Skip to main content
Toggle menu

HOUSES SLIDE

A bicycle-powered world premiere by Laura Bowler

Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London

Book

Music that moves, that rages, and ultimately that unites us: Laura Bowler’s ground-breaking commission from the London Sinfonietta addresses the most serious issue of our generation. Houses Slide for soprano and ensemble describes one woman's intimate psychological journey to figure out her response to the climate crisis, from an initial depressing realisation of the gravity of the issue, through to her refusal to be overwhelmed and decision to take positive action. 

With a text created by Cordelia Lynn using submissions from members of the public, this concert presentation conceived and directed by Katie Mitchell is an industry-first, being powered entirely by bicycles. The world premiere performance of this stunning piece will be followed by a discussion of the issues raised in the piece. 

The Arts Desk described Bowler as “a triple threat composer-performer-provocatrice” following a premiere at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival. 

Please note that the performance contains some language of an adult nature.

Laura Bowler Houses Slide (2021; world premiere) 

Jessica Aszodi mezzo soprano 
Sian Edwards conductor 
Katie Mitchell director 
Cordelia Lynn text 
Colin Tonks creative technical director 
Caro Russell art director 
RNSS Ltd sound 
Tony Simpson lighting designer 
Matt Fairclough live electronics 
London Sinfonietta 

Supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts, the London Community Foundation and The RVW Trust, and presented with the friendly support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation
A bike from Electric Pedals

We are looking for fit and healthy volunteers to provide power for this concert by cycling specially-adapted bikes. 

The pedalling demand on each individual cyclist is, whilst constant, relatively light work, but in order to take part, you'll need to be able to pedal for 90 minutes at a time. Unfortunately due to insurance reasons, we cannot accept any cyclists under the age of 18.

If you'd like to be involved, please register your interest

Register your interest

Support our work

All our events this season are being presented online for free, so that as many people as possible can experience the best new music being written today. But if you are enjoying our live streams, please do consider donating at whatever level you can afford to support the London Sinfonietta’s work and musicians both now and in the future – in schools, on the concert platform and in the community. It might be the price of a coffee, or the cost of a ticket to one of our live events.

Text to donate:
Text NEWMUSIC 5 to 70450 to donate £5
Text NEWMUSIC 10 to 70450 to donate £10
Text NEWMUSIC 20 to 70450 to donate £20

Texts cost £5, £10 or £20 plus one standard rate message, and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and SMS. If you’d like to give but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text NEWMUSICNOINFO 5, 10 or 20 to 70450.
 

Book

Please note that booking takes place on external sites.
The link will open in a new window.