Viola da gamba and electronics - Liam Byrne's SOLO recital

Liam Byrne - photo Marc Gascoigne

SOLO is a new concert series in London, curated by composer Alex Groves, offering intimate recitals musicians showcasing unusual works for solo instruments. The first recital on 26 July 2016 presents the viola da gamba player Liam Byrne in the crypt of St Andrew's Church, Holborn, EC4A 3AB. Byrne will be mixing period music with cutting edge electronics, bringing together viol consort works by Picforth and Ortiz realised for the first time with live electronics, contemporary works by Judah Adashi and Edmund Finnis, and a world première by Alex Groves.

In a Q&A on the SOLO website, Byrne talks about his processes in presenting the consort music in the concert, 'What I'm doing with the laptop is taking a few of my favourite pieces for multiple viols or voices, and by using techniques including delays and looping, will sort of disassemble and reassemble these pieces in front of the audience. I guess it's using a technological process to highlight the bizarre and beautiful structural aspects of the piece, while still also allowing you to listen to the pretty piece of music more or less as it's meant to sound.'

Full details from the SOLO website.