Manchester Collective made a welcome return to Leeds’ Howard Assembly Room on 26 June with Patterns in Repeat, five innovative and radical pieces by four leading female contemporary composers.
Meredith Monk – Stringsongs, IV Phantom Strings
Meredith Monk has some sixty years of experience as a vocalist, composer, director and choreographer. Stringsongs was written for the Kronos Quartet and described by Monk as ‘one giant accordion breathing in and out’. Phantom Strings, the fourth and final movement, has all the excitement and intensity of the chugging and whirring of a steam train. It uses repetition to simply stunning effect, familiar to those who know Glass, Reich and Adams, though I’d halt at calling Monk a minimalist – far too deep and ever-changing for that. The playing is powerful and comes to an abrupt and rather surprising ending.
Clarice Assad – Sonic Landscapes, 1 Continuum
After the relative serenity of Phantom Strings, in comes Assad with a racy, frenetic tempo that fairly bursts off the stage. The pianism of Katharine Tinker is particularly exciting and leads the chamber orchestra with pinpoint accuracy, yet still allowing for improvisation. The musicianship is at the top of its game and the group really give it all they have. Once more, the rhythmic patterns are heightened, sometimes softer but ever splendid.
Meredith Monk – Backlight
Backlight can be seen as a battle between light and dark, with the darkness winning the contest. Like later artist Cassandra Miller, there is an aspect of drone, with two notes phasing with each other. There is also a kinship with the human voice, despite these being acoustic instruments. The latter part of the work is more upbeat but still has a lasting serenity.
Cassie Kinoshi (pictured) – ARTEFACT/AUTOMATON
The sound of technology is the driving force in Kinoshi’s fascinating piece, being the only one in the programme to use electronics. At either side of the stage, there are huge woofer speakers that boom out deep bassas well as two tweeters that tease with high static noises. The subject is ‘black sonic fiction’ looking how he/her interact with technology. Dexter Wansel really brings a tenacity and vibrancy to the work.
Cassandra Miller – Perfect Offering
Based on a line in Leonard Cohen’s Anthem, ‘Ring the bells that still shall ring / Forget your perfect offering’ it starts with slow solemnity with musicians broken up into pairs. This is a haunting and melancholic piece which slowly progresses through time repeating itself (more patterns in repeat from the show’s title). Piano bashes out the chimes to be echoed in the wind and string sections. There is an aspect of call and return using the Howard Assembly Room space effectively. It is a very fluid piece, smooth as running water. It could be reminiscent of the drone music of La Monte Young but there is a bit more going on. It is equally as tranquil and serene, sending us into a mindful state. The time floats by, leaving us with our reveries in the heat, from the profound to the ridiculous. It is beautiful in its simplicity, lovely in its idyllic playfulness.
The show tours to London and Manchester.
Manchester Collective return to Howard Assembly Room in October 2026 with Constellations and Black Gold at Howard Assembly Room in November and December.
Main image of Howard Assembly Room by Simon Godley 2025.
