Kit Downes and Lucy Railton @Dean Clough

From Vic Allen

Friday, March 13th 2015 sees the premiere of a new suite of music inspired by the history, aesthetics and acoustics of Dean Clough Mills, the nationally renowned business and arts centre in Halifax.

The suite will be devised during a four-day residency at Dean Clough by leading musicians Kit Downes (piano) and Lucy Railton (cello), aided by electro-acoustic expert Alex Killpartrick.

Kit Downes has played in Dean Clough's International Jazz season on several occasions – at the last of which he unexpectedly premiered a piano and cello suite with Lucy Railton that received rapturous applause from the audience.

It was this that led Kit to suggest a residency where he and Lucy would befriend some of Dean Clough’s 4,000 workers, explore the atmosphere and acoustics of its extraordinary Victorian architecture and seek to learn something of its industrial past (it was once the world’s largest carpet mill).

Working on Dean Clough’s Fazioli grand piano, Kit and Lucy will compose a musical suite to be premiered and simultaneously recorded (...so that the audience can receive a free digital download) on Friday, March 13th 2015.

“I thought it would be great to write, perform and document a suite especially for Dean Clough," said Kit. "It’s an exciting challenge for Lucy and me to work on a site-specific project like this. I really expect it to produce some great work and a genuinely unique set of music.”

"We've got our faithful and discerning jazz audience to thank for this," said Vic Allen, Dean Clough's arts director. "It's hard to advise curious audiences what to expect, of course, but – while there's sure to be a light-touch of jazz improvisation – it's more likely to have a concert ambience that draws on minimalist lyricism. Oh. And some quintessential Dean Clough quality that Alex Killpartrick will no doubt have a hand in.

"Either way, we're really looking forward to it. Kit and Lucy may be two of the UK's finest musicians – but they are also great company. On their last visit they dragged Dean Clough's arts team down to a karaoke session in the local pub. We hope to return the favour with a few surprises of our own this time..."

Kit Downes and Lucy Railton: A Dean Clough Suite
Friday, March 13th 2015 at 8.00pm
Crossley Gallery, Dean Clough HX3 5AX
Tickets £20/£15 concs (inclusive of free download via email)
Box Office: 01422 255266
On-line Booking: www.deanclough.com