Bright Planet scored for Trio (Violin. Piano. Trumpet/Flugelhorn), commissioned by CantiaQuorum, one of the UK's newest and most exciting ensembles, received its world premiere on January 2016 at Turner Contemporary Margate. Inspired by Pedro Reyes Palas por Pistolas where by 1,527 guns previously used in Mexican drug crimes were remoulded into shovels with which to plant 1,527 trees, Bright Planet deals with the concept of renewal and rebirth.
For the premiere, the musicians were surrounded by Pedro Reyes 2013 work Disarm created from instruments made from de-commissioned weapons. Bright Planet was reperformed to mark the 5th anniversary of the opening of the Turner Contemporary gallery in April 2016.
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BRIGHT PLANET
On Saturday 25 May, 2024, Helen's work We are Here was premiered at the Schouwburg Noord in Antwerp, Belgium. Inspired by the brave women of Afghanistan who held this statement aloft on a banner to protest for their rights to work and education, We are Here was performed by the Lilith ensemble - the first contemporary chamber music ensemble in the world dedicated to performing works by female composers. The Lilith ensemble commissioned this work as part of 10 international commissions by female composers. They are committed to 'innovative, socially-conscious, genre-fluid performances', February 2024 saw the release of We are Here on the Lilith Ensemble's CD collection which is now available on the LORELT label. The work will be choreographed in 2025 for the National Dance Company of Guatamala by Ana Villiers.
On Sunday 5 May 2024 a new dance piece created in response to the music of Gun Reborn the first movement from Helen's work Bright Planet, was performed as a site specific solo around the Martello Tower in Eastbourne. Choreographed and performed by contemporary Belgian dance artist Yanaëlle Thiran, Gun Reborn was performed by Yanaëlle as part of The Performance Path, a 4 hour walking tour conceived by the artist.
Yanaëlle Thiran in rehearsal at the Martello Tower, Eastbourne Photo © Yanaëlle Thiran
July 2018
On 5th July 2018, as part of the Deal Festival, there was a special performance of Helen's piece Bright Planet. Reimagined with the addition of specially created choreography crafted by Trinity Laban's Vanessa Michielon and Songhay Toldon, Bright Planet was performed by the CantiaQuorum Trio with dance students from the Goodwin Academy in the Foyle rooms at Turner Contemporary, Margate. A further performance took place at the Sidney Cooper gallery, Canterbury in March 2019, with the work revisited for the 2019 Deal Festival.
March 2016
Helen's work Bright Planet, scored for Violin. Piano. Trumpet/Flugelhorn, received it's world premiere on January 2016 at Turner Contemporary Margate, performed by CantiaQuorum, one of the Uk's newest and most exciting ensembles. Bright Planet was released on 24th March 2016.