Garefowl

Garefowl is an international collective combining strings and electronics, presenting its new album, Things That Vanish, at Stone Nest with Visit Me in support.

Garefowl brings together six musicians who play fiddle, cello, viola da gamba, bouzouki, concertina, mandolin, banjo, harmonium and electronics: Nathan Bontrager, Stuart Graham, Chris Jones, Ewan Macdonald, Richard O'Flynn and Jess Whelligan. The project was conceived by Ewan Macdonald, who, with his father Murdo, is related to one of the men who took part in killing the last Great Auk, the bird the name Garefowl refers to. It was created to reflect on that family history and its link to St Kilda.

The album Things That Vanish was recorded at night on the St Kilda archipelago in Scotland. Its pieces draw on the island's soundscapes, including wind, waves, birdsong and the drumming of the snipe, and take as their inspiration the seabirds of St Kilda that are now threatened. Richard O'Flynn contributes island sounds, percussion and XRD drones.

This London date marks the launch of the record, with Visit Me on the bill as support act. Stone Nest is an arts organisation and performance space in the West End, which presents experimental work aimed at a broad public.