Syd Clayton composed a significant body of experimental music in Melbourne from the mid 1960s until his death in 1994. Clayton explored chance operations as a compositional tool, using his signature toy roulette wheel to select musical elements to be used within structures that he would adapt from such diverse sources as cricket score cards and children's games. The result was a unique blend of music, theatre and ritual.

His work has been described as magical, achieving a Zen-like veneer of simplicity that masks a deep complexity of ideas both musical and philosophical.

Since his heyday at Carlton's La Mama theatre in the late 1960s/early 1970s, Clayton's music has only been performed sporadically, and virtually forgotten by contemporary performers since his death. In Lucky Number, director Barnaby Oliver dusts off Clayton's sometimes-oblique scores and issues the challenge to a new cast of performers from Melbourne's experimental music community (featuring a smattering of former Clayton collaborators) of interpreting Clayton's music in a fashion that is both true to the original spirit and injects new energy.

For Liquid Architecture 10 Adam Simmons and Mark Cauvin will perform 'Yehudi' in Melbourne

Satellite event

LUCKY NUMBER - the music of Syd Clayton

myspace.com/sydclaytonluckynumber

ABC Iwaki Auditorium
Friday July 17 2009, 7pm
Performers:

- Adam Simmons (saxophone)
- Mark Cauvin (double bass)
- The Crystal Set (vocals and percussion)
- Barnaby Oliver (piano)
- Clinton Green (pitched percussion)
- Hugh McSpedden (lighting and projections)

Programme to include:
- Yehudi (wind and double bass)
- Archaeopteryx (wind, drone, percussion)
- Birds of Passage (wind, voice, percussion)
- Lucky Number (pitched percussion)
- The Man On The Left He's Joe Bigger From Topeca (voices, instruments)
- He Colours The Wild Orchid Slipper Wagon (piano)

Performance of Lucky Number will commence at 7pm and continue throughout the evening. The main program will start at 8pm. The performance will start at 7pm when Clinton Green begins Clayton's 4 hour percussion solo 'Lucky Number', to the accompaniment of Hugh McSpedden's immersive visual projections. The main program will start at 8pm.

Lucky Number is a rare, one-night-only exploration of one of Melbourne's most neglected composers that is not to be missed.

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