There was a celebratory, end-of-term vibe to our gig at Jodrell Bank last week as we ended our 2022 tour of The Unfolding with a headline performance at Bluedot Festival. And, quite rightly: it had been an intense few months of tour dates, plus paying homage the genius of Barry White at Meltdown Festival, filming a 6-part documentary with Sky Arts, and four performances of our outdoor music on-the-move extravaganza – SMOOSH! – closing this year’s Brighton Festival.

The orchestra is majestic – deep, sonorous cello, shrill flute and urgent strings combine to mesmeric effect, interspersed with big beats, spacey plink-plonk and atmospheric synths. When in full flow, they really get their groove on. It’s hugely exhilarating… Proper goosebumps territory”

Electronic Sound Magazine

It was a matchless moment of celebrating an album and tour that we’re really proud of, a very special relationship with our collaborator Hannah Peel, plus the hard work of a truly wonderful team of artists, musicians, and production staff.

GIG OF THE YEAR! @Hanpeel @Paraorchestra had the entire crowd @bluedotfestival totally captivated. Felt very special to be there. 

James T Thomas via Twitter

Here are some of our favourite pictures from the day from photographers Jody Hartley and Scott Salt:

Taken from behind a festival crowd of around 2000 silhouetted people looking on at a brightly lit stage, nighttime. At the top of the stage the lighting is white and it fades into purple, lit in many spotlights projecting down and out to the crowd. On stage are around 10 musicians. Projections either side of the stage read Bluedot.
Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival 2022 credit Jody Hartley
Taken from behind a festival crowd of around 2000 people looking on at a brightly lit stage, nighttime. To the right a huge space telescope. The stage is lit in many yellow spotlights projecting down and out to the crowd. On stage are around 10 musicians. Projections either side of the stage read Bluedot.
Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival 2022 credit Jody Hartley
Light boxes on a stage in greens, pinks and yellows, spotlights of white and purple, a woman in her 30s (Hannah Peel) with long red hair, stands in front of a bank of synthesizers.
Hannah Peel, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival 2022, credit Jody Hartley
A full width image of a dazzling stage, brightly lit by spots lights pointing at all angles and a green screen at the back. An orchestra is conducted by a white man in his fifties, two white women centre stage play synthesisers.
Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival 2022 credit Jody Hartley
On stage, a bright green screen at the back, lighting in hues of blue and purple. A black woman in her thirties with long braided hair and a blue button up dress stands in front of a microphone singing. A white man to her right conducts. A man to her left in shadow provides a sign interpretation.
Victoria Oruwari and Charles Hazlewood, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival 2022, credit Jody Hartley
Taken from the back right of a festival stage, lighting in hues of green, within the orchestra onstage we can see a white female on percussion, the back of string players on cello and double bass. Centre stage a woman in a long white dress stands in front of a bank of synthesisers. Beyond the stage a crowd stands under a twilit cloudy sky, festival tents and lighting behind them.
Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival 2022 credit Jody Hartley
Taken from the back left of a festival stage, within the orchestra onstage we can see a white male wheelchair user on drums, the back of four musicians playing various woodwind instruments. Beyond the stage a crowd stands under a twilit cloudy sky, festival tents and lighting behind them.
Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival 2022 credit Jody Hartley
Taken from the side of a festival stage. An orchestra playing cello, double bass, and percussion, other musicians on the far side play woodwind. A white female in her early 30s in a long white dress speaks into a microphone, standing in front of a bank of synthesisers. Blue lighting.
Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra ,The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival 2022 credit Jody Hartley
Side profile of a white female (Hannah Peel) wearing a long white gown or jacket onstage in front of a bank of synthsisers and a microphone. The outdoor crowd in the background are blurred. Festoon lighting hangs above the crowd.
Hannah Peel, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival July 2022, Credit Jody Hartley
A black female in her thirties with long braided hair cascading over her shoulders sings into a microphone, her mouth open. She wears a pair of headphones and a blue buttoned dress. Red atmospheric lighting.
Victoria Oruwari, The Unfolding, Bluedot Festival July 2022, Credit Scott Salt
A white man in his early thirties plays cello. He has a beard and wears glasses. He looks down the cello serenely. A smoky yellow haze of stage effects surrounds him.
Tom Wraith, The Unfolding, Bluedot July 2022, credit Scott Salt
A side profile of a white man in his fifties (Charles Hazlewood) conducting unseen musicians. Stage lights from behind in hues of purple and pink. A microphone on a stand.
Charles Hazlewood, The Unfolding. Bluedot, July 2022 C Scott Salt

And an opinion piece from the BBC with comments from our Chief Executive Jonathan Harper, plus Paraorchestra musicians Hattie McCall Davies and Steve Varden, highlights exactly why last Thursday’s gig was so important to us:

“Progress in general for artists that identify as disabled continues to be at a snail’s pace and I sincerely hope it is the start of serious change”

Jonathan Harper for BBC

It’s now time for some much needed down time at Paraorchestra as we prepare for our forthcoming Autumn gigs:

The Anatomy of the Orchestra at Royal festival Hall foyer, Southbank Centre, London.

Saturday 24 September – Tickets

Death Songbook with Brett Anderson and Charles Hazlewood at Wales Millennium Centre as part fo Llais 2022

Saturday 29 October – Tickets

Written by Laura Evans