Directed by Jonathan C. Creasy
In 2019, groundbreaking bassist and composer Barry Guy brought together a group of musicians from around the world to rehearse his masterpiece, The Blue Shroud, ahead of a performance in London’s Southbank Centre.
The group convened in the historic Aughavannagh Barracks in County Wicklow, Ireland. Over three days, they rehearsed, improvised, shared meals and conversations, ultimately shaping Guy’s genre-defying piece and exploring the limits of Baroque, contemporary classical, jazz and improvised music.
Guy’s piece is a moving, masterful response to political hypocrisy. It is a crowning achievement in the composer’s legendary fifty-year career in music.
Filmed in Ireland, Switzerland and London, Barry Guy’s The Blue Shroud presents the historical and musical contexts for Guy’s masterwork. It also explores Guy’s life and work across decades and the many influences on his compositional style.
Like Guy’s piece, the film is an argument for the power of artistic collaboration to break down boundaries and borders. Rooted in history, it presents a powerful message for the present day.
