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These New Puritans: The Blue Door
Sunday 23 February 2020, Barbican Hall, 8pm 
Tickets £17.50 – 22.50 plus booking fee 

English band These New Puritans, founded by twin brothers George Barnett and Jack Barnett, bring their latest TNP live event, The Blue Door, to the Barbican in February 2020.

The group defies categorisation, and this performance – which will be the band’s biggest undertaking to date – is no exception. The expanded line-up, including minimalist, pitched percussion, will cut across electronic, contemporary, classical, rock and industrial music. Based on the themes of sex, death, transcendence and love at the end of the human age, the concert features reinterpretations and rearrangements of music from across TNP’s four studio albums (including recent album Inside The Rose) alongside new material to be released in 2020. All combined and for the first time presented with an industrial stage installation and visuals from George Barnett and some of the band's collaborators including photographer and director Harley Weir, filmmaker and artist Daniel Askill and photographer Angelo Pennetta.

These New Puritans return to the Barbican following their sold out presentation of TNP EXPANDED which saw a performance of their album Field of Reeds in its entirety, and Lost Chords (old and new works, worked and re-worked) in April 2014; and their acclaimed Hidden Live concert in autumn 2010, which featured Britten Sinfonia, a children’s choir, 10ft taiko drums, multiple vibraphonists and live Foley techniques. Produced by the Barbican

 

The Lark Ascending: People, Music, Landscape
With Richard King, Arthur Jeffes, Andrew Weatherall, Vashti Bunyan, Daniel Pioro and friends, Rob St John, and Deep Throat Choir
Tuesday 24 March 2020, Barbican Hall, 7.30pm 
Tickets £17.50 – 22.50 plus booking fee 

This special evening at the Barbican was conceived by author and cultural historian Richard King during the writing process of The Lark Ascending, published in summer 2019 by Faber. The concert coincides with the paperback publication of his lyrical exploration of the relationships between the people, the music and the landscape of Great Britain, which takes Vaughan Williams’ most celebrated and popular composition, The Lark Ascending, as a starting point.

The performance will feature a seamless blend of music, specially-commissioned audio-visual content, spoken word and dance and will offer Barbican audiences an opportunity to experience an alternative reimagining of the book’s narrative, including appearances by many of the artists mentioned in the text.

Violinist Daniel Pioro, who will be joined by Barbican music programme regulars organist/pianist James McVinnie and viol player Liam Byrne as well as cellist Clare O’Connell, will open the evening with a new arrangement of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending. Musician, composer and producer Arthur Jeffes will present a selection of Penguin Cafe Orchestra material, whilst Deep Throat Choir will perform their own arrangements of songs from the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp songbook. Singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan will contribute a short set of her own songs, and DJ and producer Andrew Weatherall will close the evening with a specially-composed new piece of music. The overall music and video direction comes from artist and musician Rob St. John who will also weave his own compositions into the concert. Produced by the Barbican

Damon Albarn:  The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows
Tuesday 26 May 2020, Barbican Hall, 8pm 
Tickets £20 – 40 plus booking fee 

Singer, songwriter and composer Damon Albarn’s new project The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, which is inspired by the landscapes of Iceland, will receive its UK premiere at the Barbican in May next year. The title is taken from a John Clare poem entitled Love and Memory.

Damon Albarn will perform this new, very personal, piece with an ensemble and specially commissioned visuals. What can be more fascinating than the signs of the passage of time and the fragility of nature?

Damon Albarn is a singer, songwriter, composer and producer, and founder member of Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad & The Queen. Produced by the Barbican