For Reasons Unknown

Once again, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra sets the tone – in a meeting between wide horizons, echoes of the past, and the transformation of musical memories.

In West Coast Sky Eternal, Ellen Reid paints a sonic panorama that mirrors the horizon, the light, and the slow movements of the American West Coast. Written for string orchestra, the work is shaped by subtle textures, slowly shifting harmonies, and a strong sense of space and timelessness – music that seems almost to breathe with the landscape, absorbing the sky, the sea, and the sunlight.

In Residue, Joanna Bailie processes musical recordings through layers of echo and distortion. The sound oscillates between recognisable contours and dissolving harmonies, gradually merging with the live sonority of the strings. The echo of what once was hovers in the room like a ghost.

The concert concludes with the duo Tlön (violinist Sara Övinge and cellist Gregor Riddell) in close collaboration with musicians from the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. Inspired by the magical realism of Aldous Huxley and Jorge Luis Borges, they transform familiar musical references into strangely beautiful soundscapes.
Familiar turns strange, and one listens – searching, present.

Programme

Peder Barratt-Due

For Reasons Unknown (world premiere)

Joanna Bailie

Residue for strings and tape (2024) (Norwegian premiere)

Tlön

Huxley for amplified strings with effects