This is a compilation of Lockdown Live sessions and experiments Alison and George have performed throughout April and May 2020 from their Living Room out to the World.

It includes a new series of works under the title of Hyper Reality Star that are passages in some new writing George has undertaken before Lockdown into the present. The album also includes a home experiment as well as some of the ensembles classics reworked as a duo...

Alison O'Melia -
Piano / Organ / Keys /Accordions / Bell Tree / Zither and Voice
George E Harris -
Voice / Words / Ether Pad / effects / Dulcimer / Mini Accordion / Tape Machine / Melodica / Glock
incorporating field recordings
plus virtual help from
Erik Moore -
Bass Guitar ( and some backing tracks especially recorded )

All sales of this album will go to raise funds
for the St Christopher's Hospice Charity
supportus.stchristophers.org.uk/donate/product/donate/
If you wish to donate straight on link above
please mention Rookery Ensemble in donation comment thank you.

Purchase Album

Lockdown Sessions

These recordings were originally made by Erik Moore on Monday 2 December 2019 at Rookery Towers, High View Road in Crystal Palace with Improvisations by Alison O’Melia - Piano, Harpsichord, Percussion, Voices; George Harris - Electronics, Typewriter, Melodica and Percussion with Voices; 
Erik Moore - Bass Guitar, Percussion; Mark Hill - Electronics and Radio Effects with some percussion 
(all fuelled by home made curry cooked up by George on his birthday).

The next line in recording narratives began with a film soundtrack for the Crystal Palace Festival taking place before initial lockdown. Where Exquisite Placements and In The Tic Toc were both put together with footage made by Erik Moore and George Harris. The sound was added to with some over dubs of Voice, Bowed Dulcimer by George and Omnichord by David Rothon respectively. This was also a time where George added Flugelhorn to some other tracks along with some initial Vocal tracks.

Then and around this time in the initial lockdown of 2020 George and Alison did a few online gigs under the name Rookery from their living room with virtual help from Erik Moore. The same living room the initial recordings of this album took place. With the last performance happening in November. 
Throughout, Alisons health was fluctuating after being diagnosed at the beginning of the year with a terminal condition, and so gaps and time to care for Alison were prioritised until her sad passing in December 2020.

As part of the grieving process, writing words was the initial focus of help for George, with some of the resulting work becoming part of the 
album Islets Of Langerhans. This title was once an alternative name to Rookery that Alison wanted to use.
So in 2021, around February March, George and Erik decided to complete the album and gradually put it together through a process of time. 
This was simultaniously initiated by chatting to Demi Sabat Garcia in a super market and the conversation resulted in him putting drums on two tracks. 
Jessica Cahill recorded some Hurdy Gurdy drones, giving both artists the choice to do what they felt on the tracks. Keeping the spirit of the initial
improvisations in the overdubs, David Rothon also added more to the tracks including some Pedal Steel and Omnichord. We also wanted to keep the spirit of initial ensemble. So we asked Mitzy Valentine to do some Vocal and Flute. Mitzy came down from the Midlands to record on three of the tracks 
once it was safe to do so in London. 

All later recordings took place at Sydenham Opera House and the musicians houses when lockdown was preventing all to meet in 2021.
	
This Album of Sounds, Words, Songs and Improvisation is here as a tribute to Alison O’Melia x
An artist, musician, therapist, lover, partner, daughter, sister, auntie, reader, speaker, teacher, lecturer, campaigner and friend. 
The cover has artworks that were created by Alison as part of some art therapy sessions with St Christophers Hospice in their care for her in 2020. 

