Haiku Salut (featuring A Little Orchestra) "Train Tracks for Wheezy"

A Quieter Movie: The Perfect Way by Darren Hayman with A Little Orchestra

Darren Hayman's Vine-enabled video for ‘The Perfect Way’, his collaboration with A Little Orchestra, from our album Clocks.

Some more recent reviews of Clocks:

“A Little Orchestra (armed with four violins, and viola, cello, flute, clarinet, bassoon, and piano players) feel more like a friendly club than a standoffish organization.” – Textura

“a gentle, summer afternoon in the country kind of record … a fuzzy, homeopathic blanket of warmth” – Helen Clarke at Music OMH

And most appropriately, “une sorte de B.O imaginaire d'un vieux film des 50's” – Dans le Mur du Son

Clocks, which alongside ‘The Perfect Way’ also features collaborations with Haiku Salut, Model Village, Gordon McIntyre as well as three new instrumental compositions by yours truly, is still available to buy.

A Little Orchestra in The Quietus

"A Little Orchestra is a classical ensemble formed by Pipettes creator 'Monster' Bobby Barry. The repertoire of the 10-piece group includes compositions by Terry Riley, Michael Nyman and Angelo Badalamenti, although they're most active live and as an orchestra for hire within the UK indie-pop scene. 

The group's concerts have seen them joined by singers including MJ Hibbett, Shirley Lee of Spearmint and Elizabeth Morris of Allo Darlin', or swelling the ranks of bands such as Pocketbooks and Haiku Salut. Guests on A Little Orchestra's debut album Clocks, set for release on June 10th, include Darren Hayman, Gordon McIntyre (Ballboy), Simon Love (The Loves) and Lisa Bouvier (The Proctors)."

Read the full article by Stuart Huggett here.

Tonight! Haiku Salut Album Launch with A Little Orchestra!

“Things that Thursday night's gig won't feature: a drum kit, a bass guitar. Things that it will: an eight piece orchestra, an accordion, a mandolin, a banjo, a piano, a trumpet, a glockenspiel, acoustic guitars, loopery, laptopery, and more. I'm hoping this will be the least rock'n'roll show that's ever taken place at the Buffalo Bar.” 

— Ian Watson, How Does it Feel To Be Loved

Tonight, the Buffalo Bar, London, hosts the album launch of Derbyshire trio Haiku Salut. The record's been called ‘as delicious little thing’ and a ‘fresh, summery whole’ by The Guardian's Michael Hann and it features the instrumental chops of A Little Orchestra backing up the glockenspiels, accordeons and melodicas of Louise Croft, Gemma Barkerwood, and Sophie Barkerwood. A Little Orchestra will also be supporting tonight, alongside Kate Goes, The Understudies and HDIF DJs (with Elizabeth from Allo Darlin'). You can still buy tickets here for £5 or there may still be a few left on the door for £6. Haiku Salut will also feature on A Little Orchestra's forthcoming album, due out on Vollwert Records of Berlin this summer. Doors open at 7.30. Don't be late!

An Evening with A Little Orchestra

How Does It Feel To Be Loved presents a whole evening in the company of Kilburn's favourite twelve-piece orchestral ensemble, A Little Orchestra.

The event will take place on the 26th of January, from half past seven until around eleven, at the Buffalo Bar, just outside Highbury & Islington tube station.

The orchestra will be set up and playing throughout the night and joined by several guest singers and other instrumentalists, including . . . Shirley Lee (of Spearmint), Haiku Salut, Simon from The Loves, and Matt and Sharon from A Fine Day for Sailing.

The evening will be topped off by a performance from The Madrigals, a five piece from London, influenced in equal parts by traditional English folk and Electrelane.

Tickets cost £4 in advance (link) or £5 on the door. Don't forget to tell the Big Other you will be coming.

All Aboard The Twee Train!

An awfully good time was had by A Little Orchestra at last weekend's Indietracks festival at the Midlands Railway Centre in Derbyshire. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, all of our fond memories can now be regurgitated and replayed, over and over again. Forever. A recording of the whole set can be heard on SoundCloud. The photos are all cluttering up Flickr. And I've even selected a few highlights from YouTube for your pleasure: our collaborations with M.J. Hibbett and Haiku Salut. Enjoy . . .

The above photos cribbed from the respective photostreams of Johnkell and somebody called _light_*' (which must've gone down well with the vicar).