The Homemade Orchestra

The Homemade Orchestra was founded by Tim Whitehead and Colin Riley and features some of the UK's finest jazz and classical musicians.

Their debut album TIDES was described as

"Some of the most beautiful music you will hear" - Peter Bacon, The Birmingham Post

Their most recent album INSIDE COVERS was released to critical acclaim in 2004

THE HOMEMADE ORCHESTRA'S LATEST PROJECT "NONSENSE" with MICHAEL ROSEN BOOKING NOW

Known for shaking up the way new music is conceived and presented, the Homemade Orchestra’s latest (and third) album project continues to forge a new musical language. By turns tantalising, mischievous, anarchic and exquisite, their music has recently been described in the Guardian simply as, “intelligent, confident and accessible”.

Colin Riley and Tim Whitehead, along with their family of versatile musicians (Denys Baptiste, Tony Woods (reeds), Liam Noble (piano), Rob Millett (tuned percussion and vibes), Mike Outram (guitar), Kathleen Willison (vocals), Zoe Martlew (cello), Joanna Lawrence (violin), Oli Hayhurst (bass), Milo Fell (drums)) search out fresh starting and ending points for new music. The creative process for the music is by turns rational and irrational as the group pull together and spin out musical ingredients.

In their live performances composed layers blend and collide with improvised parts. Beguilling soundscapes combine electronic tintinnabulation with live percussive grooves, and the acoustic richness of fine playing shines within unexpected electronic sound treatments.

“… treasure troves of harmonic and rhythmical possibilities … moon-bright clarity … an intricate web of ‘cello, vibraphone and trip-hop inflected drum machine … intimations of chaos … mischievously dissonant attack … intriguing sound collisions …a fearless lucky dip of a concert.”
The Guardian, April 2004

‘Modern pop is now a legitimate source for jazz. The trend reaches a peak with the album Inside Covers by the Homemade Orchestra. The devilishly inventive arrangements bring unsuspecting depths to familiar songs. This attempt to expand the range of jazz is an unreservedly good thing”
The Metro, April 2004

“Deftly interweaving scored and improvised music, Inside Covers is an affectionate and at times overtly tongue in cheek homage to popular song in the twentieth century. Mining a characteristically British seam of surrealist humour, it prompted me to ask when the last time a CD had made me laugh out loud.”
Jazzwise April 2004

“The textural inventions are fascinating – classical singing and quietly swaying string parts, humming drones and chiming vibes. A brave enterprise.”
The Guardian, March 2004

“An audacious venture … tantalising new territory …”
Times April 2004

Websites:

www.timwhitehead.co.uk | www.homemademusic.org | www.colinriley.co.uk