Mercury Rev & The Royal Northern Sinfonia at The Colston Hall Bristol on 13 July
Mercury Rev & The Royal Northern Sinfonia at The Colston Hall in Bristol on Thursday 13 July 2017.
Joining the celebrations around Bella Union’s 20th anniversary come a relatively recent signing to the label with a glorious history of their own. For this very special evening, Mercury Rev will be joined on stage by Simon Raymonde and the Royal Northern Sinfonia for a magical and intimate orchestral performance of music from across their catalogue.
The band’s eighth studio album ‘The Light In You’ was released by Bella Union in the autumn of 2015, and although the band’s ability to deliver majestic and intensely personal sweeps of sound has never faltered, it marked a return to critical prominence for a band who routinely adorned ‘best of’ lists with previous landmarks like ‘See You On The Other Side’, ‘Deserter’s Songs’ and ‘All Is Dream’. Around the same time as the album was released, the band were invited by the Incubate Festival in Tilburg Holland to perform with the Tilburg Conservatorium Orchestra – and the scores generated for that occasion form the basis of this concert.
For these three exclusive UK dates, the band will be joined by Royal Northern Sinfonia, orchestra of the Sage Gateshead, who have previously toured and recorded with fellow Bella Union artists John Grant and Lanterns on the Lake.
Expect rare and first time song performances along with selections from the legendary albums ‘Deserter’s Songs’ and ‘All Is Dream’ all delivered with the Rev’s trademark widescreen arrangements and their iconic flair for the modern fairytale.
Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev formed in Buffalo, New York in 1989, and released their first highly experimental album ‘Yerself Is Steam’ in 1991 to considerable critical acclaim and underground popularity. Despite some changes in line up over the years, Jonathan Donahue (vocals, guitars) and Sean ‘Grasshopper’ Mackowiak (guitars, clarinet) have remained at the centre of the band from its conception.
Their breakout album ‘Deserter’s Songs’ (1998), hailed a classic by many fans and critics, also featured members of The Band and demonstrated a psychedelic foray into pastoral Americana previously unexplored by the group, with wistful lyrics and lush string arrangements alongside the idiosyncratic vocals and guitar interplay more familiar to their sound. They continued this trend for their next two albums, and then released the electronica-influenced ‘Snowflake Midnight’ in 2008. Seventh release ‘The Light In You’ (2015) found them pulling together all of the various stylistic components of their previous albums (and beyond) to create a unified sound that reflects their collective musical experience over three decades of music-making.
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Royal Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of Sage Gateshead, the UK’s only full-time chamber orchestra, has built a distinctive reputation as a fresh-thinking and versatile orchestra. The orchestra was founded in 1958 by BBC musicologist and producer Michael Hall. The Queen bestowed the title of ‘Royal’ on Northern Sinfonia in 2013, recognising it as one of the UK’s finest orchestras – the first time any UK orchestra has been so honoured for over twenty years.
Under its longest serving Music Director, Thomas Zehetmair, RNS has taken a dedicated approach to stylistic excellence in all genres, and has developed an extensive and ambitious repertoire. All underpinned by Zehetmair’s maxim to perform “as if the ink was still wet on the page.” From 2014 he will become Conductor Laureate of the orchestra.
RNS has worked with many of the most in-demand artists in the world including Sir Mark Elder, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Ian Bostridge and Heinz Holliger, whilst also offering opportunities for the next generation of star conductors and musicians. The orchestra’s commitment to contemporary music is highlighted by frequent commissions and premieres, most recently by Simon Bainbridge, David Lang and John Woolrich.
Part of a vibrant programme of music at Sage Gateshead, the orchestra regularly collaborates with artists from other art forms including Sting, Pet Shop Boys, Joanna Newsom, Efterklang, Spiritualized, Lau and Raul Malo.
Performances in its landmark home are complemented by an extensive programme from the local region to the international stage. Residencies at the Aldeburgh Festival and Hong Kong Arts Festival are among the many recent invitations to perform around the world, as well as regular performances at the BBC Proms.
RNS works with adults and young people across the region. Regular projects include premieres of student compositions, whilst the individual members play a key role in Sage Gateshead’s Young Musicians Programme and In Harmony project.
Tickets are £26.88 to £32.25, including booking fee