SOUTH WALES IMPROVISORS

South Wales Improvisers established itself in partnership with SHIFT and creates the opportunity for an individual to play free improvised ensemble music on a regular monthly basis. 

SW Improvisers welcomes all players of all levels who are interested in exploring new paths to music.

Players can come to the sessions freely and without any prior experience. We ask only that you have an open mind, a willingness to listen, to respond and to enjoy.

If you are interested in taking part in regular sessions contact; chris-parfitt@sky.com

Next sessions 2023: All sessions take place Sundays 2pm-4pm on the dates below.

Aug 20th 

September 10th/24th

October 8th/22nd

November 5th/19th

December 3rd/17th 

Free improvisation is “usually performed collectively between two or more players”, where “conception and realization are fused into one action or process”, and where there is “no storage of conceptual or thematic information to be drawn upon”. Free improvisation takes place “in the here and now without resorting to support systems of symbols to be translated”. (Gaudinsky 1982: 37)

Free improvisation is a collective process, and it does not connect itself to common conventions and predetermined frameworks. (Lutz 1999: 2)

A typical definition of freely improvised music is that: “free music is what is played when players do not consciously reinforce musical idioms or existing compositions”. (Berndt 1996: 1)

In free improvisation, the music is discovered and invented spontaneously, “while performing it, without preconceived formulation, scoring, or content”. (Solomon 1986: 226)