SEAN BELL
Countertenor and Performance Artist
Avoiding and Affirming Definition
In April 2024 I conducted an artistic research residency at Studio LOOS, Den Haag (NL). This culminated in a work-in-progress presentation, open to the public. The research question was about moving beyond ‘arranging’ early music as my primary form of creative practice:
So far in my artistic research I have worked using early music songs/repertoire. With arrangement as my creative tool, I found freedom working within these parameters, and built a concept driven project from preexisting material. Now I want to explore how I can break out of this framework and create a new starting point for myself. Moving beyond arranging in my practice how can I bridge the roles of composer, performance artist and early music singer, through a focus on concept rather than form?
During the residency I explored concepts from different styles of early music repertoire. This was my approach to historically inspired performance: to start with an idea or concept derived from the music or the context that the music was created in historically. I worked with the fundaments of the music without the notes: text, mood, instrumentation, tonality and timbre. I experimented with different compositional tools like graphic scores, free improv, electronics, and live recording. I also invited collaborators with other expertise and views.
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No Joy in the Brilliance of Sunshine, Master Research
Master research conducted as part of my Master’s in Early Music Voice at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague NL.
Ending in the stage performance piece No Joy in the Brilliance of Sunshine, this master research explored how I could combine my duality as a performer: the early music singer and the contemporary performer and creator. The project and its connected research were a central part of my artistic development as a musician, creator and performer, and the urge to explore this music and the questions had grown out of previous projects and ideas.
The goal of the research was to help me to explore this field with my own artistic identity and gather experience and specific knowledge that could lead to new projects, collaborations and further develop the outreach of my artistic work.
Research question
I saw this research as a tool to guide the development of the project. I wanted it to inform my choices and strengthen the reflection on the artistic idea, process and product. For this reason, I chose the following research question:
How can I create a stage performance combining and connecting my two sound worlds/style identities as a performer?
Through using operatic music by Handel with thematic inspiration from the book ‘Heart of Darkness’ by Joseph Conrad, I would answer this question.
Read the research at the Research Catalogue
Instrument Building and Music Electronics
In 2021 I built my Electric Baroque Guitar, from a ¾ size electric guitar kit. The idea was to create an instrument that I could use for realising the Dowland Downloaded project live, but it evolved into becoming a sort of physical manifestation of my master research: the combination of modern/electronic and Baroque.
Specifications about the instrument can be found here.
Recently, I started experimenting with cassette tape loops, and using a four-track tape deck for layering sounds and building arrangements. During the latest Dowland Downloaded tour I used the tape deck for drum loops and backing tracks in combination with my electric baroque guitar and keyboard.