The Head & the Load

with Philip Miller, Thuthuka Sibisi, Gregory Maqoma
2018
William Kentridge The Head and The Load

Let us try for once not to be right

The Head & the Load is about Africa and Africans in the First World War, that is to say about the contradictions and paradoxes of colonialism that were heated and compressed by the circumstances of the war. It is about historical incomprehension (and inaudibility and invisibility). The colonial logic towards the black participants could be summed up as, ‘Lest their actions merit recognition, their deeds must not be recorded.’ The Head & the Load aims to recognise and record those deeds.

The Head & the Load

Music composed and conceived by Philip Miller

First performed July 11-15, 2018 at the Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London.

CREATIVE TEAM

Concept and Director
William Kentridge

Composer
Philip Miller

Co-composer and Music Director
Thuthuka Sibisi

Projection Design
Catherine Meyburgh

Choreography
Gregory Maqoma

Costume Design
Greta Goiris

Set Design
Sabine Theunissen

Lighting Design
Urs Schönebaum and Georg Veit

Sound Design
Mark Grey

Video Editing and Compositing
Janus Fouché, Žana Marović and Catherine Meyburgh

Associate Director
Luc De Wit

Studio Technical Director
Chris Waldo de Wet

Video Orchestrator
Kim Gunning

Cinematography
Duško Marović

Orchestration
Michael Atkinson and Philip Miller

SUPPORT

The Head & The Load is co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW: WW1 Centenary Commissions, Park Avenue Armory, Ruhrtriennale, Yale Schwarzman Center and MASS MoCA with additional support from Holland Festival.

The Head & The Load acknowledges the kind assistance of Marian Goodman Gallery, Goodman Gallery and Lia Rumma Gallery in this project.

Lead support for the development of The Head & the Load has been provided by Brenda R. Potter, Daniel R. Lewis, the W.L.S. Spencer Foundation and Jennifer & Jonathan Allan Soros, with further support from Alessia Bulgari, Agnes Gund and Wendy Fisher. Additional support has been provided by the JKW Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Simeon Bruner, Robert Gold, Sarah McNair, Randal Fippinger, John and Cynthia Reed, Bill & Sako Fisher, Quaternaire and donors who wish to remain anonymous.

PRODUCTION

Executive producer
THE OFFICE performing arts + film Rachel Chanoff, Laurie Cearley, Lynn Koek, Catherine DeGennaro, Noah Bashevkin, Olli Chanoff, Diane Eber, Gabrielle Davenport, & Chloe Golding 

www.theofficearts.com

Toured in association with Quaternaire, Sarah Ford ADD

www.quaternaire.org

Performance history
July 11-15, 2018: Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London, UK
August 9-12, 2018: Ruhrtriennale, Duisburg, Germany
December 4-15, 2018: Park Avenue Armory, New York, USA
May 29-31, 2019: Holland Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands

www.theheadandtheload.com

CREATED AND PERFORMED BY

Actors

Mncedisi Shabangu, Hamilton Dlamini, Nhlanhla Mahlangu and Luc De Wit

Featured Vocalists and Performers
Joanna Dudley, Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Ann Masina, Bham Ntabeni, Sipho Seroto, N`Faly Kouyate (kora), Mario Gotoh* (viola), Tlale Makhene (percussion) and Vincenzo Pasquariello (piano)

Dancers
Gregory Maqoma, Julia Zenzie Burnham, Thulani Chauke, Xolani Dlamini, Nhlanhla Mahlangu

Ensamble Vocalists
Mhlaba Buthelezi, Ayanda Eleki, Grace Magubane, Blaise Malaba, Ncokwane Lydia Manyama, Caroline Modiba, Tshegofatso Moeng, Mapule Moloi, Lindokuhle Thabede, Motho Oa Batho, Bulelani Madondile, Lubabalo Velebayi and Eddie Mofokeng

Musicians
Waldo Alexander (violin), Christina Courtin* (violin), Colin Jacobsen* (violin); Eilidh Martin (cello), Caitlin Sullivan* (cello), Caleb van der Swaagh* (cello), Eric Jacobson* (cello); Logan Coale* (bass), Shawn Conley* (bass); Andrew Rehrig* (flute), Myles Roberts (flute), Alex Sopp* (flute); Michael P. Atkinson* (French horn), Deepa Goonetilleke (French horn), Laura Weiner* (French horn); Samuel Ewens* (trumpet), Samuel Jones* (trumpet); Bob Couture* (trombone), Richard Harris* (trombone), Nicolas Jones* (trombone), Will Lang* (trombone), Dave Nelson* (trombone), Jon Stokes* (trombone), Benny Vernon* (trombone); Jon Hill* (tuba), Andy Kershaw* (tuba), Andrew Madej* (tuba); Nathan Koci* (accordion), Will Holshouser (accordion); Sam Budish* (percussion), David Stevens* (percussion).
*with members of The Knights chamber orchestra (New York)

The Knights
Artistic Directors Colin Jacobsen / Eric Jacobsen
Executive Director Shruti Adhar
theknightsnyc.com

KABOOM!

