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This performance promised a glimpse into the world of Guillaume Dufay, a 15^th century composer, and the marriage of ancient music and modern technology. Three time Prix Ars Electronica winner Ambrose Field composed the electronics, which were generated live in performance using digital technology, Michael Lynch created seven short films for a backdrop and former Hilliard Ensemble member John Potter provided the vocals.

John Potter had a clear and beautiful tenor, evoking a time past. The idea of blending new sounds with old is surely that it should add something to the original but for me, the processed sounds failed to bring out anything more from Dufay’s scores. It also seemed redundant to have recorded snatches of Potter’s voice playing while Potter stood back from the microphone.

As for the seven films created by freelance artist Michael Lynch, aside from the seagulls/doves flying around in the third film, not much in the way of action happened on the screen except obscure images that looked like they had been doctored in Photoshop morphing slowly into other obscure images. I think using the term film at all was a bit misleading as it was more like a series of still images.

There didn’t seem to be the connection between Potter, Field and Lynch’s collective talents that they were aiming for. Perhaps if I had had a long day and was going to sit in front of the television anyway and let sounds and sights float over me while I unwound, a plush seat at the Astor would have been at least a comfortable place to sit and relax. But I wanted more than that – I wanted to experience something and besides Potter’s voice, the performance left me empty.

Unless I missed something. I felt like leaping up and saying “But he’s not wearing any clothes”. Instead I kept watching and hoping for some insight into this experience. The press release for Being Dufay described it as haunting but the most haunting feeling I had during the performance was that there might be something better on telly that I was missing. Although Potter’s tenor was beautiful, on the whole this experience was uninformative and uninspiring.


2010 Perth International Arts Festival
Being Dufay
Ambrose Field

Venue: The Astor
Date/Time: Thu 11 Feb @ 8.00pm
Tickets: Standard $37.50, Friends $33, Includes BOCS booking fee
Bookings: bocsticketing.com.au