London Jazz Festival, in association with BBC Radio 3, Friday 11 to Sunday 20 November 2011

After the world premiere back in June, Matthew Bourne and London Sinfonietta’s Written / Unwritten collaboration returns to the London Jazz Festival.  We will get the chance to witness how this project has progressed over the last few months and have the opportunity to see what happens when classical and non-classical musicians collide and how improvisers and non-improvisers collaborate.

We’ve pooled together a few insights from Matthew Bourne and David Hockings (Principal percussionist of London Sinfonietta) to get a glimpse of their working relationship.

David Hockings on working with Matthew Bourne…

How was working with Matthew Bourne?

 A very interesting experience, mainly because he’s a really interesting guy.

Was it difficult to combine your (usually different) working philosophies?

 It’s often difficult to begin a collaboration when musicians from quite different backgrounds come together. However as almost always happens, as soon as we begin to make music a sixth sense cuts in and the creative process begins, no barriers exist.

Were any unusual discovers made throughout the process?

 As well as all this quite challenging work we did find time to exchange stories on how performing various works over the years we had all managed to injure ourselves, my own involving a football ratchet to the head, totally self-inflicted of course and drawing blood. Matthew’s involved staining various pianos with blood as a result of over enthusiastic plucking.

Matthew Bourne answering the Sinfonietta’s quickfire questions …

What – or where – is perfection?

 Interesting question – I don’t think it really exists even though one may wish that it did…

What’s your favourite ritual?

 Listening to The David Jacobs Collection on BBC Radio 2 whilst soaking in a hot bath with a glass of Bushmills Whisky at 11pm on Sunday nights. I LOVE his shows…

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

 Impermanance and the unforgiving power of mother nature…

If you could programme your ideal show, which artists (living or dead) would you bring together?

 Richard Pryor, Laura Nyro, Lord Buckley, Grace Jones and Scott Walker.

What is the most played piece of music on your MP3 player or in your CD collection?

 Most recently it’s been Shostakovitch’s String Quartet No.13, Peter Gabriel’s eponymous debut album and Ben E. King’s Stand by Me…

Have a listen to London Sinfonietta and Matthew Bourne in action: