Earlier this month, Nonclassical had the pleasure of collaborating for the first time with the London Handel Festival, in a night titled HANDEL THE INNOVATOR. We had a blast at Village Underground hearing original music from three artists, all responding in some way to the spirit of Handel.
Jasmine Morris and Mieko Shimizu kicked off the night with their set for electronics, violin, accordion and voice. The two performed extracts from Jasmine’s debut album, Astrophilia (released on Nonclassical), and filled the room with echoes of Viking instruments, rousing vocals and experimental sonic landscapes.
This was followed by a beautiful set by Laila Sakini, who performed an intimate collection of songs. Featuring a wide range of field recordings, accompanied by recorders, piano and beautiful live vocals, Laila conjured up a mystical, otherworldly landscape.
The final performance came from duo Jennifer Walshe and Wobbly (aka Jon Leidecker). Equal parts humorous and virtuosic, their evocations of whale sounds, Handelian tunes, and AI developments built to an astonishing crescendo with their proclamation that this was their favourite Handel song.
The evening was bookended by sets by our founder Gabriel Prokofiev, performing DJ remixes of Handel tunes, subverting expectations and providing a great atmosphere for the night.
Nonclassical would like to say a huge thank you to the incredible artists (Jennifer Walshe + Wobbly, Laila Sakini, Jasmine Morris + Mieko Shimizu), our in house DJ Gabriel Prokofiev, the photographer Stephen Akinyemi, the team at Village Underground and the London Handel Festival, and the amazing audience and everyone else who was involved in making the night such a great event.
All images by STEPHEN AKINYEMI
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