Gavin Bryars at Spitalfields Festival

Gavin Bryars will be performing with his "circus band" at Shoreditch Church as part of the Spitalfields Winter Festival on 13th December 2011.  "Mercy & Grand: The Tom Waits Project" brings together ten songs by Tom Waits, two by Kurt Weill, a sea shanty, a hymn, a couple of instrumental gypsy tangos and a classic Fellini film score arranged by Gavin Bryars (who is also performing on bass and harmonium), Joe Townsend and James Holmes.

Mercy and Grand has been produced by Opera North Projects with whom Bryars is working on a new work to be premiered next year. Bryars famously worked with Tom Waits on the 1993 Point Music recording of the iconic work Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet.

• Gavin Bryars - profile
• Spitalfields Winter Festvial
• Opera North Projects