Grand Union Orchestra
What is the Grand Union Orchestra?
For 25 years there has been no other musical organisation on the planet quite like the Grand Union Orchestra. We bring together some of the best musicians and singers from musical cultures from all over the world to:
- create stunning original music using our skills and personalities.
- perform spectacular live shows dramatising events of global concern.
- express the lives and experiences of our musicians from around the world.
- acknowledge the traditions contributing to 21st century European culture.
Above all, Grand Union celebrates the energy and creative possibilities of today’s multiracial society.
Watch this introduction to Grand Union
What are Grand Union shows like?
We perform in three main ensembles:
- The Grand Union Orchestra tours with at least 16 musicians.
- The Grand Union Band is smaller with up to 10 musicians.
- Our large-scale shows feature up to 300 local musicians, groups, choirs and folkloric ensembles joining our musicians on stage!
We also record our music regularly and broadcast it widely.
What does the Grand Union sound like?
Some of the elements that go into our melting pot are:
- African drumming and chant
- exuberant Latin and Caribbean rhythms
- Bhangra and the classical music of India and Bangladesh
- township brass and Brazilian street percussion
- haunting Turkish and Arabic strings
- evocative sounds of the Andes
- ancient Chinese opera and ancestral instruments
- European harmony and spell-binding voices
- stunning jazz improvisation
- heart-stopping big-band blues
