Promenade Theatre Orchestra
Encyclopedia
Promenade Theatre Orchestra was an English quartet founded by John White
in 1969 and consisted of the composer/performers White, Christopher Hobbs
, Alec Hill
, and Hugh Shrapnel
. Although not one of the Scratch Orchestra
's so-called 'sub-groups', the PTO (its abbreviation refers to the British shorthand, 'please turn over' a written page) often shared concerts and tours with the Scratch Orchestra as a distinct ensemble.
The PTO performed primarily on toy piano
s and reed organ
s, although they also played their own secondary instruments (White on tuba
and [trombone], Hobbs on bassoon
and percussion, Hill on clarinet
and Shrapnel on oboe
). The members met each weekend to rehearse, bringing new pieces with them to rehearse. The music mostly reflected the composers' interests in early British experimental repetitive compositional methods, which led to the strict numerical processes called systems music
. White had developed music of random processes known as 'Machines'; Hill specialised in music based on English change-ringing systems. Hobbs is best known for his readymades
, either of found material or of found systems. Shrapnel's music displays an interest in Victorian salon music models and well as numerical processes.
The PTO's soundworld was often jocular; the sight of four accomplished musicians engrossed in difficult music for toy pianos was, itself, humorous. The sense of fun was amplified by White's advertisements, which promised
and the Scratch Orchestra in its denial of modernist processes, at least at the surface level.
Perhaps the most successful PTO event was a concert at the Orangery, London on 1 October 1972. On a tour of Norway
with the Scratch Orchestra in 1973, however, political divisions between members Hill and Shrapnel, who wanted a more political content in PTO music (the Scratch Orchestra at this time had a strong Maoist philosophy among many of its core members), and Hobbs and White, who wanted to maintain the group as it had been. Hobbs and White began the Hobbs-White Duo that year, playing duo piano works, strict percussion systems, and music for their secondary instruments. Shrapnel became a central member in People's Liberation Music, a popular-music ensemble that included Laurie Baker
and Cornelius Cardew
. The PTO reformed for a day of concerts at the Conway Hall, London, in 2001, in remembrance of the twentieth anniversary of Cardew's death. They played Cardew's early experimental work Octet '61 for Jasper Johns. This piece has one event 'where something happens' notated with an arrow. The PTO chose to charge their glasses with red wine and toast 'to Cornelius'.
John White (composer)
John White is an English composer and musical performer.-Life:White trained and taught at the London Royal College of Music...
in 1969 and consisted of the composer/performers White, Christopher Hobbs
Christopher Hobbs
Christopher Hobbs is an English experimental composer, best known as a pioneer of British Systems music.-Life and career:...
, Alec Hill
Alec Hill
Alec Jeffrey Hill AM, MBE, ED was an Australian military historian and academic best known for his biography of General Harry Chauvel and his work on the Australian Dictionary of Biography.-Biography:...
, and Hugh Shrapnel
Hugh Shrapnel
Hugh Shrapnel is an English composer of contemporary classical music and oboist. He was a student of Cornelius Cardew and a member of the Scratch Orchestra. He also co-founded the Promenade Theatre Orchestra in 1969....
. Although not one of the Scratch Orchestra
Scratch Orchestra
The Scratch Orchestra was an experimental musical ensemble founded in the spring of 1969 by Cornelius Cardew, Michael Parsons and Howard Skempton....
's so-called 'sub-groups', the PTO (its abbreviation refers to the British shorthand, 'please turn over' a written page) often shared concerts and tours with the Scratch Orchestra as a distinct ensemble.
The PTO performed primarily on toy piano
Toy piano
The toy piano, also known as the kinderklavier , is a small piano-like musical instrument. The present form of the toy piano was invented in Philadelphia by a 17-year-old German immigrant named Albert Schoenhut. He worked as a repairman at Wanamaker's department store, repairing broken glass...
s and reed organ
Reed organ
A reed organ, also called a parlor organ, pump organ, cabinet organ, cottage organ, is an organ that generates its sounds using free metal reeds...
s, although they also played their own secondary instruments (White on tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
and [trombone], Hobbs on bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
and percussion, Hill on clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and Shrapnel on oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
). The members met each weekend to rehearse, bringing new pieces with them to rehearse. The music mostly reflected the composers' interests in early British experimental repetitive compositional methods, which led to the strict numerical processes called systems music
Systems music
Systems music is a term which has been used to describe the work of composers who concern themselves primarily with sound continuums which evolve gradually, often over very long periods of time . Historically, the American minimalists Steve Reich, La Monte Young and Philip Glass are considered the...
