A special one-off performance by the American composer and performer Charlemagne Palestine will take place at Bournville Carillon this Saturday from midday. The performance has been organised by the Ikon Gallery and will feature a new composition that was commissioned in conjunction with Newcastle’s AV Festival.

Palestine was as a key member of the 1970s New York music scene alongside other composers including Steve Reich, Phillip Glass and Terry Riley. Palestine is best known for compositions of an intense, immersive nature but has rarely performed in recent years, remaining largely unknown in the UK until his participation in the 7th Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre (London, 1999) sparked a resurgence of interest in his work.

Palestine first played carillon bells in the 1960s during his time as a young chorister at St. Thomas’ Church, New York, and he now returns to this unusual instrument with a performance at the Bournville Carillon. Situated above the tower of Bournville Junior School school it is amongst the finest and largest in Britain, consisting of forty-eight cast bronze bells.

The Carillon is audible for miles around but the best position to hear the performance is to sit on the grass on Bournville Village Green opposite the Carillon. It is accessible by public transport on the number 11 bus route or, from the city centre, on the cross-city train line to Bournville station which is a 10 minute walk away.

Apparently Palestine oftens generally surrounds himself with stuffed animals, smokes large numbers of kretek (Indonesian clove cigarettes), and drinks cognac during his performances. We’re unsure whether that will be the case in Bournville this weekend. The performance lasts for approximately one hour. If you like what you hear then the Carillon is played every Saturday at noon and 3pm.

Palestine was as a key member of the 1970s New York music scene alongside other composers including Steve Reich, Phillip Glass and Terry Riley. Palestine is best known for compositions of an intense, immersive nature but has rarely performed in recent years, remaining largely unknown in the UK until his participation in the 7th Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre (London, 1999) sparked a resurgence of interest in his work.

Palestine first played carillon bells in the 1960s during his time as a young chorister at St. Thomas’ Church, New York, and he now returns to this unusual instrument with a performance at the Bournville Carillon. Situated above the tower of Bournville Junior School school it is amongst the finest and largest in Britain, consisting of forty-eight cast bronze bells.

The Carillon is audible for miles around but the best position to hear the performance is to sit on the grass on Bournville Village Green opposite the Carillon. It is accessible by public transport on the number 11 bus route or, from the city centre, on the cross-city train line to Bournville station which is a 10 minute walk away.

Apparently Palestine oftens generally surrounds himself with stuffed animals, smokes large numbers of kretek (Indonesian clove cigarettes), and drinks cognac during his performances. We’re unsure whether that will be the case in Bournville this weekend. The performance lasts for approximately one hour. If you like what you hear then the Carillon is played every Saturday at noon and 3pm.

Palestine was as a key member of the 1970s New York music scene alongside other composers including Steve Reich, Phillip Glass and Terry Riley. Palestine is best known for compositions of an intense, immersive nature but has rarely performed in recent years, remaining largely unknown in the UK until his participation in the 7th Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre (London, 1999) sparked a resurgence of interest in his work.

Palestine first played carillon bells in the 1960s during his time as a young chorister at St. Thomas’ Church, New York, and he now returns to this unusual instrument with a performance at the Bournville Carillon. Situated above the tower of Bournville Junior School school it is amongst the finest and largest in Britain, consisting of forty-eight cast bronze bells.

The Carillon is audible for miles around but the best position to hear the performance is to sit on the grass on Bournville Village Green opposite the Carillon. It is accessible by public transport on the number 11 bus route or, from the city centre, on the cross-city train line to Bournville station which is a 10 minute walk away.

Apparently Palestine oftens generally surrounds himself with stuffed animals, smokes large numbers of kretek (Indonesian clove cigarettes), and drinks cognac during his performances. We’re unsure whether that will be the case in Bournville this weekend. The performance lasts for approximately one hour. If you like what you hear then the Carillon is played every Saturday at noon and 3pm.