PHIL MAXWELL

On Thursday, Steve Reich attended a performance of his music at Edge Hill Station in Liverpool a few days before his eightieth birthday. It’s hard to imagine a better place to make a site specific performance of Reich’s inspired work ‘Different Trains’. The hosts of the evening METAL have been active in promoting contemporary art and events in Liverpool since 2002.

Reich’s music unwraps the 20th century and describes its language, beats, humanity and horrors; he is now doing the same in the 21st century. Hundreds queued and waited for hours before the performance began after 8pm. Reich soaks up his life experiences and assembles them decisively in his compositions. He has been touched by many events and influences: Bach, Coltrane and Stravinsky come to mind as well as his experiences as a cab driver when he recorded on tape the talk of his passengers.

Reich is a consummate collector of ideas and collaborators. For the performance he worked with Bill Morrison who provided imagery using archive footage. Uncannily it was as if the historic films had been shot specifically for the music. We have all read about the Holocaust and it’s resonated loudly into history, culture & politics. It is incomprehensible and yet with Reich’s music and Morrison’s merciless selection of film it’s as if we are taken into the heart of the abominable nightmare. The Nazis meticulously recorded their genocidal projects. It is impossible to get inside the mind set of the person holding the camera. There is one sequence where the camera appears to hover endlessly in front of a woman’s face and she seems to know we are looking at her over half a century later; her eyes speak through time and tell us to never to let this happen again. But it has happened again and it continues. Reich’s music is an uncompromising plea for humanity against war. Hopefully it will be heard until the end of time.

These photographs were taken on the night of the performance.

People queuing two hours before the performance.

Local residents were given free tickets to see Steve Reich

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

One of the first arrivals for the performance

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Part of the audience shortly before the performance

Bill Morrison, Steve Reich & Jude Kelly on stage before the performance (photo Hazuan Hashim)

Guitarist Mats Bergstrom performing “Electric Counterpoint’

Guitarist Mats Bergstrom performing “Electric Counterpoint’

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

Steve Reich (left) shakes a musicians hand after the performance

Bill Morrison & Steve Reich on stage after the performance (photo Hazuan Hashim)

Steve Reich

You may also be interested in a short film with music by Lola Perrin (who has been described as “a feminine Steve Reich”:

BARCELONA