Tansy Davies

Full of energy and spiky ideas, British composer Tansy Davies blows the cobwebs off the chamber music genre, making it thoroughly contemporary. "Neon" is like a Vespa ride through downtown on a Saturday night: lots of rhythmic verve, driving motifs, iridescent colours and intriguing alleyways. "Salt Box" is a mysterious walkabout exploring aspects of the Kent shoreline with oriental-ish reed lines, insistent bass clarinet interjections, curious, scuttling electronics and a magnetic character. Utterly gripping, "Greenhouses" is a dark song about young American activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed by the Israeli army while defending homes in the Gaza strip ― a riveting performance by vocalist Anna Snow. The Troubadours' female counterparts, the Troubairitz, created deeply affecting songs that are given moving, melodic shape by Davies' receptive imagination. Also, five of Davies' pieces are re-imagined and remixed with contrasting approaches. Note to chamber ensembles everywhere: commission Tansy to create new works; your audiences will dig her music.