John Cage – Maybe Even Beyond The Delta

Experimental music group An Assembly present an evening of works by John Cage, taking place in The Lowry Galleries in response to our exhibition ‘Expect the Unexpected’.

John Cage was an experimental composer and leading figure amongst the 20th century avant-garde. Cage’s legacy spans hundreds of compositions, operas, performances, books, films and paintings, all underlined by a fascination with chance and a celebration of multiplicity, individuality, and autonomy.

Reflecting a fundamentally social philosophy, Cage’s work starts from the belief that all sounds are equal - whether ‘musical’ tones or everyday noises - and all sounds can be aesthetically beautiful.

Cage’s famous work, 4’ 33’’ (‘Four minutes, thirty-three seconds’) perfectly summed up his idea that any sounds can constitute music. His pieces made use of traditional music notation alongside graphic scores and text instructions to encourage individual performers’ decision making and imagination.

This performance of Cage’s work will present a selection of his music, performances, and writing simultaneously across the entire gallery. Audiences can move freely around the space and enjoy a unique collage of unexpected chance encounters throughout the exhibition space.