. White had developed music of random processes known as 'Machines'; Hill specialised in music based on English change-ringing systems. Hobbs is best known for his readymades
Readymades
Readymades is Chumbawamba's first release on their own label MUTT. It continues the eclectic mix of techno, rock and folk of their former albums, albeit to a less ambitious scale than WYSIWYG...
, either of found material or of found systems. Shrapnel's music displays an interest in Victorian salon music models and well as numerical processes.
The PTO's soundworld was often jocular; the sight of four accomplished musicians engrossed in difficult music for toy pianos was, itself, humorous. The sense of fun was amplified by White's advertisements, which promised
The PT Orchestra! The Orchestra YOU can afford for that extra special occasion! Restful reed-organs, tinkling toy pianos, soothing psalteriesThis advertisement alone set the PTO apart from AMMPsalteryA psaltery is a stringed musical instrument of the harp or the zither family. The psaltery of Ancient Greece dates from at least 2800 BC, when it was a harp-like instrument...
, suave swanee whistles, jolly jaw harps - NO noisy electronics! (Just the job for that lazy Sunday afternoon!) All musical material guaranteed thru-composed - NO hit-or-miss improvisation!
AMM (group)
AMM are an important British free improvisation group, founded in London, England in 1965.AMM have never been well known to the general public, but have been incredibly influential on the field of improvised music...
and the Scratch Orchestra in its denial of modernist processes, at least at the surface level.
Perhaps the most successful PTO event was a concert at the Orangery, London on 1 October 1972. On a tour of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
with the Scratch Orchestra in 1973, however, political divisions between members Hill and Shrapnel, who wanted a more political content in PTO music (the Scratch Orchestra at this time had a strong Maoist philosophy among many of its core members), and Hobbs and White, who wanted to maintain the group as it had been. Hobbs and White began the Hobbs-White Duo that year, playing duo piano works, strict percussion systems, and music for their secondary instruments. Shrapnel became a central member in People's Liberation Music, a popular-music ensemble that included Laurie Baker
Laurie Baker
Laurence Wilfred "Laurie" Baker was an award-winning British-born Indian architect, renowned for his initiatives in cost-effective energy-efficient architecture and for his unique space utilisation and simple but beautiful aesthetic sensibility...
and Cornelius Cardew
Cornelius Cardew
Cornelius Cardew was an English experimental music composer, and founder of the Scratch Orchestra, an experimental performing ensemble. He later rejected the avant-garde in favour of a politically motivated "people's liberation music".-Biography:Cardew was born in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire...
. The PTO reformed for a day of concerts at the Conway Hall, London, in 2001, in remembrance of the twentieth anniversary of Cardew's death. They played Cardew's early experimental work Octet '61 for Jasper Johns. This piece has one event 'where something happens' notated with an arrow. The PTO chose to charge their glasses with red wine and toast 'to Cornelius'.
Selected discography
- Aran, in 'Recent English Experimental Music', Audio Arts, 3/2 (complements 'Art and Experimental Music' issue, Studio International November/December 1976.
- Promenade Theatre Orchestra, The Orangery: October 1, 1972. Leicester: Experimental Music CatalogueExperimental Music CatalogueThe Experimental Music Catalogue was founded in 1968 by Christopher Hobbs in order to provide an outlet for new music by composers of the English experimental movement, Publications appeared mainly as generic anthologies, such as the Verbal Anthology,String Anthology, Rhythmic Anthology and the...
(EMC 102), 2004.
Sources
- Anderson, Virginia (2004). Aspects of British Experimental Music as a Separate Art-Music Culture. PhD thesis, Royal Holloway, University of London.
- Nyman, MichaelMichael NymanMichael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
(2002). Experimental music: Cage and beyond. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521653835 - Senior, Evan (ed.) (1976). Music and musicians, Volume 25.
- Experimental Music CatalogueExperimental Music CatalogueThe Experimental Music Catalogue was founded in 1968 by Christopher Hobbs in order to provide an outlet for new music by composers of the English experimental movement, Publications appeared mainly as generic anthologies, such as the Verbal Anthology,String Anthology, Rhythmic Anthology and the...
. Recordings