Sat 14 Jan, 8pm
Sun 15 Jan, 3pm & 8pm

Well known for his work in the dance and pop arenas, the composer and cellist Arthur Russell was also an artist who engaged deeply with the avant-garde. When his classical work is heard in concert spaces associat-ed with refined playing and listening, it is clear that his generous, warm scores sit rightly alongside those of other 20th-century greats. Russell’s orchestral work Tower of Meaning will be performed in the round at Kings Place, offering an immersive experience of its meditational flow, which is produced compositionally by an isorhythmic progression of recurring dyads and triads. Unpredictable yet reminiscent of medieval chant, the overarching sequences focus the minds of performers and listeners alike.

The ensemble is led by percussionist Bill Ruyle, who will also conduct, and trombonist Peter Zummo, both long-term collaborators of Russell’s, who performed on the original recording of Tower of Meaning, released on Philip Glass’s Chatham Square label in 1983. This performance is part of an ongoing collaboration be-tween Ruyle, Zummo and Oliver Coates that explores Russell’s music. It also marks London Contemporary Orchestra’s Kings Place debut.