Sounds of future past: explore Daphne Oram’s archive recordings

Experiment and create with the unique sounds of an electronic music trailblazer, in this free workshop for women and gender-diverse people co-produced by Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (hcmf//) and YSWN.

YSWN and the Daphne Oram Trust invite you to make music using the recorded legacy of pioneering electronic composer Daphne Oram (1925-2003).

To celebrate last year’s centenary of her birth, the Daphne Oram Trust have curated a special sample pack of sounds taken from archive tapes in her own collection.

Recorded between 1956-1974, these recordings of Daphne’s music, sound design and own spoken words come from a period of great innovation, in which she co-founded the BBC Radiophonic Workshop before leaving in frustration to set up Tower Folly, the first electronic music studio founded by a woman. There, she created music for films and adverts and worked on bringing to life her Oramics machine, a groundbreaking optical synthesiser. The samples were recently reimagined by artists including Cosey Fanni Tutti, Nwando Ebizie and Lola de la Mata for the album var/iations: Ode to Oram – and now it’s your turn!

Join artist and musician Sophie Cooper as we explore the sample pack and experiment with its sounds to improvise a new collective piece. Open to music-makers of any experience level or none, this workshop is a friendly and fun session where the unique sounds from Daphne’s imagination will open doors to your own creativity.

The workshop is for ages 18+. All equipment will be provided, but if you do have any electronic music-making kit (such as samplers, controllers or effects pedals) of your own, feel free to bring it along.

Access info: Accessibility information is available here. Further information on campus accessibility is available on the University of Huddersfield website.

For any questions, please contact hcmf//’s Nathan Bragg-Beck at N.Bragg-Beck@hud.ac.uk

Photo: Daphne Oram and the Oramics Machine by Fred Wood © Daphne Oram Trust. Image provided by Special Collections & Archives, Goldsmiths University of London with permission from the Daphne Oram Trust.