2018

3-channel video installation with projection onto miniature stage model for The Head & the Load

HD video, wooden shelf, cardboard floor, paper collage, speakers, BrightSign media players, steel stands, projectors

Approximately 20 minutes

Edition of 4 + 1 Artist’s Proof

Music and sound design
Philip Miller and Thuthuka Sibisi

Video editing
Janus Fouché

Sound editing and mixing
Gavan Eckhart

Technical design and construction
Chris-Waldo de Wet and Jacques van Staden

Vocalists

Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Mncedisi Shabangu, Hamilton Dlamini, Lydia Ncokwane Manyama, Mapule Moloi, Ann Masina, Grace Magubane, Tshegofatso Moeng, Makudupanyane William, Senaoana, Mahlaba Buthelezi, Ayanda Eleki, Bongani Ndhlalane, Lindokuhle Thabede, Bham Ntabeni, Tlale Makhene

Musicians

N’faly Kouyate: vocalist, kora player; Vincenzo Pasquariello: piano; Jill Richards: piano; Merinda Fourie: piano; Waldo Alexander: violin; Kgaugelo Mpyane: viola; Kate White: viola; Tsepo Pooe: cello; Christi-Louise Swanepoel: double bass; Lyle Potgieter: flute and piccolo; Shannon Armer: french horn; Lwanda Gogwana: trumpet; Alex Hitzeroth: trombone and bass trombone; Dan Selsick: trombone; Justin Sasman: tuba; Tlale Makhene: percussion; Riaan van Rensburg: percussion

“Kélénin tanta ye” composed by N’faly Koute

“Liebeslied” by Fritz Kreisler

“Einleitung”, Opus 37 by Paul Hindemith

Prisoners of World War 1 recordings courtesy of Laut Archiv, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Musicians recorded at Howard Audio

Additional recordings by Michele Greco

Making

This reconstruction of ideas suggests there was a clarity of thinking from the beginning. But this clarity only arises when the project is finished. The work in process was much less coherent, and deliberately so. We needed to be led not only by books and texts. There was a loose gathering of possibilities to see how different fragments could talk to each other. There was traditional research at the Imperial War Museum: photos, letters, copies of military instructions. In different archives there was a search for African oral histories of the War (there were remarkably few of them that we could track down). We were looking both for the broad strokes, the broad shapes of what happened, but also for surprising thoughts, for particular turns of phrase; for the idiosyncratic. Looking for riddles with only half-formed answers rather than clear explications.

O sleep, the poor man’s fat
They have milked our goats dry
The pool dried up while I was looking at it
Darkness gossips about no one
Hope causes no shame
God’s opinion is unknown
When a man dies, a man remains
His back is fitted for the burden
The hand never loses its way to the mouth
Darkness has eaten her own child
Hunger makes no man wise
The pool ahead is not to be trusted

The Head & the Load

Processional opera

KABOOM!

Projection onto miniature stage model for The Head & the Load

Excerpt from complete film

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Credits

The Head & the Load

William Kentridge

Music composed and conceived by Philip Miller 

First performed July 11-15, 2018 at the Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London.

CREATIVE TEAM

Concept and Director
William Kentridge

Composer
Philip Miller

Co-composer and Music Director
Thuthuka Sibisi

Projection Design
Catherine Meyburgh

Choreography
Gregory Maqoma

Costume Design
Greta Goiris

Set Design
Sabine Theunissen

Lighting Design
Urs Schönebaum and Georg Veit

Sound Design
Mark Grey

Video Editing and Compositing
Janus Fouché, Žana Marović and Catherine Meyburgh

Associate Director
Luc De Wit

Studio Technical Director
Chris Waldo de Wet

Video Orchestrator
Kim Gunning

Cinematography
Duško Marović

Orchestration
Michael Atkinson and Philip Miller

SUPPORT

The Head & The Load is co-commissioned by 14-18 NOW: WW1 Centenary Commissions, Park Avenue Armory, Ruhrtriennale, Yale Schwarzman Center and MASS MoCA with additional support from Holland Festival.

The Head & The Load acknowledges the kind assistance of Marian Goodman Gallery, Goodman Gallery and Lia Rumma Gallery in this project.

Lead support for the development of The Head & the Load has been provided by Brenda R. Potter, Daniel R. Lewis, the W.L.S. Spencer Foundation and Jennifer & Jonathan Allan Soros, with further support from Alessia Bulgari, Agnes Gund and Wendy Fisher. Additional support has been provided by the JKW Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Simeon Bruner, Robert Gold, Sarah McNair, Randal Fippinger, John and Cynthia Reed, Bill & Sako Fisher, Quaternaire and donors who wish to remain anonymous.

