photo by Sha Pajot
I love to sing, play, compose, arrange voices, improvise, and learn new styles of sound-making in as many ways as possible!
pebble
a hastings-based vocal ensemble
improvisation, reimaginings of traditional repertoire, site-specific play, new compositions.
Ellie Westbrook, Anna Dennis, Lucie Treacher, Bev Lee Harling & Tara Franks
“My new favourite band!”
who are we
Pebble began as a sonic playground for 5 women - we met in a community centre in Hastings and relished making weird, beautiful, strange, magical sounds together through improvisation.
Then we started to compose for each other.
Then we created a site-specific performance in Hastings Caves.
Between us we are opera singers, composers, multi instrumentalists, theatre makers and clowns!
here are some recordings from our Cave performance :
Use with headphones to enjoy full binaural experience! Thank you to Isobel Anderson for capturing.
Tara Franks
Eleanor Westbrook
Lucie Treacher
Anna Dennis
Bev Lee Harling
Some of my COmpositions
Vocal expansions
A song about my lack of clarity. It can be confusing but that’s just my vibe ok
Inspired by a short play I wrote for 28 Plays Later (Theatre Delicatessen). Wailing Whales in a plastic world.
Collaboration with composer James Oldham.
“Emotionally compelling and almost animalistic; a siren’s call luring the guitar from the narrowing path.
”
“Cooper and Westbrook are in the process of reimagining and reshaping the traditions within which they operate.”
STAR QUALITY
SPECULATIONS FOR GUITAR AND VOICE (2024)
A new album with a specially-created version for cinema, and theatre.
Star Quality is an attempt to harness the power of soprano voice with all the grandeur of opera and set it in conversation with electric guitar.
Composition by Keir Cooper (from improvisations by) Ellie Westbrook
Recorded at: Mildenhall Road, Hackney; Rose Cottages, Hastings & Trinity Laban, London
Post-production, technical and mix supervision by Grant Leslie
Mastered by Giacomo Fargion
Released by Discus Music 2024
Libretto written by
Rose Biggin & Keir Cooper
Theatre music devising
I love to work with directors, performers, and live artists to help co-create their musical ideas for live performance. Becuase of my devising knowledge, I can help bring the push-and-pull of devising, to the making of music for live shows.
“Bits” with Sonia jalaly and ruby thompson
I worked in the rehearsal space, to-ing and fro-ing with actors and music, for the R&D for this silly, charming, playful piece about women and their “bits”.
“Lilith” with damsel productions
I helped create the underworld-soundworld for this beautiful and sexy new musical about womanhood by Holly Aston.
“The history of ireland” with sarah blanc and moxie brawl
I created a full spoof gameshow sound world for this joyous, ridiculous show, with amazing mover and shaker, Sarah Blanc.
Poster deisgned by Michael Julings
Theme tune for “GONE VIRAL” online variety show.
And “Quarantine Kitchen” covid-podcast.
“Big Berg” at the Edinburgh Fringe
Performative sonic adventures.
Some sound design for my own shows!