The title Islets of Langerhans is a medical term /ˈlaŋəhanz/
groups of pancreatic cells secreting insulin and glucagon

Produced at The Sydenham Opera House / Crystal Palace by Erik Moore 
All Spoken Words by George E Harris
Sung Words by Mitzy Valentine
Mastered by Pete Maher www.petemaher.com
All Compositions © Rookery Ensemble 2023

All Layouts and Design - Skoot 2023
Vinyl Album Manufactured by Deepgrooves.eu

Purchase

ISLETS OF LANGERHANS

For this performance Rookery Ensemble were

George E Harris - Voice / Electronics / Flugalhorn / Typewriter / Melodica
Hilary Robinson - Piano / Melodica / Keyboards
David Rothon - Pedal Steel / Omnichord / Melodica / Drone Box
Erik Moore - Bass Guitar / Guitar / Electronics / Percussion
Mark Hill - Electronics / Radio Effects

at Book and Record Bar 25 March 2023 
Recording and Sound Mixing - Jono Podmore
This is a rough sketch of recording which will be made public at some point.

Tracks performed in order
Unsteady Ready
Shipping Clerk
Giant Butterflies in the Snow
In The Tic Toc
The Conversation
Islets of Langerhans

Purchase Here

Exploration in Islets and Rooks

These were recorded, mixed and mastered by Jono Podmore (Metamono / Kumo) at Vanishing Point night promoted by Neil March at the Ivy House in Nunhead South London December 2018. 
They feature George E Harris and Alison O'Melia plus David Rothon, Mark Hill (from Metamono), Erik Moore and Agata Lisowska
Follow the link below to purchase full digital album
https://rookeryensemble.bandcamp.com/album/rookery

Buy this Album

Rookery Album

Rookery Ensemble at Joe Lounge Bar Crystal Palace Festival
2 new tracks part of the Second Set - Sunday 16 June 2019

Rookery Ensemble featured
Alison O'Melia - Piano / Clarinet / Accordion / Recorder / Harmonica
George E Harris - Spoken and Sung Voice / Ether Pad / Typewriter / Glock / Electronics / Harmonica
Agata Liswoska - Violin 
Erik Moore - Bass Guitar and Electronic Keys
Mark Hill - Electronics and Radio Effects

Photography - Vénus Photographe

Live at Joe Bar Crystal Palace 2019

Ode To A Time (Instrumental)

Alison O’Melia – Piano
George E Harris - Flugalhorn 
Mark Hill – Radio Effects / Electronics
Erik Moore – Bass Guitar

07 Ode To A Time (Instrumental)

Islets Of Langerhans

Alison O’Melia – Piano / Percussion / Voices and Whispers 
George E Harris – Spoken Voices / Electronics / Tape Machine / Percussion
Mark Hill – Radio Effects / Electronics
Erik Moore – Bass Guitar / Percussion 
Mitzy Valentine – Sung Voices / Flute 
David Rothon – Pedal Steel / Omnichord

plus
G Reel to Reel Tape Machine Pulse / Glockensparkle
with The Typewriter Orchestra

06 Islets Of Langerhans

Choral Interlude in D

Alison O’Melia – Piano /  Voice
George E Harris - Sung Voices 
Mark Hill – Radio Effects / Electronics
Erik Moore – Bass Guitar 
Mitzy Valentine – Sung Voices / Flute 
David Rothon – Pedal Steel

05 Choral Interlude In D

Giant Butterflies in the Snow

Alison O’Melia – Piano / Voice
George E Harris – Spoken Voices / Electronics / Flugal Horn / Melodica
Mark Hill – Radio Effects / Electronics
Erik Moore – Bass Guitar / Percussion 
Mitzy Valentine – Sung Voices / Flute 
Demi Garcia Sabat – Drums / Percussion

04 Giant Butterflies In The Snow

Hyper Reality Star / Radio Visionaires
Alison O’Melia – Percussion / Harpsichord
George E Harris – Spoken Voice / Percussion / Electronics
Mark Hill – Radio Effects / Electronics / Percussion
Erik Moore – Bass Guitar  
David Rothon – Omnichord

03 Hyper Reality Star / Radio Visionaires

Exquisite Placements

Alison O’Melia – Harpsichord / Percussion
George E Harris – Spoken Voices / Bowed Dulcimer / Electronics
Mark Hill – Radio Effects / Electronics
Erik Moore – Bass Guitar 
David Rothon – Omnichord / Pedal Steel
Jessica Cahill – Hurdy Gurdy Drones

