Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre

The Blackheart Orchestra

Thu 26 February 2026 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre


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The Blackheart Orchestra

"Epic" Uncut

"Ethereal" Sunday Express

"A life-enhancing listening experience" Louder Than War

"Reaches areas of your head and heart you never knew existed" Metal Planet Music

The Blackheart Orchestra is officially the smallest orchestra in the world. Two people playing 13 instruments. They perform in the centre of a circle of instruments that has been described as their 'musical space station'. Their music combines ethereal vocals with multi-layered combinations of acoustic instruments such as guitar and mandola, rock instruments including electric guitar, bass and percussion, plus piano, organ, electronica, orchestral and symphonic sounds, omnichords and their collection of vintage synthesisers. The music is emotional with Metal Planet saying "Their music reaches areas of your head and heart that you never knew existed."

They draw on their backgrounds in rock, folk, electronica and classical music to create a truly unique sound frequently compared to early Pink Floyd, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Portishead and Kate Bush. Simultaneously symphonic and psychedelic, classical but totally contemporary.

After 1000 gigs from Southampton to Sydney and 4 acclaimed albums, they've performed everywhere from intimate venues to London's Palladium and Royal Albert Hall sharing stages with everyone from Hawkwind to Eric Clapton.

Awards include a nomination for the Progressive Rock Limelight Award, they won Best British Duo, were voted #4 UK Best New Band and their lockdown online concert series The Big Armchair Concerts was voted #10 Most Important Rock Event of 2020. Two years later their multi award-winning album Hotel Utopia went straight into the UK Rock Chart at #13, being called "Epic" by Uncut magazine,"Mercurial by Guitarist Magazine, "One of the best albums of the year" by USA's Prog Rock Central and went on to win Best British Album, Best Song and Best Female Vocalist in the USA Progressive Rock Awards.

They have been described as "A mesmerising powerhouse" and "An avant-garde musical utopia". Louder Than War declared their music "A life-enhancing listening event" Steve Hackett of Genesis described it as "Powerful and inspiring" and fan Phil Campbell of Motörhead described it simply as "******* beautiful".

AWARDS

2022 AWARDS

USA PROGRESSIVE ROCK AWARDS Best British Album Hotel Utopia

USA PROGRESSIVE ROCK AWARDS Best Song The Flood

USA PROGRESSIVE ROCK AWARDS Best Female Vocalist

USA PROGRESSIVE ROCK AWARDS No.2 Best International Album

PROG MAGAZINE READERS' POLL UK No.5 Best Female Vocalist

USA MUSIC IN WIDESCREEN AWARDS Best Closing Track on an Album The Flood

USA MUSIC IN WIDESCREEN AWARDS Best Music in Widescreen The Flood

PROGRESSIVE ROCK CENTRAL USA Professor Mark's No.1 Progressive Rock Album of the Year

REAR VIEW MIRROR AWARDS AUSTRALIA No.2 Album of 2022

GET READY TO ROCK UK No.2 Album of the Year

THE PROG MILL UK No.3 Album of 2022

PROGZILLA UK Best Albums of the Year

VELVET THUNDER UK Top 20 Albums of 2022

AT THE BARRIER UK Top 20 Albums of 2022

EPIC PROG RADIO NL Album of the Month

ROCK RADIO FM Artist of the Month

PROGROCK.COM Artist of the Month

PROG EXPLORATIONS UK No.20 Song of the Year

2022 CHART POSITIONS

UK OFFICIAL ROCK CHART No.13

UK OFFICIAL INDIE BREAKERS CHART No.12

UK OFFICIAL RECORD STORE CHART No.17

UK OFFICIAL PROGRESSIVE CHART No.23

UK OFFICIAL INDEPENDENT CHART No.40

2021 AWARDS

PROG MAGAZINE READERS' POLLNo.5 Best Female Vocalist

2020 AWARDS

PROG MAGAZINE READERS' POLL
NO.10 MOST IMPORTANT ROCK EVENT OF 2020

The Blackheart Orchestra
Big Armchair Online Concert Series

2019 AWARDS

USA BIG TAKEOVER MAGAZINE AWARDS Mesmeranto - No.4 Album of 2019

ROCK WRITERS ALBUMS OF THE YEAR Mesmeranto - Voted Twice

2019 CHART POSITIONS

UK OFFICIAL ROCK CHART No.18

UK OFFICIAL INDEPENDENT CHART No.16

2018 AWARDS

PROG MAGAZINE PROGESSIVE MUSIC AWARDS

The Blackheart Orchestra
Nomination for The Limelight Award

PROG MAGAZINE READERS' POLL No.4 Best New Band