The Sinking Of The Titanic City Hall, Cork
That clocked in at 25 minutes in order to fit on to a side of vinyl, but, as intended by the composer, subsequent recordings and performances have seen the piece evolve and expand.
Since the live recording on 2005 for the Touch label, improvising turntable player Philip Jeck has been a staple of all live performances of the piece by the Gavin Bryars Ensemble. After three doleful bell tolls it’s the crackle and hiss of Jeck’s old vinyl that informs the atmosphere, particularly when matched with the grainy, sometimes decayed, archival film footage assembled by American experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison.
