John Young's work Le Chant en dehors was programmed at the 2026 Electroacoustic Spring, an annual international music festival and conference bringing together cutting-edge academic research, sound art, and electronic performances. Hosted by the Music Technology & Acoustics Lab at the Hellenic Mediterranean University in Rethymno, Greece, the 2026 edition took place on 29-30 May.
MTIRG again supported the Philharmonia's Leicester Hear and Now project.
Led by Tim Steiner, musicians from the Philharmonia, Leicestershire Music and Leicester Musical Memory Box/Geet Sangeet worked alongside people living with dementia to design, create and perform an hour-long show at The Venue@DMU with song, poetry and dance. The ensemble of musicians included a full complement of strings, bassoon, two harps, keyboard and mridangam and the voices of 35 young and elderly participants.
Following two weekends of preparation, the 2026 show was presented on 16 May. It was based on the theme of food, including lively renditions of songs such as 'Yes, We Have No Bananas' and 'Khaike Paan Banaras Wala', as well as an experimental percussion accompaniment to a walk-through video featuring Leicester's 'Golden Mile' and a live musicalised demonstration of roti making.
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| Participants in the 2026 Leicester Hear and Now show |