The Five Bells on New Cross Road, the rehearsal room above the pub where a huge screen is showing football to a few Sunday lunchers. When I walk into the rehearsal rooms above, Remy is teaching the young & eager group of 12 about improvisation - there are two young women, the rest are men and boys. They’re smart, comfortable together, speaking lots of languages. A pretty standard young London crowd in a way.
“Someone starts - anyone. With some theme in mind. Then you can do one of three things: 1. either join them, do something that’s broadly the same, add to their volume and their voice; or, 2, you do something different - but just a bit different; something in harmony; or, 3, you give them something to push against, something different, but something that can be built on - that’s counterpoint. Now,” he continues, “you’re going to show me - you’re going to make a … what do you call it … that machine that makes electricity … a generator”.
