B'Rock Orchestra and Vocal Consort

B'Rock Orchestra and Vocal Consort are playing at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall on Tuesday 7 July, as part of York's classical music programme. It's an evening of Baroque music, and the main piece on the bill is Da Pacem.

Da Pacem is built from music composed during the Thirty Years' War, and it weaves together a few different threads. There's the sacred polyphony of Schütz and his contemporaries, alongside lamentations and songs of joy, and folk songs that describe everyday life in the middle of the battle. Those are layered with natural sounds and audio fragments from places linked to more recent wars. The whole thing mixes live music with electronics, and the combination of soundscapes and dialogue is, as it's described, a powerful invitation to reflect on the absurdity of war.

It's a piece that looks back at the 17th century while pulling in sounds from much closer to home, so it's as much about the present as it is about the Baroque. If you're into classical or Baroque music, this is right in that wheelhouse, and it's aimed at adults and young adults alike.

The concert runs from 19:30 to 21:00 at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DB. It's a ticketed event, with entries available through ncem.co.uk.