The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Barbican
The Barbican Theatre becomes jazz club for an immersive performance of Charles Mingus's jazz masterpiece, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
Clod Ensemble in The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. Photo: Hugh Glendinning
A huge hit with audiences on its first outing last year, Clod Ensemble and Nu Civilisation Orchestra's immersive performance of The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady comes to the Barbican Theatre, which becomes a jazz club-cum-dance hall for the occasion.
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is generally considered one of the greatest jazz albums of all time and Charles Mingus’s masterpiece. Double-bassist, composer and band leader Charles Mingus intended it as a kind of jazz ballet, and although he originally envisioned an unbroken piece of music, he eventually agreed to divide it into six sections.
It is an extraordinarily powerful work, simultaneously avant-garde and hinting at jazz traditions represented by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker, all of whom Mingus worked with and admired.
Clod Ensemble is a performance/dance company with public engagement at its heart; Nu Civilisation Orchestra is a remarkable12-piece jazz band familiar with Charles Mingus’s work. Together they devised this show last year to mark the 60th anniversary of Mingus's piece, and it had its first outing at a sold out Shoreditch Town Hall.
The evening comes in two parts. First, a performance of new jazz pieces: the up-tempo Let’s Lime by Romarna Campbell, Slow Dance by Peter Edwards, evocative of languorous, sultry urban nights, and Cripps Yard by Paul Clark.
After the interval the Nu Civilisation Orchestra plays The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady in its entirety, and what a treat that is!
In both halves, members of Clod Ensemble will lead members of the audience onto the dance floor; judging by the programme's first outing, they won't be short of willing – nay, eager! – participants.
Should you rather just relax and listen to the music, then you can sit back with a drink in the on-stage bar.
Age Guidance: 14+
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is generally considered one of the greatest jazz albums of all time and Charles Mingus’s masterpiece. Double-bassist, composer and band leader Charles Mingus intended it as a kind of jazz ballet, and although he originally envisioned an unbroken piece of music, he eventually agreed to divide it into six sections.
It is an extraordinarily powerful work, simultaneously avant-garde and hinting at jazz traditions represented by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker, all of whom Mingus worked with and admired.
Clod Ensemble is a performance/dance company with public engagement at its heart; Nu Civilisation Orchestra is a remarkable12-piece jazz band familiar with Charles Mingus’s work. Together they devised this show last year to mark the 60th anniversary of Mingus's piece, and it had its first outing at a sold out Shoreditch Town Hall.
The evening comes in two parts. First, a performance of new jazz pieces: the up-tempo Let’s Lime by Romarna Campbell, Slow Dance by Peter Edwards, evocative of languorous, sultry urban nights, and Cripps Yard by Paul Clark.
After the interval the Nu Civilisation Orchestra plays The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady in its entirety, and what a treat that is!
In both halves, members of Clod Ensemble will lead members of the audience onto the dance floor; judging by the programme's first outing, they won't be short of willing – nay, eager! – participants.
Should you rather just relax and listen to the music, then you can sit back with a drink in the on-stage bar.
Age Guidance: 14+
TRY CULTURE WHISPER
Receive free tickets & insider tips to unlock the best of London — direct to your inbox
| What | The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, Barbican |
| Where | Barbican Theatre, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, E2CY 8DS | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Barbican (underground) |
| When |
19 Sep 24 – 21 Sep 24, 19:45 Dur.: 1 hour 50 mins inc one interval |
| Price | £35 (+booking fee) |
| Website | Click here to book |