Situations opens up the potential for artists to make extraordinary ideas happen in unusual and unexpected places, inspiring audiences and participants to explore new horizons. Previous projects have included Theaster Gates, Sanctum (2015), Hew Locke, The Jurors (2015) to commemorate the Magna Carta; Michael Sailstorfer, Folkestone Digs (2014); Annika Kahrs, Concert for the Birds (2014); Katie Paterson, Future Library (2014-2114) and Futurefarmers, Flatbread Society (2013 onwards) both for Oslo; Alex Hartley, Nowhereisland (2012); Heather and Ivan Morison, Black Cloud (2009); One Day Sculpture, New Zealand (2008). Situations is an Arts Council England National Portfolio organisation and is generously supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the John Ellerman Foundation and the University of the West of England, Bristol.