In the west coast premiere of Manifestos 6: Ben Patterson, world-renowned artist Charles Gaines translates Fluxus artist Benjamin Patterson’s Variations for Double-Bass (c. 1962), a score for performance that uses words rather than traditional musical notation. 

Gaines converts Patterson’s letters into music, following an inventive system Gaines devised in 2004: transcribing letters A through H from the texts into their equivalent musical notes (with the use of the letter “H” representing the code used in early Baroque tradition for B-flat).  

The resulting composition, to be performed by an ensemble consisting of a string section, double bass, trumpet, trombone, tuba, and percussion, pays homage to Patterson’s legacy while showcasing evolutionary artistic engagement with systems of language, text, notation, and sound.

The performance will feature a 17-piece chamber ensemble led by conductor John Eagle, with corresponding texts from a Patterson score and interview.

Composer: Charles Gaines
Co-Arranger and Music Director: John Eagle