01 Exquisite Placements

In The Tic Toc                                             

Rookery Ensemble on this track are
Alison O’Melia - Piano *
George E Harris - Spoken Voices / Electronics / Percussion*
Mark Hill - Radio Effects / Electronics *
Erik Moore - Percussion *
David Rothon - Omnichord 	
Demi Garcia Sabat - Drums / Percussion

Part of the Rookery Ensemble forthcoming album Islets of Langerhans released on 14 February 2023 
This is one of eight tracks that was started as an improvisation in 2019 with just four people*. One of those four Alison O'Melia sadly passed away in December 2020 after an illness and terminal condition diagnosed earlier that year. The album including this track was completed in tribute to her throughout lockdown in the musicians individual home studio spaces and brought together at the Sydenham Opera House by Erik Moore with George E Harris. Its coming out in February and raising money for St Christophers Hospice charity. Its being released as a limited double vinyl (eco friendly pressing from deepgrooves), download on bandcamp and streaming via various sources including spotify. Distributed by the Rookery Ensemble via foot and other means. https://rookeryensemble.bandcamp.com/album/islets-of-langerhans

words: 

The old man walks,
timed precisely
with carry all on hand,
everyday in the early morning
towards the flats near my stop.

Last night the conversation delved
into our Sci-Fi world with things going so fast,
its outdated as soon as it hits the market.

The numbing effect of the day to day stops,
bring on the chants of the beautiful fog,
take it forward in your stillness of open possibility.

The digging takes place in the city boroughs,
planned or just goes ahead without an after thought,
underground lairs of the wealthy,
unseen in subterranean grooming.
Flipped and reliving,
Wells time machine in
advanced Victorian engineering
and 21st Century technological
knowing of the fourth wall,
bitten through and advancing into the 6th dimension.

Missing letters of verse, those that I never wrote,
the winding spine, triumphs in the tic toc,
pastures of utopia in my constant waking
and sleep inside this crust,
cemented in the consciousness.

I’m the spirit in and out ghostlike on the margins,
partially dissolved fruit in the still pool
champions of contracted diversion
on a morning ride to prop up higher gains.
Co-operate you need to speak it out,
remember as well as write it down.
Hooded mirrored faced sentinels,
guardians on this morning ride, side by side,
criss-cross slides shifting the auto-plane.

Drifting in with dreaded feelings under the soft sunrise.
Those electric sounds now floating behind,
reading and encapsulating the no rhythm and non reason.
This wake up call of
governmental street peddlers,
upper this and lower that,
ripping the human rights from under us.
Now on a path to hold with account and take the sight
In the Tic Toc...

02 In The Tic Toc

THE CONVERSATION

IN THE TIC TOC

GIANT BUTTERFLIES IN THE SNOW

SHIPPING CLERK

UNSTEADY READY

Recorded at 'in the dot dot dot' exhibition opening night 26th April 2014
Artsmith Live - Derby

Masts is a recording made whilst in the Wilds of Cornwall between the Storms of early 2014. It was made in a car park on the front of Penzance amongst boats out of water... 
st(A)rt is a composition by Alison O'Melia in the key of A.



Brother G and the Trouble are

George Harris -  Tape Machines / Noises / Harmonica
Alison O'Palace - Piano (plus Harmonica / Recorder on Masts)
Walt Shaw - Percussion / Electronics / Noises
Mitzy Valentine - Flute 
Lorin Halsall - Double Bass / Sub Sounds / Noises

Masts (intro) - st(A)rt

This is a new single by a version of Rookery Ensemble that came
through a period of change and reflection. 

