"Nothing less than mesmerising, a thoroughly integrated blend of top quality authentic performance (all played from memory), theatre, dance, story-telling and thematic deconstruction" (Early Music Review)
Rayfield Allied is delighted to welcome Bjarte Eike and his ensemble Barokksolistene to our roster for general management.
Widely renowned for their radical and fresh approach to early music, Barokksolistene’s performances continually push boundaries, fusing historically informed performance with elements of folk and experimental music. In the process they have succeeded in reaching out to new audiences, playing to sold-out venues throughout Europe and the US and releasing critically acclaimed recordings.
Their signature "Alehouse Sessions” project is an ever-changing and evolving look into the music of the English 17th century tavern, with the group diverting away from the traditional concert model to create something that The Strad described as “innately theatrical, genre bending and suffused with great musicianship”.
A key passion is to engage with visual arts, dance, story-telling and improvisation and this has led to collaborations with major artists in other fields including Vespertine with choreographer Liam Scarlett, a staged Messiah with Netia Jones at the Bergen International Festival and the “Siwan” project with jazz pianist Jon Balke which explores the links between North African Arabic, Andalusian and baroque music.
As well as their regular touring projects, the 2018/19 season sees the group premiere a new production of Dido and Aeneas directed by choreographer Andreas Heise at the Norwegian National Opera, with the group performing on-stage from memory as both musicians and actors.
"The whole joyous evening was a liberation, carrying us back to a time when the terms 'classical' and 'folk' hadn’t yet been invented, and music was simply music" (Daily Telegraph)
