The first time I attended a performance of John Cage’s music was a rare event, even for someone who might be considered a fan. The performers, Stewart Lee and Steve Beresford, were sure to draw a crowd in York. I hadn’t heard of Tania Caroline Chen before, but a bit of research before the gig revealed that the trio had performed a version of this piece at the Albert Hall to mark John Cage’s centenary in 2012.

Originally, “Indeterminacy” was a 1959 vinyl recording made by John Cage and David Tudor. Cage reads ninety of his stories, each one lasting one minute, regardless of length. During Cage’s reading, David Tudor simultaneously played the piano and other instruments in another room.

I had the opportunity to meet Tania at the end to thank her for an entertaining and theatrical performance. We agreed that a lot of thought went into selecting the musical palette in advance, but she felt there was always an opportunity to find new sounds through exploration in live performance.

It was heartening to see a lot of grey heads in a full auditorium; I felt quite at home. The performance was very theatrical, as you might expect, with Tania Caroline Chen using lots of unusual objects to create different sounds and a prepared piano. Amplification was used, so the sound palette was extensive. Steve Beresford, being the elder statesperson of freeform, didn’t break a sweat during the performance and gave a restrained, professional contribution from the back, including his favourite melodica solo using a long digital delay to create a short duet. I must say that Stewart Lee worked hard, reading the different one-minute extracts continuously at varying speeds throughout. The extracts included some of Cage’s own words, which were fascinating snippets combined with the accompanying noise melodies that seemed to go down well with everyone. A wide dynamic contrast allowed individuals to reflect on the spoken word, as well as experience the shock of an unexpected sudden crash or enjoy the visual distraction of Tania whirling a piece of pipe overhead.

At one point, Tania threw plastic balls into the piano. At the end, many people of all ages, including myself, were curious to see the equipment used in the performance area. It was educational and inspirational.

If you are unfamiliar with the music of John Cage this YouTube clip of his “Water Walk” will give a clear idea of the breath of the unusual sounds used as well as theatrical element that is often an integral part of this type of experiment music.

I am inclined to agree with my journalist friend Vic, who sums up the genre: “I don’t imagine for a minute that you could have a world where only avant-garde stuff was performed or ‘held the mainstream’ – but without any challenging material happening, art starts to suffocate, and humanity shrinks.”