The Montreal-based six-piece presents their latest album, House Music, in a performance with the ±«Óãtv Concert Orchestra for the latest live edition of the deep-diving ±«Óãtv radio programme, Unclassified, including live interviews with the ensemble.
To create House Music, Bell Orchestre wired every floor of violinist and vocalist Sarah Neufeld’s rural Vermont home. In the 45-minute album, sculpted from a 90-minute improvisation, the ensemble set out to capture the poetry and camaraderie of a meeting between musical minds.
‘If you sliced away the front wall of the house and looked in, you’d see the horn section… on the first floor... Then you travel up a floor, and there’s me and Richie in an empty, warm-sounding wooden bedroom. Mike was on pedal steel in the bathroom... And then… in the attic, was Stefan, alone on drums.’
Bell Orchestre shares two members with Arcade Fire: Neufeld, and Richard Reed Parry on bass and vocals. They collaborate with Pietro Amato (French horn, keyboards, electronics), Michael Feuerstack (pedal steel guitar, keyboards, vocals), Kaveh Nabatian (trumpet, gongoma, keyboards, vocals) and drummer Stefan Schneider.
Bringing together electronic and classical instrumentation, they embark on an ambitious feat of musicianship with the ±«Óãtv Concert Orchestra and build something vividly new.
Presented and broadcaster Elizabeth Alker, who co-curates the series with conductor Andre de Ridder.
