OTNM5 Quasar Quartet

Join the Quasar Saxophone Quartet and composers Michael Edwards and Martin Parker at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on the 31st March 2017.

Michael Edwards’ hyperboles 3 ‘so vast a vacuity’ for saxophone quartet and electronics is a 50 minute work demanding great stillness and calm on the part of the players and the audience. Its large form consists almost exclusively of multiphonics. Michael chose the most delicate multiphonics upon which to superimpose the electronic part which surrounds the audience. The combination of multiphonics and electronics creates a unique sonic impression which is continuously being transformed, but in which silence plays a crucial role.

Martin Parker’s scripts are inserted into this large form as a type of punctuation. They are seamlessly integrated with Michael’s piece, but are distinctively different in that they offer the players (and listeners) an opportunity to move and breathe in a different way before Michael’s piece resumes.

Changes in lighting are aligned with the formal changes in the piece and serve as cues to distinguish different sections.

The project was premiered on Thursday January 19th at the magnificent Elise du Gesu in Montreal and we’re delighted to welcome you to the UK premiere in the wonderful St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.

This will be the Quasar Quartet’s second visit to Edinburgh and is part of a considerble tour in the UK and beyond. In Edinburgh, they’re w