It is rare that a band enters the music scene featuring a completely new musical instrument. Elysian Fields, a ground-breaking brilliant six-piece group, does just that. It has at its core the rarest of rare instruments - the electric viola da gamba.
Elysian Fields was formed in 2015 by Jenny Eriksson, one of Australia's best-known acoustic viola da gamba players. The viola da gamba is shaped like the cello but has seven strings and frets. Her co-founders are her friends, acclaimed leading jazz musicians, Matt Keegan and Matt McMahon.
The group has quickly developed a critical and popular following. Walkley Award winning art critic John Shand of the Sydney Morning Herald wrote: "Here was a head-spinning dialogue between half a millennium ago and now, and a sound as foreign as dreaming someone else's dreams. It emanated from Jenny Eriksson's electric viola da gamba, the only example in Australia."
Elysian Fields have performed at leading venues and festivals including Vivid Sydney, Foundry616 and the Sydney Women's International Jazz Festival. They are also 2018/19 Associate Artists in Residence at radio station Fine Music 102.5.
In late 2018 Elysian Fields released What should I Say, Australia's first electric viola da gamba CD.
The Songs Remain the Same, a program put together especially for the Blue Mountains Theatre, explores the unique combination of voice and electric viola da gamba. Over the centuries, the viola da gamba was always considered one of the instruments closest to the human voice. Elysian Fields has continued this wonderful tradition - writing new pieces for voice, electric viola da gamba and jazz ensemble (violin, bass, piano, drums) as well as arranging beautiful folk songs and ballads with gorgeous arrangements of Swedish folk songs representing Eriksson's heritage.
Elysian Fields features the extraordinary talents of Susie Bishop on vocals and violin, Keegan on saxophones, McMahon on piano, Eriksson on electric viola da gamba, Siebe Pogson on bass guitar, and Dave Goodman on drums. This is one show not to be missed!
Elysian Fields at the Blue Mountains Theatre on Sunday, July 7 at 3pm. Tickets $32; $28 conc. Bookings: www.bluemountainstheatre.com or on 4723-5050.
