Music / Ensemble Offspring. Reich: Rejoice: Repeat. At The Street Theatre. September 13. Reviewed by ROB KENNEDY

Celebrating Steve Reich’s 90th birthday, Ensemble Offspring performed four of their Reich favourites in this concert dedicated to his music.

With special guest pianist Gabi Sultana, all the way from Malta, and Sam Weller, conductor; Claire Edwardes, Artistic Director, percussion, Niki Johnson, percussion; Ronan Apcar, piano; Lamorna Nightingale, flute; Jason Noble, clarinets; Véronique Serret and Alexandra Osborne, violins; Dana Lee, viola; Rowena Macneish, cello; and Jacques Emery, electric bass.

Reich’s Clapping Music (1972) takes concentration, dedication, great timing and what seems like an immense ability to focus to perform this four- to five-minute piece depending on tempo, and both Edwardes and Johnson had these things in spades. They made clapping fun.

Then, Piano Counterpoint for piano and tape (1973/2011), performed by the Maltese pianist Gabi Sultana. This music feels like being under a waterfall of sound as the recorded piano and the live one combine to make an interweaving of sounds where neither voice sits in the background. That said, Sultana’s playing could be distinguished through her volume and the slight variation in tone quality.

It’s such a catchy piece that Sultana could not but help to bounce along to the bounding rhythm. It is a sustained feat of endurance and memory, even if you have the score in front of you. It was beautifully performed.

Quartet for two vibraphones and two pianos (2013) followed. With Sultana on the grand piano and Apcar on an upright, this made for a sharp combination of sound. Plus, Edwardes and Johnson on vibraphones on either side of the stage made this jazzy piece a sublime union.

This is a work of joyous music beautifully constructed. It drifts into mystery, and it stays pretty much at the same dynamic throughout. Parts are dreamlike and slightly dissonant. I’d say that if this piece is still performed one hundred years from now, it would still be considered contemporary.

Radio Rewrite for Large Ensemble (2012) was the last piece of the night. Its name comes from being based upon two Radiohead songs, and it’s constructed in five movements. It builds through key changes, floating instrumental lines from wind and string players, and an electric base that holds the bottom together, while pianos and vibraphones intermeshed with a driving but changing repetition.

It’s quite cinematic in tone, especially when things modulated to soft and slow sections. Then it all bounced back with new material, then slowed again before a coda of strong emotional content that brought it and the concert to a close.

If Reich were here to experience this so well-performed concert, he would have had a large smile on his face and applauded loudly as this audience did.

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