Rookery Ensemble on this track are
Erik Moore on Bass / Guitar and Mixing in UK
George E Harris - Voice / Words plus Dulcimer in UK
Annabella Maneljuk - Mechanical Percussion Fender Rhodes Electric Piano in Germany

The track was created in 2021 and started by Annabella Maneljuk 
using the percussive sounds of the internal workings 
in a Fender Rhodes Electric Piano. 
The track was then added to by Erik Moore and George E Harris
 in the time period prior to  finishing off the Islets of Langerhans 
album project that was recently released. 
Lyrically the words reflect on a loss with focus on a tree
and its communications with family.
Musically its taking a different direction
and has more of a guitar band feel though not fully.
Annabella works with Erik Moore on An Upside Down Tree 
project  https://soundcloud.com/upsidedowntree 
and has also performed live as part of Rookery Ensemble.
George also has recorded some tracks with An Upside Down Tree...

The track has been recently remastered to put out as a single having previously been made public.

PICTURES SLIPPED

We might fall a little
For awhile, but the roll
did stand up at the end.
Fallen trees out right
Taken on the plains, corners, parks
And in the forests surrounded
They’re family and speaking
through channels of debris
Fungus under growth hoping it’s not the worst.
Communications in myths and legends
Abound and sayings of symbolic
nature in the falling
The spirals inside interpret
The ancient and your touch of hands
On in the lay of the lines…
We sing of the pictured slipped
Oh so vital our eyes observe
We sing of the pictured slipped
Today its somewhere over the way
We might fall a little
For a while, but the roll
did stand up at the end…
We might fall a little
It’s been in the eternity spring
Playing out the songs
On the side sprawls
But speaking to the air…

words by George E Harris January 2021

Pictures  Slipped (remastered version)

Rookery Live recording with 
George E Harris Alison O'Melia David Rothon Agata Liswoska
Erik Moore and Mark Hill 
at Demerara Records Vanishing Point 
at Ivy House NunHead South London December 2018
Recording by Jono Podmore
Photograph by Paul Cooke

Buy Album

Paradise Walk

Rookery Live recording with 
George E Harris Alison O'Melia David Rothon Agata Liswoska
Erik Moore and Mark Hill 
at Demerara Records Vanishing Point 
Ivy House NunHead South London December 2018
Recording by Jono Podmore
Photograph by Paul Cooke

Optional Focus

Rookery Live recording with 
George E Harris Alison O'Melia David Rothon Agata Liswoska
Erik Moore and Mark Hill 
at Demerara Records Vanishing Point 
Ivy House NunHead South London December 2018
Recording by Jono Podmore
Photograph by Paul Cooke

Music by Rookery
Words by George E Harris 

Vs IN THE WINDOW
It’s not so fictional, holding on this thread.
Strengths in the bare cords laid open and in front.
The parts we perform in this ongoing play.
This theatre in knuckle rides looking to the sides in all.

Advance to the board,
Tears of edges, people at source.
Rationing of supply, sustaining the whys.
Question the facts as the rubble is piling.

Syncopated games in conflict aboard this mid-day journey.
Suns are high through the east and west horizons.
In the back talking over each other in co-ordinated chaos.
Conversational variants by land, sea and sky.
The secret payments in order to disrupt the given process.

Orders now projected from valleys afield, proverbial in bright eyes.
The v in the window could be a tick.
Real eyes are now needed in fluctuating appearances.
Headlong into abominable implications through manipulated discourse.
Payed for by the twisted minds, a few gaining on this climate of fear.

Routes in and routing out secrets of those vanished.
Power in the hand, performers in the fields.
Acting on lands, transversing the deep flow.
Whipping up the dust in a quake of murmuring shouts.
Oh, we have not finished it yet!

Also published as text in the publication
AND THEN IT COMES BLOWING 
poetic expressions of George E Harris  2017

Published by London Poetry Books / William Cornelius Harris Publishers https://www.londonpoetrybooks.com/product/come-blowing-poetic-expressions-george-e-harris/

Vs In The Window

Rookery Live recording with 
George E Harris Alison O'Melia David Rothon Agata Liswoska
Erik Moore and Mark Hill 
at Demerara Records Vanishing Point 
Ivy House NunHead South London December 2018
Stage Sound Engineered by Hugh Aynsley 
Recording by Jono Podmore
Photograph by Paul Cooke

