Go to a concert of the classics and you commit yourself, at least for a couple of hours, to the special but removed world where great music resides. Those who went to the Great Noise Ensemble’s concert at Catholic University’s Ward Hall on Friday, however, were brought face to face with music as life.

…the music was put out there with enormous exuberance and good humor, all tempered by moments of delicacy and restraint.

–Joan Reinthaler, The Washington Post

To read the full review, click here.

Like most garage bands, alt-classical groups have to make the most of limited resources. “A lot of the vibe we’ve developed,” says Bayolo of the Great Noise Ensemble, “is that we’ve been forced to work in a tough economy with very little money, as what I call guerrilla music makers.” The ensemble’s musicians are still working without pay, though the question of performance space has been solved since the group took up residency at Catholic University. (Their next concert is Oct. 30.)

The residency is appropriate in that Bayolo specifically cites the catholicism — with a small C — of his musical tastes. All music, to this young composer, is created equal, but the established format is too restrictive. “The notion of music as religious relic is what I’m trying to fight against,” he said.

Read the full article here.

This is modern composed music at its best; nimble, expressive, ear-turning and strange in an accessible way, highly virtuosic (7/4 time, anyone?) but never pretentious.
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If the idea of avant-garde music (referred to by the Ensemble simply as ‘contemporary music’), or even 7/4 time, frighten you, consider this a chance to dip your toes in; you might find that it can match pop music for emotiveness, ambient techno for fragility, R&B for sheer fun. Even the performers are a joy to watch; the young ensemble is focused and clearly enjoying themselves.

–Brett Abelman (Washington City Paper)

To see the full review, click here.

Fringe ain’t just theatre, folks. And things that fall into ‘ain’t theatre’ sure can appeal to the theatre folks, as Great Noise Ensemble’s Carnal Node now running at the Harman Center proves.
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Basically, what we have on our hands is great satisfyingly cerebral stuff with a funky and appealing technique to back it on up. A solid foray into contemporary bands in DC. If you see them playing somewhere, they’re worth a gander.

–Danielle Martin (DC Theatre Scene)