Kate Ryder
(Event 6: Wed 7th Oct 2026 8.00pm Little Missenden Church)
Kate Ryder prepared piano
John Cage Sonatas and Interludes
Programme Notes will be available for download here and free at concert
For once, the use of the much over-used word ‘seminal’ is fully justified when applied to John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes. Performed as a complete set, the work’s 16 sonatas and 4 interludes stand as a milestone in the history of postwar piano music. They’re very rarely heard live in the UK in their entirety and we’re therefore delighted to welcome Kate Ryder to perform them for us.
The work was described at the time of its composition (1946- 1948) as an exercise in spiritual meditation – ‘a texture of sounds designed to set silence as a jewel’ – and the very special setting provided by Little Missenden Church, which is full of its own ancient memories, could hardly be bettered as a place to facilitate this. In the work, Cage was searching for a music whose universality was Eastern as well as Western, and the creation of music ’to sober and quiet the mind, making it susceptible to divine influences’.
To achieve this, he reinvented the piano. By carefully inserting small objects – screws, bolts, pieces of plastic, rubber erasers – between and under the strings, muting them and affecting their resonance, the prepared piano becomes an instrument of lyrical percussion; and hearing a piano properly prepared is one of the most evocative experiences in music.
Kate Ryder’s wide-ranging experience as a pianist encompasses solo work, improvisation and collaborations with leading performers and ensembles in dance, electronics and theatre, where she has established herself as a versatile and original performer and has had many works created for her by composers in the UK and abroad. She was appointed Creativeworks Entrepreneur in Residence at Kingston University in 2014 and has a particular interest in working with unusual keyboard instruments.
Once the performance is over, Kate will be very happy to show interested audience members exactly how she’s gone about preparing her piano and to answer any questions. During this period the bar will be open (the cost of the ticket will include a free drink).
Kate Ryder Prepares her Piano for Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage
Kate plays Sonatas and Interludes on YouTube: • Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4
Listen to Kate Ryder on SoundCloud
Online booking is managed by TicketSource. This event may be booked from the Tickets link on this page but, when booking for multiple events, it may be more convenient to use our Little Missenden Festival page on TicketSource.
This concert is dedicated to the memory of Michael Cox