About

Celebrate Gavin Bryars' 80th birthday, with some of the composer’s most iconic works, performed by the Gavin Bryars Ensemble.

"The music of Gavin Bryars falls under no category. It is mongrel, full of sensuality and wit and is deeply moving. He is one of the few composers who can put slapstick and primal emotion alongside each other. He allows you to witness new wonders in the sounds around you by approaching them from a completely new angle." Michael Ondaatje

Yorkshire-born Gavin Bryars is an influential experimental composer and double-bassist. He has collaborated with the likes of Tom Waits, Brian Eno and Aphex Twin. The Gavin Bryars ensemble will be performing some of the his most iconic works including Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, which "with its hypnotic loop of a homeless man singing, has moved audiences for 50 years." The Guardian

Programme

• The Flower of Friendship
• Lauda con sordino
• Ramble on Cortona
• Added Time
• The North Shore
• Jesus’ Blood
• Epilogue from Wonderlawn

Performers

• Morgan Goff, viola
• Katie Wilkinson, viola
• Audrey Riley, cello
• James Woodrow, electric guitar
• Yuri Bryars, double bass/piano
• Gavin Bryars, double bass/piano

About Gavin Bryars

Gavin Bryars started his musical career as a jazz bassist, working in the early sixties with improvisers Derek Bailey and Tony Oxley, forming the famous Joseph Holbrooke Trio. In 1966 Bryars abandoned improvisation, heading instead to the US to work with the ground-breaking composer John Cage.

Bryars’ first major composition, The Sinking of the Titanic, appeared on Brian Eno's Obscure Records in 1975 and alongside his seminal work Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, which featured the looped vocals of a homeless man singing an unknown hymn, established his reputation worldwide as a prominent figure in minimalist and experimental music. Both pieces have evolved and expanded over time, being performed with artists from across the musical spectrum, from Aphex Twin and experimental turntablist Philip Jeck, to the London Philharmonic and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The famous 1990 version of Jesus’ Blood, which featured singer Tom Waits, was also nominated for The Mercury Music Prize.

Bryars’ list of works is extensive, including numerous operas,vocal works, concertos and many ballets. He has worked with visual artists such as Juan Muñoz (A Man In A Room, Gambling), Robert Wilson (Civil Wars, Medea), The Quay Brothers and many writers such as Blake Morrison, Etel Adnan, Marilyn Bowering, Michael Ondaatje and the singer-songwriter Father John Misty.

Stage times

• 6.30pm: Venue opens
• 7pm: Doors to auditorium open
• 7.30pm: Part 1
• 8.30pm: Interval
• 8.50pm: Part 2

All timings are approximate and subject to change

General information

Unreserved seating (you will not be allocated a specific seat). Please contact boxoffice@attenboroughcentre.com to discuss any specific requirements

Age guidance: 14+ (under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult).

Guests who use a wheelchair or experience mobility impairments are asked to call the box office on 01273 678822 or email info@attenboroughcentre.com so that we can assist you to find the best seat to suit your requirements.

Personal assistance tickets are available for free for customers who would otherwise be unable to attend the venue. Please contact the box office on 01273 678822 or email boxoffice@attenboroughcentre.com for further information.

The Box Office (phone line and drop-in service) is open from 10am to 4pm, Mondays to Fridays. The box office is also open one hour before the advertised show start time.