Music by Rookery
Words by George E Harris
'Shipping Clerk' words also published as part of a book 
called 'Messing Up The Paintwork The Wit and Wisdom of Mark E Smith'
(featuring Original Dedication Poems and Words, Articles, etc 
from other wordsmiths)...
Published by Ebury Press 2018
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1116724/messing-up-the-paintwork/9781785039850.html

Shipping Clerk

Rookery Live recording with 
George E Harris Alison O'Melia David Rothon Agata Liswoska
Erik Moore and Mark Hill 
at Demerara Records Vanishing Point 
Ivy House NunHead South London December 2018
Recording by Jono Podmore
Photograph by Paul Cooke

Instrumental Original Concept by Alison O'Melia

st(A)rt

Rookery Ensemble at Joe Lounge Bar Crystal Palace Festival
Second Set - Sunday 16 June 2019

Rookery Ensemble featured
Alison O'Melia - Piano / Clarinet / Accordion / Recorder / Harmonica
George E Harris - Spoken and Sung Voice / Ether Pad / Typewriter / Glock / Electronics / Harmonica
Agata Liswoska - Violin 
Erik Moore - Bass Guitar and Electronic Keys
Mark Hill - Electronics and Radio Effects

Original Photograph - Vénus Photographe 
(expanded to small detail within)

TREAD AND SOIL

Rookery Ensemble at Joe Lounge Bar Crystal Palace Festival
Second Set - Sunday 16 June 2019

Rookery Ensemble featured
Alison O'Melia - Piano / Clarinet / Accordion / Recorder / Harmonica / 
Wind Up Pianos
George E Harris - Spoken and Sung Voice / Ether Pad / Typewriter / Glock / Electronics / Harmonica
Agata Liswoska - Violin 
Erik Moore - Bass Guitar and Electronic Keys
Mark Hill - Electronics and Radio Effects

Photography - Vénus Photographe

THE OPERATIVE

Rookery Ensemble at Joe Lounge Bar Crystal Palace Festival
Second Set - Sunday 16 June 2019

Rookery Ensemble featured
Alison O'Melia - Piano / Clarinet / Accordion / Recorder / Harmonica
George E Harris - Spoken and Sung Voice / Ether Pad / Typewriter / Glock / Electronics / Harmonica
Agata Liswoska - Violin 
Erik Moore - Bass Guitar and Electronic Keys
Mark Hill - Electronics and Radio Effects

Photography - Vénus Photographe

Video for track featuring photographs by Jono Podmore (Rook) and group performance by Raf Mantelli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2pKKpYPNL8&feature=share

Words -

SOMETHING HAPPENED (As It Gave Way)

The day that fell into a continuous argument, 
on and off building each hour, fraying on edge.
The repeated motions seemed to echo 
the on going crisis outside. 

The bigger picture rode on to speak, 
just occurring in movement frequency and treatments all so often, 
overlapping the circles building. 
As it gave way in roving raps,
its gone beyond any comic turn that could break the illusion.

The processing of information in incredible stirs.
It occurred to me from decreasing ripples into waves. 
High in the tit for tat,
just repeating it over near crushing.

The record clicks, jumps glitches, missing some sound information.
Giving up on the jets, 
yes now and never on those alternative scopes. 
Oh forever burning some trouble on these hooks.

Will the horses ever run again?
 now watching in the corner café. 
Fancy dressed kings and kings with queens, 
edges of the gold dissolved into plastic cups.

Hang them up at given time slots,
feeding click bait, ignoring some reasoning. 
Those faces turn red as the anger pursues
some form as it starts to feel patronised and cornered.

Assuming airs in the calm breeze,
on a day like that you need to get away.
Run with kites up on the hills feeding the soul,
needing to dry the points, but not rise to the off the cuff tattle.

Time puts things down into the perspective,
holding measures that correctly show stretches on a late shift.
Horizons glow as it all gives sway, falling to brazen talk.
Shuttered poke, climate trolls forever germinating the land beyond this.

Hidden in the corner
with the gargoyles on the terrace.
We cover the markings of hearing them sing in tones of deep frustration.
Discussions carry through now to a touch of depending and over toning! 

