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Next Concert
sound festival
The Phoenix Centre, Aberdeen
27 & 28 October
Lie down & Listen combines the pure sound of Tibetan bowl in a “lying down” piano concert experience.
Pianist Christina McMaster moves fluidly between improvisation and new music composition. As you lie down prepare to allow your perspective and perception to widen - following a listening path of curiosity and creativity.
About Christina
Christina McMaster is a truly creative spirit, dedicated to creating intimate spaces for deep listening and creativity. She has performed at numerous festivals U.K and worldwide and is known for her creative approach to programming.
She studied with Joanna MacGregor and was later appointed Associate of London's prestigious Royal Academy of Music. She has performed worldwide at leading venues/festivals including Cheltenham, Aldeburgh, QEH, and featured on BBC Radio 4, Radio 3, Classic FM.
Christina was selected as a young artist in residence at St John’s Smith square, and from 2013-17 she curated programmes of multimedia and piano events for The Royal Academy of Music annual Piano Festival. She has been a mentor for Geneva International Music Competition, UNESCO Day of the Girl, and given talks at Universities in the U.K and U.S, includingat Cambridge and Oxford Universities and was mentor at the Geneva International Music Competition in 2021.
Christina has collaborated with numerous visual artists, leading composers and artists - including composers Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Freya Waley-Cohen, Folk music legend Peggy Seeger, photographer-film maker Mary McCartney and has composed/produced music for Mother of Pearl, DAKS and Louis Vuitton.
After a chance meeting with Professor Strang, Christina co led the Sound Mind project at Kings College, London with Dr Sally Marlow. Across a series of events the team of creatives and scientist explored if certain music in combination with visuals and a VR experience in a lying down concert could recreate the wellbeing benefits of a hallucinogenic trip. This project evolved into Lie down & Listen - meditation, sound healing and lying down concert experiences.
In April 2023, Christina premiered ‘Inner Temple’ - her own composition/live improvisation created in collaboration with Tom Middleton. Inner Temple was inspired by 12th Century Sonic Visionary and Priestess Hildegard Von Bingen’s vision ‘The Universe’ and created in collaboration with electronic and wellness music pioneer Tom Middleton.
Christina also has a particular interest in 20th Century French Music – and spent many summers studying in Aix-en-Provence with Bernard Flavigny – student of Alfred Cortot and Walter Gieseking.
Ligeti Etudes and Ultra Marathons
Watch Christina's video of the Devil's Staircase by Ligeti. Read her article for Gramophone magazine of the story behind Ligeti's fiendish Devil's Staircase Etude and the many parallels with the physical and mental training required for Ultra endurance sports.
Inner Temple
Inspired by Hildegard Von Bingen's vision 'The Universe'
Inner Temple is a 360’ immersive sonic journey of new and improvised music inspired by 12th century Priestess, plant medicine healer, eco-activist and sonic visionary Hildegard Von Bingen. The live experience combines piano by Christina McMaster, electronic and nature soundscapes by wellness music composer and pioneer Tom Middleton , with meditation guide and author David Cole.
Hildegard’s vision and painting ‘The Universe’ of pure creation, the four elements and their meaning. The vision doesn’t deny the darkness, but leans right into the core of it, embracing its contrast with the light as an essential part in the process of creation.
Almost every electronic sound originates from the piano and even the soft rain sound is sourced from Bingen itself where Hildegard lived. First performed at Kings Place, London in March 2023. During this live performance the sound was experienced in surround as a lying down concert moving through 50 speakers provided by D&B audio.
The sonic journey is guided by a map around the painting:
Part 1 Meditation for opening to a new vision
Part 1B Inside the Fire
Part 2 Purity
Part 2B “and I heard a heavenly voice speak to me”
Part 3 Cloud of secret mystery
Part 4 Divine Power
Part 5 Sereneness
Part 6 Brightness
Part 7 Soft Caressing Rain
Part 8 Antiphon of Divine Love
Inner Temple is back due to popular demand and the next performance is on Sunday 8 October at Kings Place
Christina founded Lie down and Listen - a meditation, sound healing and lying down concert experience. It began through a chance meeting with Professor Sir John Strang and and a scientific experiment at KCL to re create the benefits of a hallucinogenic trip - changes in perception of time and enhanced creativity. Since then it's evolved , incorporating traditional sound healing in a beautiful and profound deep listening experience.
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