Ye Xian: A Story Untold
Event Information
Description
TICKETS AVAILABLE ON THE DOOR - £10 CASH ONLY
Ye Xian: A Story Untold
Tangram presents a new stage-work by Alex Ho
featuring a new DJ set by Flora Yin-Wong
DOORS OPEN / FLORA YIN-WONG FIRST DJ SET - 7.30pm
PERFORMANCE STARTS - 8pm
Pre-book tickets - £5 (+ booking fee)
Tickets at the door - £10
Tangram presents a night of new music by British-Chinese composer, Alex Ho, culminating in the world premiere of a new stage-work, Untold, co-directed by Alex Ho and the creative director and choreographer, Julia Cheng.
Untold reimagines the Chinese traditional story of Ye Xian, one of the earlier versions of the European story of Cinderella. Performed by counter-tenor, Keith Pun, Julia Cheng, and Tangram, an artist collective opening up spaces beyond the China-West dichotomy, the piece integrates contemporary classical music, hip hop movement, and Chinese and western instruments into an immersive experience that blends genres, art-forms, and cultures.
The event features two more works by Alex Ho. It begins with Dreaming Clouds, a piece for solo violin and dance performed by Alex Ho and Julia Cheng that was reviewed as “a remarkable experience” and “by far the most emotionally engaged performance” at its premiere at Second Movement’s ‘Rough for Opera’ series (Schmopera).
This is followed by Rituals and Resonances for solo yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer), performed by award-winning artist, Reylon Yount, whose performance of the piece won Nonclassical’s Battle of the Bands 2019. “After a couple of minutes, everyone in the room just stopped,” commented conductor, Jessica Cottis. “I think we were really drawn into this visceral world of colour. It was very special.”
Flora Yin-Wong will be performing a new DJ set throughout the evening, experimenting with original samples like the yangqin, gamelan reongs, and tsurigane bells, completing the line-up for this special event that showcases the richness of Chinese diasporic culture.
This event is the culmination of Sound and Music’s Talent Development scheme, New Voices 2018, on which Alex Ho has been participating for last 18 months. The event is also supported generously by Arts Council England, Help Musicians UK, Sound and Music, Snape Maltings, RVW Trust, PRS Foundation, The London Community Foundation, and The Cockayne Foundation.
Photo credit: Claire Shovelton