Decibel tour Ed Bennett’s epic and immersive ensemble work ‘Togetherness’: Beyond Borders
Acclaimed ensemble Decibel will tour a substantial recent work for amplified large ensemble and electronic media by the acclaimed Northern Irish composer Ed Bennett. The thirty-five minute piece ‘Togetherness’ was commissioned and composed in 2015 with support from the Leverhulme Trust and Moving On Music. The premiere was given by Decibel at the Moving On Music ‘Tempered’ Festival in Belfast in November that year and this tour will also coincide with a CD release of the work.
‘Togetherness’ is a large-scale immersive piece for eleven virtuoso musicians. The work explores the contradictory notions of independence, pluralism and unity in music, culture and society. In a time when separation and isolation are prevalent issues in popular political and social thinking, ‘Togetherness’ explores the possibility that working together whilst retaining our own unique and individual identities is the key to a brighter future. Growing up in a troubled Northern Ireland, Ed brings his heightened awareness of the dangers of division in society to a piece which is essentially an optimistic call for a more tolerant and understanding world.
This collaboration instigates a partnership between Decibel ensemble, Frontiers+ Festival (Birmingham, England), PLUG Festival (Glasgow, Scotland), Leeds College of Music and Cork Orchestral Society (Cork, Ireland).