—Le Mans 24-hour race, live commentary Simon Taylor: start;
—Brian Ferneyhough at the
time of the first performance
of his ‘Carceri d’Invenzione’;
—Le Mans: middle;
—Ferneyhough;
—Le Mans: finish.

English radio transcripts
1994


fiftycarsstreamingthroughthefrenchcountrysideontheirfinalwarmuplapbehindthepeugeot
pacecaritshazardwarninglightsflashingitsheadlightsflashingallthecrowdcraningoverth
ebigconcretebarriersandoverthebalconiesofthegrandstandshereastheylookawaysouththro
ughtheshimmeringheatofaveryhotfrenchafternoonasthebrightlycolouredcarscomethrought
henewtwistsandturnspasttheoldwhitehousepartofthecircuitatthefrontofthemhenripescar
olointhecourageporscheandderekbellinthebrilliantbluegulfporscheanopentoppedcarthis
yearforhimbehindhimitisthelittlewrlmthatwassoquickinpracticeandeddieirvineisfourth
inthiscavalcadeofcarsinthejapanesetoyotaanotherpossibilityforoutrightvictoryfurthe
rbackicanseedominicchappellinthebigorangebritishenteredtomasoraybellminhisporschen
ineelevenrobinsmithmuchfurtherbackintheferrarirunningjustaheadofjustinbellwhoisino
neofthesethunderingbrightlycolouredamericanviperswhicharemakingtheirracedebutherea
tthelemanstwentyfourhourandnowthepacecarslowsrightdownbecauseitwantstobecrossingth
estartfinishlineherebelowusonthestrokeoffouroclockfrenchtimethreeoclockbritishsumm
ertimeandthatwillbethestartofthetwentyfourhourraceoflemansthemostgruellingweekendi
ntheracingdriversyearnowasilookawaydownfromthetopofthepressbalconyicanseetheheadli
ghtsofthepacecaricanseeallthecarsfollowingthroughoppositemethenewconcretegrandstan
dabsolutelythrongedwithpeoplethepitsbeloweverybodyturnedawaytolookdownandheretheca
rsnowcomingalmostimpossiblyslowlyintoslightandalthoughitisatwentyforhourendurancer
acethereisatremendousvaluepsychologicallytoleadtheraceanditisderekbellwhocrossesth
estartfinishlinederekbellleadshistwentyfourthlemanstwentyfourhourshenripescarolosl
otsintosecondplaceandasthequeuegoawayupthehillunderthetraditionaldunlopbridgehanss
tuckhasmadeanastonishingstartinhisporscheandisalreadyupintothirdplaceitiseddieirvi
newhoisfourthbeingchallengedbythelittlewelterpeugeotastheyareoverthebrowofthehilln
owgoingthroughtheleftandthenrightflickoftheesseswiththefunfairthegreatwheelofthefu
nfairwhichwillbelitupthroughthenightontheirleftandnowtheyturnrighttheygetontothest
artofthethreeandahalfmiledragdownthemulsanncestraightwheretheywillbegoinguptotwohu
ndredandfifteentwohundredandtwentymilesanhourbrakingforthetwochicanesacceleratingb
ackuptoovertwohundredmilesanhourthetwonewchicanesintroducedtoslowthedriversdownall
theyhavedoneisputmorestrainonbrakesmorestrainontransmissionsandasisalwaysthecasein
motorracingthecarsjustgoquickerandquicker|itseemstomethatoneoftheimportantthingsab
outtheactiveaspectoflisteningiswhatithinkinthepoetryofkeatsistechnicallycalledemba
rrassmentwhichissuddenlycomingupononeselfsurreptitiouslydoingsomethingnotofwhichon
eisashamedbutwhichsuddenlysetsoneinasortofmetarelationshiptoonesowncapacityasalist
enerandthereforeinthesortofmusicthatistrivetowritethelistenerinasenseisalwayssligh
tlybehindthemusicsowhenanyonesaysaboutmymusicthatitisveryfastidontthinktheymeanlot
sandlotsofnotesthoughtheymightbutithinkmorelikelytheyarecomplainingoratleastassert
ingthatthemusicsspeedofpresentationoftheimageryortheobjectsinitisalwaysslightlyahe
adofourabilitytoassimilatethoseobjectssotheyareextremelyresistantsothatrequiresagr
eaterpushapsychicpushonthepartofthelistenerandsothiseternalactofbeingslightlybehin
dandfeelingoneselftobeslightlybehindwhilstlisteningtothenewthingsthatarebeingprese
ntedisasortofwithouttryingtobepretentiousasortofmetalisteningisupposeasortoflisten
ingaboutlisteningandwhenmymusicisoftendescribedascomplexidontliketothinkthatisonly
thephenomenonitselfbutisactuallythesubjectofthemusicsoitisalsoametasubjectifyoulik
eitisnotamusicalobjectassuchbutitismusicalobjectswhichinandofthemselvesexaminethis
particularcomplexrelationshipbetweenfluidstatesallmusicismanylayeredimeanourearsim
poseuponuswithanylisteningprocessanumberofpossiblestrategieswhichweareconstantlysc
anningandassessingandredistancingfindinganewdistanceornewperspectiveinrelationtowh
