NEW Saturday 1 February 2025

National Centre for Early Music, York


3:30pm – 4:30pm (Doors open 3pm) Tickets £15.

John Cage’s INDETERMINACY

Performed by
Tania Caroline Chen – piano
Steve Beresford – piano and objects
Stewart Lee – voice

‘Indeterminacy’ was a 1959 double LP on the Folkways label by John Cage and David Tudor. Cage read ninety of his stories, each one, whether long or short, lasting one minute. Unheard by Cage, Tudor simultaneously played the piano and other things in another room.

One day, pianists Tania Chen and Steve Beresford were listening to this record and decided that they would like to do their own version. They hit on Stewart Lee immediately as the first choice to read the stories. He is an excellent stand-up comedian and is very interested in experimental music.

The trio’s version is usually forty minutes. The players are in the same room but do their best to not hear Stewart’s reading. They play music on and in a piano and use other small sound sources.

PLEASE NOTE: this is not an extra Stewart Lee tour date. It is not a comedy gig.
For Stewart Lee vs The Man-Wulf, see Theatre Royal, York.

This event will highlight the sewage pollution of the River Derwent SSSI in Malton and Norton, North Yorkshire, by Yorkshire Water, North Yorkshire Council and the Environment Agency. To see the data for sewage spills in Malton and Norton, visitmaltonsewer.co.uk

The gig is dedicated to the memory of trombonist Alan Tomlinson (1947 – 2024) who famously performed an improvised trombone solo standing in the Yorkshire Water sewer in Brawby in 2013.

Tania Caroline Chen – piano

New York-based pianist, performer, composer, and sound artist, Tania Caroline Chen is a Grammy nominee for her interpretations of John Cage’s compositions. Her work has been featured in New York’s Issue Project Room, London’s Southbank Centre, San Francisco’s The Lab, and the Japan Society, where she honoured Cage’s visit to Japan alongside David Tudor and Yoko Ono.

Steve Beresford – piano and objects

Steve Beresford has been a central figure in the British and international spontaneous music scenes for over fifty years, freely improvising on the piano, electronics and objects with people like Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Han Bennink, John Zorn, London Improvisers Orchestra, Christian Marclay, The Slits, Stewart Lee, Ivor Cutler, Tania Chen, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Ray Davies, Vic Reeves and Lore Lixenberg, Steve was awarded a Paul Hamlyn award for composers in 2012.

Stewart Lee – voice

Stewart Lee is a writer, director and stand-up comedian whose specialist subject on Celebrity Mastermind (which he won) was the life and work of the jazz guitarist Derek Bailey. With a predilection and commitment to free improvisation, Stewart is an expert of a music which, to quote the saxophonist Alan Wilkinson, quoting Derek Bailey, said, “All sounds like crap to most people on the street.”

PLEASE NOTE: For Stewart Lee VS The Man-Wulf, see Theatre Royal, York.