Simon Hellewell

I don't think pleading ignorance is ever a great defense, but it's also ludicrous to claim that you'd no idea that killing civilians in a country with which you are not explicitly at war is criminal.

Yes they can. "Just following direct orders" is not a widely accepted legal defence for committing war crimes, and this was thoroughly put to the test at the Nuremberg trials where many people were sentenced for following orders which they knew to amounted to crimes against humanity.

@hankgreen.bsky.social have you done today's connections yet?

Well, is it more efficient to put resources into putting out fires or into actively reducing the risk of them happening or spreading as easily in the first place? International aid brings soft power, stability, and positive relations with global communities. More military spend does the opposite.

Effective foreign aid spending keeps us all safer than any hike in military spending and Kier Starmer should know that.

Back in the UK after almost four weeks of honeymoon, actually looking at the state of the world again and uuuuuuuugggghhhhhh

A couple of pictures of the main body of the score, if you're curious!

Depends on when exactly, as I am unavailable through basically all of February, but I am definitely interested!

oh my god this is so good 😚👌

It was written for this space, the war memorial room at Aberdeen Art Gallery, setting the final stanzas of "There Will Come Soft Rains", a war poem by Sara Teasdale expressing the grim positivity that nature will live on after humanity perishes. I find it strangely comforting in the present era.

The piece uses a graphic score for the choir which is loosely based on a diagram of the nuclear fission chain reaction, which I will share a picture of shortly,but it seems I don't have one saved to my phone.

YouTube video by Sound Festival Spotlight Gig: Con Anima and Brodie McCash (soundfestival 2024)

Excited to share this recording of my recent piece 'We Were Gone' for choir and percussion. My piece starts around 14:30 but the whole concert is worth a watch m.youtube.com/watch?v=H_PN...

YouTube video by Roadrunner Records Gojira - Explosia [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

The opening minute of Explosia never fails to get some kind of stank-face from me. Kinda true of the whole L'Enfant Sauvage album TBF, but it starts out well. youtu.be/QqB4YPcacdo?...

I believe that is a part of the opening chapter of the book! I definitely heard something recently on one of John's streams where he was reading from the book where this was the subject.

A graphic featuring illustrations of a guitar, flute, trumpet, keyboards and a MIDI controller in a circle on a blue background, with text saying: CoMA Glasgow Explorations: Winter Concert / A performance of experimental and graphic scores. December 17, 7.30-9pm, Scottish Music Centre, 100 Candleriggs, Glasgow. £5 / pay what you can afford.

Time to banish those Christmas song earworms!
Our CoMA Glasgow ensemble's winter concert on 17 December features pieces from graphic scores by Scottish composers Naomi McGilivray and @simonhellewell.bsky.social, experimental processes by James Saunders, and more. buff.ly/3ZD2BVQ

Reminded of this moment from Parks and Rec:

Surprisingly difficult.
1. George Crumb, Zeitgeist
2. Ligeti, Requiem
3. Deep Listening (The album and the book on the practice)
4. Godspeed You Black Emperor, Asunder Sweet and Other Distress
5. Louise Rossiter, Sacred Voices

Could change daily. That's my instinct right now anyway 😅

Small climbing birb to brighten your day.

Addendum:
If you are reading off a paper copy of this score during performance, end when the paper is falling apart. (This is, of course, not advised.) If you laminated it, you only have yourself to blame for the extreme length of your performance.

(2/2)

To decipher my handwriting:

Flow State

Hum a drone with your shower.

Find pulsations with the sound.

When you feel cleansed, refreshed, or ready to face the bathmat (ideally at least two of the three), end the drone.

Addendum:

(1/2)

I'm trying to write more fun little text scores to prompt musical/sonic exploration recently and give a little insight into some of my sound practices. I will try to remember to post them here!

Starting with this one written yesterday:

My guitar, kind of the centre of my setup, is currently being serviced and I may not get back for a couple of weeks so keep your fingers crossed for me that I get it back in good time 😅

Hi Bluesky, sorry to start out with shameless self promotion, but you might be interested in the Glasgow Experimental Music Series, and my duo Dronehopper playing there on the 6th!