The Hermes Experiment: redefining the chamber ensemble

Taking inspiration from our flighty namesake, we set up The Hermes Experiment as a musical entity that would travel new paths, moving between artistic worlds in a way that is difficult to pin down or define. With a line-up of soprano, harp, clarinet and double bass, we committed ourselves to being creative from the very beginning, with no existing repertoire and no obvious path to follow. As well as wanting to explore the full possibilities of our line-up, our main goal was to encourage a wide range of audiences to be excited by, and interested in, contemporary classical music, and in doing so to prove that the music of our present time is entertaining and has value in a broad range of contexts. Our work as a group is roughly woven from three strands: collaborating with and commissioning living composers, creating our own arrangements of existing works, and improvisation.

The musical journey of our ensemble has been shaped by the composers who have written for us; it is as much their experiment as ours, and we will forever be indebted to the (over 70) composers who have been such an important part of our ensemble’s journey over the last 10 years. In the same way that Haydn and Bartok each expanded the possibilities of the string quartet over time, we, and our instruments (and voices!) have been pushed to the edges of our capabilities by these composers, and we are constantly amazed by the ever-expanding sonic and artistic possibilities of our line-up.

It has been our extra privilege as an ensemble to have spent so much time collaborating and workshopping with composers, be this in person as a whole group, or individually (late-night email exchanges about the minutiae of harp pedals, for example); this is a mutually beneficial process, as increased closeness and understanding between composers and performers can only be a good thing. As an ensemble, we take pride in making ourselves fully available to the composers we work with, giving them more time to collaborate with us than they might perhaps be allotted in more traditional settings, where new music might be seen more as an ‘add-on’.

It is also true that the composers of this 21st century generation are marked by the plurality of styles from which they take inspiration, which is no small contribution to our own boundary-crossing mission; it is impossible to attribute genre definitions to composers like Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Laura Moody and Jethro Cooke, and we love the variety within our portfolio of works. Over the years, we have also explored a wide range of non-traditional notational systems, and we have made a point of combining our music with other artistic disciplines, including working with photographers, dramatists, dancers, electronic sound artists, poets and film. This is music that is capable of anything; each collaboration opens new doors and helps us reach new audiences.

'We are constantly amazed by the ever-expanding sonic and artistic possibilities of our line-up' ©Raphaël Neal

All four players take an active role in creating new arrangements of existing works for the group, and many of these have sought to highlight historically underrepresented female composers, such as Cecile Chaminade, Lili Boulanger, and Meredith Monk, as well as unearthing lesser-known works. Just as with our commissions, constructing each arrangement enhances our understanding of our instrumental line-up, and the arrangements have become more experimental over the years: early 20^th-century French music such as Debussy and Boulanger often translates fairly naturally to our instruments, but more inventiveness and experimentation is required to arrange works by Barbara Strozzi or Anna Meredith. Placing these arrangements alongside new commissions in a concert programme or album creates a wonderful connection and dialogue with history, both for us and for the listeners.

The final strand in our experimental tapestry is improvisation. This is arguably the area that challenges us the most but that provides the greatest rewards, giving us flexibility and keys to all sorts of new magic doors. By losing music stands and other formal constraints, you have more physical freedom on stage and are free to adapt and respond in the moment; all things that audiences respond well too. This can be especially useful in cross-disciplinary settings: when accompanying a silent film, for example, or during our theatrical production of The Winter’s Tale with composer Kim Ashton, where musicians and actors mingled freely across the stage. A formative part of our work in this area has been with vocalist, composer and improvisor Elaine Mitchener, and we will give the premiere of her new work, the/e so/ou/nd be/t/ween, on 24 September in the Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room. Improvisation is a challenging concept for many classical musicians and we have certainly been on our own journey with it as an ensemble, but for us it comes down to deeper listening and embracing the unknown. 

Our identity as a chamber group is rooted in boundary-crossing contemporary music, and in many ways, the refusal to be defined by genre is as vital as the newness of it all. The experiment continues only because we are each committed to continual artistic development and exploration, never settling, and we are lucky enough to find composers and collaborators who continue to want to work with us. We are comfortable being uncomfortable together, and this is a healthy place for new music to thrive.

The Hermes Experiment will return to the Southbank Centre's Purcell Room on 24 September (6pm) for a concert of works by Philip Venables, Laura Moody and Meredith Monk as well as a piece of the group's own creation and the premiere of a new work by Elaine Mitchener. Tickets can be found here.