In a carnivalesque world, underclass Minstrel musicians roam the backstreets,
exiled from concert halls for their advocacy of New Music.
When word reaches them that the reigning Troubadours have begun performing their cherished Old Music on the streets themselves, the Minstrels find this tyrannical mockery insufferable.
Enraged by the shameless charade, the Minstrels’ Ringleader initiates a hunt
to do away with the Troubadours and Old Music once and for all.
As the hunt intensifies, the Troubadours begin to plan a reprisal…
In CARNIVORE, the audience is led on a tour around historic sites of York by a band of musicians (the Minstrels), to watch their unfolding musical encounters with a rival gang of buskers (the Troubadours).
This promenade performance takes place on Sunday 11th May at 2pm, starting outside York Pitcher & Piano (off Coney St), as part of the York Spring Festival of New Music 2014.
CARNIVORE (preview): clarinet vs saxophone
From a concept by composer-performers Victoria Bernath and James Whittle, CARNIVORE was created collaboratively by all performers in rehearsal-workshops. As a site-specific experiment, it fuses musical performance with theatre and the spoken word.
The concept derived from the Spring Festival’s ‘carnival’ theme, while York itself provided inspiration with its rich culture of festivals, and violent history of invasions and conflict.
Commedia dell-arte, pantomime and writings on the carnivalesque by Mikhail Bakhtin and Umberto Eco also informed play on musical stereotype and the collision of different musical styles…
More information and advance tickets can be found here.
Information for Audience Members
• This is a site-specific performance taking place outdoor, lasting approximately 50 minutes.
• The tour begins at Pitcher & Piano at 2pm and goes around York’s Museum Gardens.
• The performance will feature some interactive elements.
• The audience will be led by the performers. Stewards will be en route to offer assistance.
• Comfortable footwear and appropriate clothing for the weather is recommended.