A SCREAM AND AN OUTRAGE 2: Steel Hammer

Bang on a Can All-Stars, Trio Mediaeval, violinist Pekka Kuusisto and Allan Clayton (tenor).

Folk stories and sounds have characterised the work of many of the giants of modern music throughout the twentieth-century. New York-based composer Julia Wolfe follows the same path in her art ballad 'Steel Hammer', inspired by the legend of John Henry – immortalised for his race against 'the machine'. The rich sonic colours of Appalachia tell the timeless tale.

The session starts with violinist Pekka Kuusisto and British tenor Allan Clayton performing the UK premiere of Nico Muhly's Three Songs and Bang on a Can All-Stars with Terry Riley's 'Tread on the Trail'.