Even Barbican regulars might not be familiar with the Conservatory, a Kew Gardens-style haven of greenery that straddles the top two floors of this arts centre. It’s usually used only for private events but this gig, curated by Gabriel Prokofiev’s events promoter Nonclassical, invites 200 people to wander around for two hours while a dozen or so musicians play in various parts of the space.
The Conservatory is a vast, echoey greenhouse, with lots of ambient noise, and it suits some of tonight’s more clamorous compositions. The Abstruckt quartet play an ebullient version of Steve Reich’s Music for Pieces of Wood and some thumpy pieces by David Lang and Andy Akiho for tuned percussion and assorted metal utensils, the sound of which bounce out from around the top terrace. The American sculptor and double bassist Marcus Vergette performs Tintinnabulation, where he and a pianist play a rather beautiful, atonal, written-through composition, one that ripples and resonates with the clattering of four enormous metal bells which Vergette has created.
