Nora on Time With People

On first glance at the score of Time with People, experimental opera by British composer Tim Parkinson, it is impossible to perceive the depth and beauty an ensemble might manifest from the piece. In the past five months in residence at Pilsen art incubator High Concept Laboratories, a.pe.ri.od.ic ensemble has been working on just that. We met weekly, dissecting the composer's simple, uncomplicated text for each of the seven opuses. 

Each week we would haul in a fresh bag of trash to add to the pile, (no stinky or wet stuff, please!) My favorite items include the hubcap from a Dodge Dart, black and white striped yarn, a pink flamingo, and a giant cherub lamp (still works!) We have been grateful to also accept donations of bottle caps, corks, and other collections of small noisemakers.

The opera (2013) has been performed only a handful of times, and ourFebruary 26 performance will mark the U.S. premiere. We were fortunate enough to have the composer visit and workshop our progress for an entire week recently. Tim's kind and encouraging words fueled our flames even more to promote our show to the city. This is aperiodic's greatest effort yet, and we hope that this performance will help us connect to our audience in new and exciting ways.

-Nora Barton