Vexations

One pianist. 840 repetitions. Satie’s Vexations live: an 18 hour mesmerising marathon of sound, stillness and stamina.

Vexations, Erik Satie’s strange, wistful and unclassifiable enigma, lasts around 75 seconds. In the score, he suggests that to play it 840 times 'to oneself', one should first prepare 'in the deepest silence, through serious immobilities'. No one knows exactly what he meant, or whether 840 has any meaning.

Taken literally, that suggestion becomes an act of significant endurance - around 18 hours of music, from 7am on Saturday morning into the early hours of Sunday.

This is a vanishingly infrequent solo performance of Vexations, maybe only the second such in the UK. Most performances are divided between relays of pianists; to experience the whole work sustained by a single performer is a rarity in itself.

You don't need to attend the entire performance. Doors will remain open throughout the day and night, and you are free to come and go as you please. Stay for ten minutes or settle in for hours. The music will still be there, turning over and over as the light changes, altered only by time, attention, and the demands on the performer.

Tickets are free, though we encourage donations to YoungMinds, the UK’s leading charity for children and young people’s mental health. You can donate at the door or online via the link in Andrew's bio ⬇️ but there's no obligation.

This is not a conventional concert - but instead an experience that most people will never witness.

Throughout the day, artist Jolie Goodman will be making digital images of the performance, which will be uploaded to Instagram as it progresses and will also be available for sale as limited edition prints.

Want to know more about Satie, his life, and Vexations? Check out this podcast Andrew made with Dr Caroline Potter, a prominent French music academic and and author of two books on Satie

You must book a ticket to be able to attend. This is a ticketed, but free, event.