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The curved paving stones in Dundee City Centre created an invisible stage for the non-physical amphitheatre that held the first outdoor rehearsal of A cut A scratch A score. Sam Belinfante, tuxedoed, held court with a megaphone from a red-painted stage. Beside him a similarly tuxedoed Bruce McLean providing stage directions from a hastily assembled libretto. Before them seven drummers. It’s cold. A regional television news anchor and cameraman put the event on video, David Barnett the same, the gallery-appointed videographer the same. Lore Lixemberg has arrived from London and while the drummers take sequential direction from Sam, she holds a series of notes. A red carpet unrolled between the stage and the drummers blows off in the wind. Of a group of four children stood near me (probably aged around eleven) a boy dances to the music. He’s in shorts and a t-shirt (have I mentioned that it’s cold?).

While it was stressed throughout yesterday’s performance that this was a work-in-progress and the only thing that anyone was sure about were the incidental incidents that felt right, today seemed more assured. Perhaps the presence of an audience added to the performative gravitas. At its peak the audience was composed of approximately over a hundred people. Glancing around at the audience towards the latter part of the performance, I noticed that almost a quarter of observers had moved on with their day. The rehearsal ended abruptly and applause was scattered, but the response was positive overall. Puzzled, maybe, but positive. There will be another Salon discussion this afternoon at 17:00, I think the participating artists and technicians can look on today as a success, if they choose to (there are few intended expectations from their end).