October 26 and 27, 2024.
Photo: Oliver Abraham
The Multi-Keyboard Ensemble for Second New Music (ADNM) from Belgrade is organizing the second edition of the “Patterns and Stitches” festival, which will take place on October 26 and 27, 2024, at the Balkan Cinema. This musical event is an opportunity for the audience to get to know the work of some of the most important actors of the contemporary music scene.
The festival, which was held last year in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Zrenjanin, this year brings a special focus on the work of the legendary British composer Gavin Bryers. Bryers, born in 1943, stood out as one of the pioneers of minimalist music in Europe. His works such as “The Sinking of the Titanic” (1969) and “Jesus’s Blood Never Failed Me Yet” (1971) have achieved cult status and are frequently performed around the world. . Bryers’ artistic career spans a wide range of musical genres, from jazz and free improvisation to avant-garde and experimental music. During his career, he collaborated with artists such as Brian Eno, Tom Waits and Charlie Haden, which further cemented his status in the world of contemporary art music.
On the first evening of the festival, on October 26, from 8 p.m., the audience will have the opportunity to enjoy the performance of several of Bryers’ compositions for keyboards and electric guitar, with a guest appearance by Petar Stevanović (Ljubičica). Also, the works of local composers will be presented, which gives the festival a special regional stamp.
On the second evening, October 27, at 8 p.m., ADNM will perform Bryers’ best-known work, “Jesus’s Blood Never Failed Me Yet.” This emotional composition, which is based on a recorded improvisation of a stanza by a homeless man, has gained a large number of fans around the world. For the Belgrade edition of the festival, Bryers specially wrote a new arrangement for six keyboards, which ADNM will perform for 40 minutes. After the concert, Bryers will hold a lecture and talk with the audience, which is a rare opportunity for the Belgrade audience to directly hear the thoughts of this musical visionary.
The organization of the “Patterns and Stitches” festival was helped by Sokoja – the Organization of Music Authors of Serbia and the Organization for the Collective Exercise of Performers’ Rights, PI. Special support was provided by the British Council, thanks to which the Belgrade audience will have the opportunity to listen to the music of this exceptional English composer, who is celebrating his ninetieth anniversary on this occasion. Entrance to the festival is free.
Photo: Aljoša Ninković
