Henry Bennett, a 27-year-old performer and teacher in Abu Dhabi, fits the profile of the impassioned artist who is bursting with a need to express himself artistically, and to find recognition for his unique and refreshing performances. Born in Liverpool to English/ Iris parentage, Henry went to cathedral school in Oxford and studied music at university in London. Tempo caught up with him to learn about his latest artistic forays…
Introduce Henry to us.
I am a singer, pianist and cellist and enjoy all kinds of experiments with sound and the immersive arts. I hate television but love French cinema. I play football once a week and like climbing mountains in remote parts of the world. I love meeting new people. I am easily overwhelmed with emotions and prone to bursting into tears over the most basic expressions of humanity.
Is it true that you left home at the age of eight to pursue music?
Yes, I left home at eight to pursue a singing scholarship – my parents let me make the decision myself! The first major hurdle was overcoming my homesickness. I cried myself to sleep every night for two weeks and had to be separated from the other children because I was keeping them awake at night. After my tears had dried, nothing seemed quite the same ever again. Leaving home was one of the hardest things that ever happened to me but I haven’t looked back since! I like to constantly challenge myself – all the career related obstacles that have come my way have been of my own making. I believe that the biggest test is always getting to know yourself.
Who or what is the source of your inspiration?
I’m greatly inspired by the imagination and inventive scope of children. There’s nothing more heartwarming than hearing the sound of a baby giggling, or conversely as disturbing as a child’s screams in the night time. I deeply admire truly independent thinkers for being themselves. A personal hero of mine is the composer Oliver Messiaen who had a rare neurological condition called synaesthesia which caused crossover between his senses. He literally saw colours in music and devised a system of composition which adhered to his unique spectral understanding. His music conjures up a bizarre new world of uniform abstraction; it’s an alien landscape with laws unto itself. He was a devoted man who was fascinated and enthralled with nature, spending many hours notating bird-song in his garden. He was famous for his incredible improvisations on the church organ and was the first to incorporate electronic sounds into the symphony.
How has your experience as teacher been?
Wonderful so far. It’s been rewarding from a personal and emotional perspective and also in relation to my development as a musician. I find the teacher-student relationship to be symbiotic. You both learn a great deal from the experience. I always see a little of myself in my students and have greatly enjoyed having the opportunity to meet people like me from all over the world. It was fascinating to live and work with non-english speaking university students in Central China. Much faster than I imagined it possible, we found ways to communicate in a way that transcended language. Music truly is a universal dialect.
Tell us about your recent project in Manarat al Saadiyat
On January 16th I debuted my project ‘Recycled Rhythms’ at Manarat al Saadiyat. It is an interactive musical experience which I installed as part of ‘Eco-scape’ in association with the Ministry of Culture’s Eco-future exhibition. I collected donations of hundreds of empty bottles, cans, coat hangers, old pots and pans, cutlery, bottle tops, bits of piping, old tools and much more which were used by kids to build their own musical instruments. We recorded the sounds and overlaid them to create an improvised soundscape- it was really cool! I’m now looking forward to taking the project on tour and into schools.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I’ll be 32 which seem pretty old, so I should probably have written my first second and third symphonies by then! I will continue to explore new parts of the world but hope to settle on a concrete aesthetic which will define my work. I am constantly developing ideas about new ways to make music and have yet to find an identity which caters to all of my creative needs. Perhaps I will become the first ‘king of all trades’! I’m now contemplating taking masters in opera. Who knows what the future holds? Whatever it is it will be fun I am sure.
What do you say to aspiring musicians and readers?
I would like to make an appeal to young musicians and Tempo readers to become more active in the community. There are so many ways to revitalize your life by being more creative. Turn off your television. Turn off your computer. Go to an art gallery. Start a band. Take singing lessons. Make a collage. Join a choir. Write poetry. Tell stories. Invent plays. These experiences can change the way we see the world for the better. They open our horizons and broaden our understanding of life.
If you are a school or art house and are interested in hosting Henry’s Recycled Rhythm event please contact rhythmsrecycled@gmail.com
By Ajir Shujahi