Will the horses ever run again?
 now watching in the corner café. 
Fancy dressed kings and kings with queens, 
edges of the gold dissolved into plastic cups.

George E Harris 2018 / 2019

SOMETHING HAPPENED

LOCKDOWN EXPERIMENTS Number 2 - Home Recording session not broadcast

This is a compilation of Lockdown Live sessions and experiments Alison and George have performed throughout April and May 2020 from their Living Room out to the World.

It includes a new series of works under the title of Hyper Reality Star that are passages in some new writing George has undertaken before Lockdown into the present. The album also includes a home experiment as well as some of the ensembles classics reworked as a duo...

Alison O'Melia -
Piano / Organ / Keys /Accordions / Bell Tree / Zither and Voice
George E Harris -
Voice / Words / Ether Pad / effects / Dulcimer / Mini Accordion / Tape Machine / Melodica / Glock
incorporating field recordings
plus virtual help from
Erik Moore -
Bass Guitar ( and some backing tracks especially recorded )

All sales of this album will go to raise funds
for the St Christopher's Hospice Charity
supportus.stchristophers.org.uk/donate/product/donate/
If you wish to donate straight on link above
please mention Rookery Ensemble in donation comment thank you.

LOCKDOWN EXPERIMENTS Number 2

HYPER REALITY STAR Rattling Inside - Lockdown 5

This is a compilation of Lockdown Live sessions and experiments Alison and George have performed throughout April and May 2020 from their Living Room out to the World.

It includes a new series of works under the title of Hyper Reality Star that are passages in some new writing George has undertaken before Lockdown into the present. The album also includes a home experiment as well as some of the ensembles classics reworked as a duo...

Alison O'Melia -
Piano / Organ / Keys /Accordions / Bell Tree / Zither and Voice
George E Harris -
Voice / Words / Ether Pad / effects / Dulcimer / Mini Accordion / Tape Machine / Melodica / Glock
incorporating field recordings
plus virtual help from
Erik Moore -
Bass Guitar ( and some backing tracks especially recorded )

All sales of this album will go to raise funds
for the St Christopher's Hospice Charity
supportus.stchristophers.org.uk/donate/product/donate/
If you wish to donate straight on link above
please mention Rookery Ensemble in donation comment thank you.

HYPER REALITY STAR Rattling Inside

HYPER REALITY STAR Songs Come Out - Lockdown 5

This is a compilation of Lockdown Live sessions and experiments Alison and George have performed throughout April and May 2020 from their Living Room out to the World.

It includes a new series of works under the title of Hyper Reality Star that are passages in some new writing George has undertaken before Lockdown into the present. The album also includes a home experiment as well as some of the ensembles classics reworked as a duo...

Alison O'Melia -
Piano / Organ / Keys /Accordions / Bell Tree / Zither and Voice
George E Harris -
Voice / Words / Ether Pad / effects / Dulcimer / Mini Accordion / Tape Machine / Melodica / Glock
incorporating field recordings
plus virtual help from
Erik Moore -
Bass Guitar ( and some backing tracks especially recorded )

All sales of this album will go to raise funds
for the St Christopher's Hospice Charity
supportus.stchristophers.org.uk/donate/product/donate/
If you wish to donate straight on link above
please mention Rookery Ensemble in donation comment thank you.

HYPER REALITY STAR Songs Come Out

DAWN CHORUS Improvisation - Lockdown 9

This is a compilation of Lockdown Live sessions and experiments Alison and George have performed throughout April and May 2020 from their Living Room out to the World.

It includes a new series of works under the title of Hyper Reality Star that are passages in some new writing George has undertaken before Lockdown into the present. The album also includes a home experiment as well as some of the ensembles classics reworked as a duo...

