Holocene with Onyx Brass with Hammonds & Amersham Bands

4* The Guardian see Review

Listen to Holocene BBC Radio 3 New Music Show [from 21 mins in]

"Bradford Cathedral echoed with squawks, rattles and primordial grumbling as the combined forces of Onyx Brass and Hammonds Band conjured Ní Ríain’s vivid soundscape of life on Earth 11,000 years ago (imagine prehistoric megafauna getting the Jaws treatment). But those lower brass growls weren’t the score’s most daring feature. That honour goes to the four percussionists who teased waves of soft rustling from cymbals with small battery-operated vibrators."

Onyx Brass reimagines the contemporary brass ensemble with a bold and unconventional work composed by Ailís Ní Ríain, exploring our current geological epoch.

Holocene explores the interplay between multiple tiers of sound while creating a detailed tapestry of sonic nuance that is intricate, earthy and mysterious. Hear the influence of time in the shimmering resonance of bowed and struck cymbals and vocalisation. Onyx Brass performs alongside both Hammonds Band led by Morgan Griffiths and Amersham Band led by Paul Fisher.

Part of New Music Biennial, this event included two performances of the same work and a short interview with the creative team in between the two, enabling audiences to experience the second performance with greater insight into the creative process.

Bradford UK City of Culture - Bradford Cathedral 7th June 2025

Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre London 5th July 2025