We first met Layil Barr in 2018 when recording musicians for our commission to create part of the opening of London’s first ever Borough of Culture (held in 2019) but we’d only now got the chance to record her for Orchestra of Samples.

Very much into her bass, we again recorded her playing the cello-like bass viol (as we had done with the previous project) but this time also took the opportunity to record her playing bass recorder. Into both world and early music, Layil studied at both the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music and at Trinity College of Music in London, where in fact she was first introduced to the viol by Alison Crum – the president of the UK’s Viola da Gamba Society.

She performs as part of the duo Witch 1, the trio Strings Between Us and ensemble Mi Luna, but has also played with orchestras and ensembles including La Concert Des Nations (under the direction of well known conductor Jordi Savall), medieval music group The Telling, early music ensemble Charivari Agréable and San Francisco based Ars Minerva. She’s recorded with many early music groups and as part of a world music project with Ladino singer Mor Kabasi and back in 2019 Layil also performed with us on Orchestra of Samples in east London during the London Borough of Culture events – photos here.  Do check her out!

With many thanks again to Vicki Spence, sound engineer Anis Zerri and the Big Creative Academy for supporting us with the use of their recording studio.  These 2021 sessions are kindly supported by Arts Council England.