Alison O'Melia -
Piano / Organ / Keys /Accordions / Bell Tree / Zither and Voice
George E Harris -
Voice / Words / Ether Pad / effects / Dulcimer / Mini Accordion / Tape Machine / Melodica / Glock
incorporating field recordings
plus virtual help from
Erik Moore -
Bass Guitar ( and some backing tracks especially recorded )

All sales of this album will go to raise funds
for the St Christopher's Hospice Charity
supportus.stchristophers.org.uk/donate/product/donate/
If you wish to donate straight on link above
please mention Rookery Ensemble in donation comment thank you.

DAWN CHORUS Improvisation

HYPER REALITY STAR Self Elevations - Easter Monday

This is a compilation of Lockdown Live sessions and experiments Alison and George have performed throughout April and May 2020 from their Living Room out to the World.

It includes a new series of works under the title of Hyper Reality Star that are passages in some new writing George has undertaken before Lockdown into the present. The album also includes a home experiment as well as some of the ensembles classics reworked as a duo...

Alison O'Melia -
Piano / Organ / Keys /Accordions / Bell Tree / Zither and Voice
George E Harris -
Voice / Words / Ether Pad / effects / Dulcimer / Mini Accordion / Tape Machine / Melodica / Glock
incorporating field recordings
plus virtual help from
Erik Moore -
Bass Guitar ( and some backing tracks especially recorded )

All sales of this album will go to raise funds
for the St Christopher's Hospice Charity
supportus.stchristophers.org.uk/donate/product/donate/
If you wish to donate straight on link above
please mention Rookery Ensemble in donation comment thank you.

HYPER REALITY STAR Self Elevations

'Odes to a 1940s Film Set' is another work partly inspired by a visit to Crystal Palace Station Booking Hall before it reopened. The words are titles to 1940s films placed in sentences.

Part of A Series of Pieces Expressing Experiences of Migration, Transition, History and Friendships... Live at the Crystal Palace Overground Festival Soundtracks Event at Crystal Palace Station. 

Players are:

George Harris - Spoken Word / Reel to Reel Tape Machines / Harmonica / Percussion / Voice

Alison O'Palace - Piano / Accordion / Percussion 

Agatha Lisowska - Violin /  Percussion / Visual Creative Direction

Mitzy Valentine - Flute / Voice / Percussion / Style


Odes to a 1940s Film Set

Rookery Ensemble would like to say a few words in honour of Alison O'Melia founding member who passed away just before Christmas 2020 after a illness. We will miss you; love you in so many ways. Its still so hard to comprehend but we will follow the paths you set in music and sound. Your patterns of spirit are there rich with colour and transcend the mundane. We hold our hands up and touch those stars above in which way they shine xxx 

Rookery Ensemble were founded by
George Harris and Alison O'Melia 
they were previously called Brother G and The Trouble and World Of Surprises and started in 2011. Performing a number of concerts as a duo and ensemble.
They have ploughed several furloughs in the land of contemporary music. Currently based around George E Harris with Erik Moore and Mark Hill bringing in others in the hear and there. 
Through the lockdown in UK, Alison and George played a number of home performances for Crystal Palace Lockdown Live online which you can hear a best of album on soundcloud and bandcamp.  As well as view some on YouTube and the CPLL Facebook group page. The bandcamp album is available to buy and is raising money for St Christopher's Hospice. This was with the help of Erik Moore on various tracks virtually. 
Rookery Ensemble have just released their first vinyl album Islets Of Langerhans that was started with Alison and completed since her passing.  This album is available on Bandcamp as well as here and other streaming services and the sales are part going to St Christophers Hospice.
Other members of Ensemble  of late have been Hilary Robinson - Piano, Melodica and keyboards, David Rothon on various instruments including the Omni Chord, Pedal Steel and Melodica, Mark Hill - Electronics and Radio, Erik Moore - Bass, K- Keyboards and Percussion, Annabella Maneljuk - Melodica, Glockenspiel and Keyboards.
With previous  collaborations  from Agata Liswoska on Violin with occasional appearances by  Mitzy Valentine - Flute and Voice, Victoria Potterton on Trumpet and Voice. 
Rookery Ensemble continue to build on the fluid nature of the music through various incarnations and sounds.

Rookery Ensemble

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