John Cage's SCOTTISH CIRCUS

Join us for a film screening of the traditional Scottish music group, The Whistlebinkies, performing John Cage's Scottish Circus, followed by a conversation with Brian Brandt of Mode Records. He's not only the producer of the film, but the Director of a an esteemed recording label with a long association with Cage, as well a remarkable catalog of many other 20th century and living musical luminaries. We'll chat about how this film was made, working with Cage, and the current challenges to completing Mode Record's longterm project of recording all that Cage composed. Various Mode Records recordings will also be available for sale!

As for Scottish Circus, it's the first collaboration between John Cage and the famous Scottish traditional music group, The Whistlebinkies. The origins of the work begin in Edinburgh in 1984. Cage was fascinated by their instrumentation of Lowland pipes, clarsach, fiddle, wooden flute, concertina, drum and voice. This led on to the commissioning of Scottish Circus for the ensemble in 1990, a way of performing traditional Scottish music as individuals of an ensemble together.

We'll be showing a film made of a performance in 2007, the first to be recorded, showcasing Edinburgh’s historic Inverleith House as not only the recording venue, but with the acoustics of the house serving as a performer in its own right.

The film, available as a DVD, presents two first recordings of Scottish Circus, demonstrating how no two performances of the piece are the same. Also included are both outdoor and indoor performances of 4’33”.

The Whistlebinkies:
Peter Anderson, Scottish side drum, bodhran
Judith Peacock Cummings, voice, clarsach
Annaliese Dagg, viola
Stuart Eydmann, English concertina, rhythm bones
Mark Hayward, violin
Iain MacDonald, Scottish Lowland bagpipes
Eddie McGuire, flute

Films directed by Tim Chu

From Mode Records'The Complete John Cage Edition, Volume 56

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Internationally recognized record label Mode Records’ recordings of impeccable performances, captured with the highest quality sound, have earned it great critical acclaim and a loyal following.

A small independent company, Mode’s catalog of over 300 releases includes music of the great composers of the latter 20th century and today’s aspiring contemporary New Music artists. Beginning with its first release in 1984, created in collaboration with composer John Cage, Mode has presented uniquely curated releases with a personal vision of producing fine recordings which are not necessarily a part of current mainstream music fashion, but which need to be heard.

The label’s musical arc spans from the international innovators of the late 20th century avantgarde through to today’s fine composers and musicians. Mode’s catalog tends toward exploring a composer’s work in depth. Its reputation has brought many great composers and artists to record for and be documented by Mode — and continues to do so.

Mode’s “curated” aspect is important. It is not a label run by committee but rather one built on a personal vision. Listeners who follow the label, as well as the composers and artists who have and continue to record on it, know what to expect of the music released on Mode.

At 54 volumes, Mode’s John Cage Edition is the largest collection of the composer’s music on one label, with more to come. Further Editions are dedicated to iconic composers Morton Feldman, Iannis Xenakis, Morton Subotnick, and Giacinto Scelsi along with many others.

Mode has frequently been at the forefront of innovation. It released its first CD in 1988. It released the very first 5.1 surround sound New Music DVD in 1998 (Roger Reynolds’ “Watershed,” mode 70), and continues to be a proponent of surround recordings with the largest catalog of such New Music releases of any label.

Mode continues its belief in the value of physical product (CDs, DVDs, Blurays and recently again, vinyl) in tandem to digital sales. Mode is distributed in North America, Europe and Japan through various distributors. Its entire catalog is available for download and streaming worldwide via Naxos — the largest independent classical distributor — to all digital providers.

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The John Cage Trust furthers the legacy of late American composer John Cage by gathering together, organizing, preserving, and disseminating his work. The John Cage Trust ensures that Cage’s voice remains vibrant, and toward that provides access to our archives, gives information about his life, guides how his works might best be performed or exhibited, and presents, organizes, and collaborates on programs, performances, exhibitions, and scholarship.

The John Cage Trust is guided not so much by what Cage has done but, rather, by what Cage’s legacy is doing now.

John Cage (1912–1992) is routinely hailed as one of the most influential and generative artists of the 20th century, a creator of groundbreaking music compositions, artworks, and works of literature. We believe that Cage’s life and work continue to expand how we might experience and think about music, art, poetry, performance, philosophy, and the ways we live our lives. The John Cage Trust, located at Bard College, preserves his legacy as a living archive.