—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