Absolute Bird: Sounds of the Outback | City of London Sinfonia

The sounds of the Australian skies fill Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in a musical exploration of one of the most diverse and fascinating natural environments in the world.

Ornithologist and musician Hollis Taylor has been making field recordings of Australian birdsong for decades, combining her recordings with new music to create an incredible insight into this musical and aerial world in her Absolute Bird series. Recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey brings the latest in this series, a UK premiere to London, joining forces with City of London Sinfonia and conductor Jessica Cottis for a whole evening of music inspired by the natural world.

Alongside Hollis Taylor’s Absolute Bird, Genevieve performs Whistles and Whispers from Uluru, Tüür’s musical representation of Australia’s iconic natural landmark, and Rebel’s Les élémens, one of the most daring musical portraits of the chaos of creation for previous centuries.

This performance also has a participatory element as with the use of their smartphones and tablets, our audience members help to recreate the sounds of an Australian rainforest with birdsong recordings captured from the outback.