PRODUCTION 

Executive producer
THE OFFICE performing arts + film Rachel Chanoff, Laurie Cearley, Lynn Koek, Catherine DeGennaro, Noah Bashevkin, Olli Chanoff, Diane Eber, Gabrielle Davenport, & Chloe Golding 

www.theofficearts.com

Toured in association with Quaternaire, Sarah Ford ADD

www.quaternaire.org

Performance history

July 11-15, 2018: Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London, UK
August 9-12, 2018: Ruhrtriennale, Duisburg, Germany
December 4-15, 2018: Park Avenue Armory, New York, USA
May 29-31, 2019: Holland Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands

www.theheadandtheload.com

CREATED AND PERFORMED BY 

Actors

Mncedisi Shabangu, Hamilton Dlamini, Nhlanhla Mahlangu and Luc De Wit

Featured Vocalists and Performers
Joanna Dudley, Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Ann Masina, Bham Ntabeni, Sipho Seroto, N`Faly Kouyate (kora), Mario Gotoh* (viola), Tlale Makhene (percussion) and Vincenzo Pasquariello (piano)

Dancers
Gregory Maqoma, Julia Zenzie Burnham, Thulani Chauke, Xolani Dlamini, Nhlanhla Mahlangu

Ensamble Vocalists
Mhlaba Buthelezi, Ayanda Eleki, Grace Magubane, Blaise Malaba, Ncokwane Lydia Manyama, Caroline Modiba, Tshegofatso Moeng, Mapule Moloi, Lindokuhle Thabede, Motho Oa Batho, Bulelani Madondile, Lubabalo Velebayi and Eddie Mofokeng

Musicians
Waldo Alexander (violin), Christina Courtin* (violin), Colin Jacobsen* (violin); Eilidh Martin (cello), Caitlin Sullivan* (cello), Caleb van der Swaagh* (cello), Eric Jacobson* (cello); Logan Coale* (bass), Shawn Conley* (bass); Andrew Rehrig* (flute), Myles Roberts (flute), Alex Sopp* (flute); Michael P. Atkinson* (French horn), Deepa Goonetilleke (French horn), Laura Weiner* (French horn); Samuel Ewens* (trumpet), Samuel Jones* (trumpet); Bob Couture* (trombone), Richard Harris* (trombone), Nicolas Jones* (trombone), Will Lang* (trombone), Dave Nelson* (trombone), Jon Stokes* (trombone), Benny Vernon* (trombone); Jon Hill* (tuba), Andy Kershaw* (tuba), Andrew Madej* (tuba); Nathan Koci* (accordion), Will Holshouser (accordion); Sam Budish* (percussion), David Stevens* (percussion).
*with members of The Knights chamber orchestra (New York)

The Knights
Artistic Directors Colin Jacobsen / Eric Jacobsen
Executive Director Shruti Adhar
theknightsnyc.com

KABOOM!

2018

3-channel video installation with projection onto miniature stage model for The Head & the Load

HD video, wooden shelf, cardboard floor, paper collage, speakers, BrightSign media players, steel stands, projectors

Approximately 20 minutes

Edition of 4 + 1 Artist’s Proof

Music and sound design
Philip Miller and Thuthuka Sibisi

Video editing
Janus Fouché

Sound editing and mixing
Gavan Eckhart

Technical design and construction
Chris-Waldo de Wet and Jacques van Staden

Vocalists

Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Mncedisi Shabangu, Hamilton Dlamini, Lydia Ncokwane Manyama, Mapule Moloi, Ann Masina, Grace Magubane, Tshegofatso Moeng, Makudupanyane William, Senaoana, Mahlaba Buthelezi, Ayanda Eleki, Bongani Ndhlalane, Lindokuhle Thabede, Bham Ntabeni, Tlale Makhene

Musicians

N’faly Kouyate: vocalist, kora player; Vincenzo Pasquariello: piano; Jill Richards: piano; Merinda Fourie: piano; Waldo Alexander: violin; Kgaugelo Mpyane: viola; Kate White: viola; Tsepo Pooe: cello; Christi-Louise Swanepoel: double bass; Lyle Potgieter: flute and piccolo; Shannon Armer: french horn; Lwanda Gogwana: trumpet; Alex Hitzeroth: trombone and bass trombone; Dan Selsick: trombone; Justin Sasman: tuba; Tlale Makhene: percussion; Riaan van Rensburg: percussion

“Kélénin tanta ye” composed by N’faly Koute

“Liebeslied” by Fritz Kreisler

“Einleitung”, Opus 37 by Paul Hindemith

Prisoners of World War 1 recordings courtesy of Laut Archiv, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Musicians recorded at Howard Audio

Additional recordings by Michele Greco