A
gig
on Wednesday 8th May. The event starts at 19:00.
On Wednesday 8 May, Cuculi presents Fran & Flora at St Ambrose Church. We’re thrilled to host the return of one of our favourite UK artists to Bristol as they celebrate the release of their long-awaited second album 'Precious Collection' (Hidden Notes, April 2024). Having stunned audiences across the UK and Europe for many years, their mesmerising sound has continued to evolve into a beguiling, liminal blend of traditional Eastern European & Klezmer melodies and experimental exploration.
Local sonic adventurers Cirenne will open the evening with a vivid and intriguing set of violin and trumpet compositions.
There are three ticket prices available for this show:
General: £13
Community supporter: £16
Low income: £10
We ask that those who make more than £25k per year consider opting for Community Supporter as this allows us to subsidise low income tickets.. We consider low income to apply to those who earn less than £15k per year, but we don’t ask for any proof.
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FRAN & FLORA
Multi-award-nominated experimental/folk duo Fran & Flora captivate audiences with their reinventions of traditional Eastern European melodies and songs. Francesca Ter-Berg (cello/vox) and Flora Curzon (violin/vox) draw inspiration from archival recordings, recovered manuscripts and studying with traditional masters, infusing source material with drones, loops, free improvisation and electronics to create a 'border-defying' aesthetic (Mojo).
Unfurl, the culmination of three years creative studio work with producer Sam Beste (The Vernon Spring), was released in February'19 to critical acclaim: ’An album of beguiling beauty’ - The Wire; ‘Brave and classy’ - Robin Denselow, The Guardian; BBC Radio 3 Music Planet ‘Album of the Year’/Amazon ‘Best Seller’/AIM Award ‘Best New Act’.
Known for their engaging live performances, the duo has performed across the UK and beyond, including Kings Place (Songlines Encounters), Cafe Oto, Hidden Notes, Between the Lines Festival, Shambala, EFG London Jazz Festival, Smugglers Festival, Shtetl Neukolln (Berlin), Ancienne Belgique (Brussels), Casa Del Popolo and KlezKanada (Montreal).
Their 2nd studio album, Precious Collection, will be released on Hidden Notes Records in April 2024.
They have been supported by PRS Women Make Music, Help Musicians, BBC Introducing and Arts Council England.
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CIRENNE
Cirenne is a singular duo playing new, experimental music at an intersection of klezmer, folk, chamber jazz and free improvisation, using violin, viola, trumpet and electronics. Playful and cinematic, deadly serious and sometimes pretty silly, Cirenne reflect upon real-world conditions and explore imagined utopias. They weave scenes and soundscapes that are at once dense, rich and mellifluous, spacious, dancing and angular. Based in Bristol, the duo is comprised of Celeste Cantor-Stephens (trumpet/electronics/toys/compositions) (TORU, Shabbos Ranks) and Caelia Lunniss (violin/viola) (Spindle Ensemble, Terra Coda).
Cirenne has played in spaces including Sands Film & Music Studios, The Ivy House (London), Chapter Arts Centre (Cardiff) and for Improvs Greatest Hits (Bristol), sharing the stage with bands such as Gentle Stranger, and NY trio Astroturf Noise.
Their song 'Trying the Seas: Try 3.5' won the People's Choice Award for Best New Klezmer Composition at the 2022 Bubbe Awards, and their music has been played on Radio 3's Freeness. With support from Bristol-based label Irregular Patterns, Cirenne are currently recording their first studio EP.
According to Benny Dart, of Friendly Records, Bristol: “Their air of dancing humour recalls the compositions of New York avant garde street musician Moondog or the spaciousness of American string group the Kronos Quartet.”
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CUCULI RECORDS
Cuculi Records is a DIY label based in Bristol, run by a woman-led collective of musicians and songwriters with the aim of helping grassroots artists navigate the complexities of releasing music independently. We work with bedroom composers, folk singers, ambient explorers and unusual ensembles, often creating beautiful sounds that don't have a name yet.
Cuculi Presents is an opportunity to hear both local & national artists live in listening spaces around Bristol.