A band - led by the voice-like cello and saxophone - “read” improvised audience writings from their music stands. The audience and the musicians go back and forth in conversation with one another, feeding each other's writing/playing with improvised playing/writing.
a prima vista (at first sight) - /aːˌpri.maːˌvis.taː/
• (music) sight-read; to perform a musical piece while reading it for the first time, without rehearsal.
• The event consists of four ~15 minute improvised performances, with short breaks between for the musicians to briefly read the writings they will be improvising to. The written responses to the final performance are then used as the starting point for the next at first sight.
• Cello and saxophone are the core instruments, due to the range/timbre of the two instruments said to be closest to the human voice. Many combinations of instrument can be added to achieve the desired group. Viola, violin and double bass are natural first additions, but any instruments/objects that suggest some mimicry of the human voice (without using the voice) can be added.
• The audience are given blank(ish) A5 cards to respond on, with space for their initials and number of the performance they are responding to. Writers should be told to write clearly / with implements that stand out.
• In the breaks between performances, the writings should be safely stored and organised into used (responded to) and unused (not responded to) piles + because it is possible for there to be hundreds of responses to a single performance, once collected from the audience they should be whittled down to an appropriate amount of paper for the music stands (approx. 4-8 per musician).
• The titles for the performances are chosen ‘at first sight’ upon looking at the finished writings. The titles name the songs they inspire, not that they are in response to.
• Subsequent event numbering: at first sight No.2, No.3, No.4, No.5...
