A sharp gunshot-like sound opened the performance that evening.
Norwegian Composer and musician Håkon Thelin carried his double bass over his right shoulder, plucking the strings as forcefully as possible while wearing headphones to protect his hearing. He aimed the scroll of the double bass toward Andreas Borregaard, the accordionist who had been layering fragments of everyday text throughout the piece. Together, they responded to the central question posed in the programme notes: what does it mean to be human?
Irish composer, Jennifer Walshe, the composer-in-residence for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (hcmf//), explored this question through her 50-minute composition PERSONHOOD (2021), performed by Oslo Sinfonietta in a formation of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, percussion, piano, violin, cello, and double bass.
From my seat at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield, I began to grasp the musical experience, Walshe, constructed on stage. Through text, narrative, bodily gestures, and instrumentation, sound emerged not only from musical instruments but also from fragments of speech. These elements reflected on how human agency over body and identity is increasingly shaped by the structures of modern daily life.
How can we remain human when our everyday lives are constantly monitored and mediated by technological devices? How do we relate to objects and digital systems within a technological landscape? Questions of individuality, presence, identity, and self-worth formed the conceptual background of Walshe’s work.
Borregaard stood at the centre of the stage, surrounded by the instrumentalists of Oslo Sinfonietta. He delivered spoken text while the other musicians produced their own sonic phrases. Gradually, the intensity of words and sound grew into a dense and layered texture. Each performer seemed to follow a distinct sonic path, yet at certain moments these paths intersected in ways carefully orchestrated by Walshe.
Huddersfield and the soundscape of a festival
PERSONHOOD opened the festival with striking energy. It was the first performance I attended after arriving in Huddersfield on 17 November 2023. The city felt both lively and quiet. It moved slowly, yet with purpose. The weather was cold and slightly overcast as winter approached. Huddersfield seemed shaped by time as a place for learning.
The Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival grew from the city’s university environment and unfolds within this calm atmosphere. For ten days, performances took place in theatres, concert halls, and public spaces across the city, all easily reachable on foot.
The festival created a comfortable setting to listen, encounter others, and experience sound at close range. It brought together musicians and composers from around the world while fostering opportunities for conversation and collaboration.
That opening performance by Walshe expanded my sense of artistic possibility and prepared me to encounter many more works in the days ahead.
Networks and encounters
The opening weekend was especially memorable because of the reception organised by the festival. It created space for artists, composers, and visitors to meet and exchange ideas.
Graham McKenzie, Artistic Director of hcmf//, welcomed guests and spoke about the festival’s long-standing international network. Since its founding in 1978 by Richard Steinitz, the festival has become an important meeting point for contemporary music practitioners.
During a conversation at the university atrium, Steinitz himself shared stories from the early days of the festival, when figures such as John Cage, Pierre Boulez, and Olivier Messiaen were featured. These were names I had previously encountered in music history studies in Indonesia, and hearing them mentioned in personal anecdotes felt surprisingly close.
I attended the opening weekend as a delegate from Indonesia through the British Council, and also as a representative of Perempuan Komponis: Forum & Lab, a collective I have been developing with fellow women composers in Indonesia.
At the reception, I met practitioners from Ireland, Lithuania, Ukraine, the UK, and Thailand. In a conversation with Graham, he emphasised that collaboration has been one of the festival’s greatest strengths over the decades.
Imagining sound and composers imagination
Throughout the festival, composers presented a wide range of sonic approaches.
Artists such as Jennifer Walshe, Rebecca Saunders, Øyvind Torvund, Laura Bowler, Golnaz Shariatzadeh, Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, Rosie Middleton, and the improvisation trio The Contest of Pleasures offered each distinctive sonic idea.
Many works extended beyond conventional instrumentation. They incorporated dramaturgy, performance, spoken text, electronics, and other media. The body of the performer became part of the composition, allowing sound and physical presence to merge.
For me, what mattered most was not only the sound itself but also the ideas behind it. Each composer seemed to approach sound as a way to ask questions—about perception, narrative, and the experience of listening.
Improvisation and dedication
One of the most remarkable moments I experienced during the festival took place on the fifth day at Huddersfield Town Hall, during the performance by The Contest of Pleasures.
The trio John Butcher on saxophone, Xavier Charles on clarinet, and Axel Dörner on trumpet has performed together for more than twenty years.
Listening to them felt like hearing electronic music produced entirely through wind instruments. They responded sensitively to the acoustics of the hall, shaping the sound through breath and air.
Their improvisation felt alive, as if the music was emerging directly from their interaction with the space. Silence and stillness were as meaningful as the sounds themselves.
The performance revealed a deep dedication to sound—one that can only emerge through years of persistence, patience, and commitment to musical exploration.