atwearehearingatthatparticularmoment|itisstilltoyotatoyotaporscheporscheatthefront
|thisisclearlyaimingatkeepingthewholeofourperceptiveapparatusinmotionbydemonstrati
ngtheincompatibilityoftheincompleteorproblematicwholetotheintegrityofthedetailedmo
mentsoclearlythereisadiscrepancybetweenthesethingsiamaimingatshowingthisanditsthem
otionthestepwisemotionbackandforthbetweenthedifferentlayersthatleadtothislargescal
ebrokenformortothemomentaryperceptionoftheinstantshallwesaytheexpressiveorpsycholo
gicalinstantwhichissoshortthatwecanperceiveitasawholeasanobjectratherthanassomethi
nghappeningwherewehaveforgottenthebeginningbythetimewelistentothendilikeworkingwit
hmemoryinthatrespectimeanitisverynicetohavedifferentsortsofmemoryavailabletooneand
toplaythemagainsteachother|asthehandontheenormousclockinfrontofusdownhereonthestar
tfinishstraightmovesuptowardsfouroclockfrenchtimethatcarisgoingdownthemulsanncestr
aightitisthroughthefirstchicaneonthemulsanncestraightitisnowgoingallthewaydowntheh
istoricstretchthreeandahalfmileslongandstraightbeforetheyputthechicanesinandevenwi
ththechicanesinthecarsarestilldoingtwohundredmilesanhourplusastheygettotheendandhe
reistheofficialclockitsayswehavehadtwentythreehoursandtensecondstheracewillofficia
llyendinaboutfortyfivesecondsfromnowandyannickdalmasthelittlefrenchmanwhoofcourseh
ashadaformulaonecareerofhisownisnowgoingtowinthemostfamousfrenchmotorracethelemans
twentyfourhoursitisgoingtobeaonetwoforporscheitisgoingtobeaftersuchatremendouseffo
rtfromthejapanesetoyotateamitisgoingtobethreeandfourfortoyotaitsgoingtobefiveforni
ssananditisgoingtobesixforaveryspecialmanderekbellwhohastakenoverthewheelofthenumb
erfiveporschewhichisinsixthplaceforthefinafifteenminutesoftheraceandheisdrivingrou
ndwithonehandacknowledgingthetremendouscheersallthewayroundthecircuitwehavenowgott
hewalkingwoundedcomingintosightthecarsthatarestillstrugglinghomeastheywaitandnowit
isfouroclockthesecarsthatarestaggeringacrossthestartfinishlinewillnowbecountedasfi
nishersoneofthemisoneofthevividdayglopainteddodgevipersbuttheotheronewithjustinbel
latthewheelnotnowbuthehasbeendrivingitduringtheracethatisgoingtofinishinthirteenth
placeitisgoingtofinishintwelfthplaceinfactandnowwecanseetheporscheofyannickdalmasi
nsightithascomethroughtheharnachesectionthemarshallsarealreadywavingtheirflagsenth
usiasticallyatitforthefirsttimeinalltheyearsihavebeencomingtolemanswehavenotgotthi
sdelugeofpeopleburstingoverthefencesbecauseithasbeenmadeverycleartoalltheenthusias
ticspectatorssomanyofthembritishwhohavehadsucasplendidtimehereoverthelasttwentyfou
rhoursthatthereisanewlawinfranceanybodywhodisruptsasportingeventrunstheriskofayear
injailandtheyhavebeenbroadcastingthatineverylanguagetheycanthinkofforthelasthouran
ditseemstohaveworkedbecauseicanseethecrowdspressingupagainsttheconcretewallseachsi
deofthestartfinishstraightthegendarmesstridingupanddowninthenomanslandbetweenthefe
ncesandtheconcreteandeverybodyisbehavingextremelywellbutallthoseflagsarebeingreser
vedcertainlyforagreatclumpofpeoplefarbelowmetheymustbethirtydeepwedgedintothatspec
tatorenclosuretheyarekeepingtheirflagsforderekbellwhowillfinishsixthinthebluegulfp
orschewhichremindsusofthegreatvictoriesthathehadwithjackieickxallthoseyearsagoandh
erecomesthewinningporschenowflashingitsheadlightsgreatcheersgoingupfromthecrowdson
thebalconiesovertheothersideoftheroadanddownbelowallthepeoplewhohaverelentlesslyke
pttheirplaceatthefenceallthewaythroughthetwentyfourhoursandthewinnergfthenineteenn
inetyfourlemanstwentyfourhoursisconfirmedasyannickdalmashurleyhaywoodandmaurobaldi
inthedauerporschebyonelapfromthemantwhohastobetheheroofthedayithinkandthemanwhosur
elydeservedtowinthisyearslemanstwentyfourhourraceeddiejordansformulaonedriverediei
rvinedrivingwithmauromartiniandjeffkrosnoffinthatnowoilstreakedredandwhitetoyotawh
ocomeshomejusttwotosevensecondsaheadofthemanhevanquishedrightatheendthierryboutsen
drivingwithdannysullivanandhansstuckintheotherdauerporscheitisgoingtobetheothertoy
otathatwillfinish


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