Andy Mackay

World premiere of 3 Psalms by the legendary Andy Mackay of Roxy Music, performed by Andy Mackay with band, choir and string orchestra, conducted by Stephen Barlow.

Based on the Book of Psalms, Andy Mackay’s (Roxy Music, Paul McCartney, John Cale) new work is a groundbreaking mix of genres including rock, minimalist classical and electronic music. In development since the early 1990s, 3 Psalms was originally developed with some of the earliest available versions of music production software.

On the origins of the piece, Mackay says: 'The software wasn’t up to it and I worked towards a demo using a mixture of acoustic and electronic resources, with an idea of live recording possibly with members of Roxy Music'. The piece has become a mixture of samples and live performance.

3 Psalms is created in three distinct movements: two in sonata form and one a rondo, with references to religious songs (including Purcell) that Mackay sang as a boy chorister. Mackay says 'I should emphasise that this is not primarily a religious piece any more than Jerusalem or Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Although people can find in it what they wish'.