Old Machines Take on New Leading Roles

In this photo, you see Frederik Birket-Smith from Strøm with Else Marie Pade’s original Lyrec machines. In the phot, they have just been rescued from eternal decay and oblivion in a storage room and were restored by experts – before playing a major leading role in Else Marie Pade’s anniversary concert at the DR Concert Hall on December 2, 2024.

On December 2, 2024, Else Marie Pade’s first purely electronic work, Seven Circles, was performed live on stage at the DR Concert Hall – on this very machine.
The concert was a grand celebration of the grandmother of electronic music, who would have turned 100 years old on the day.

In addition to Seven Circles and the Lyrec machines, the concert featured:

• the traditional birthday song (the one with instruments)—but with tape loops, ring modulators, and tone generators.
• A Game for Cello, accompanied by visuals inspired by video game graphics.
• the incredible story of how Pade was captured by the Gestapo during World War II and engraved musical notes on her cell wall – told through music performed by the Dybfølt duo and jazz singer Kira Martini.
• parts of Svævninger, performed by sound artist and composer Jacob Kirkegaard (who created and released the work in collaboration with Pade).
• some of Pade’s choral works performed by the vocal ensemble Vigdis.