ACO Up Close: Hand to Earth with the ACO Quartet

 

The oldest music tradition in the world. The very best of contemporary sound. 

Hand to Earth is an astonishing ensemble centred on Yolŋu song cycles, a tradition kept by songmen Daniel Wilfred and David Wilfred. Unbound by genre, time, or tradition, Hand to Earth also includes multi-instrumentalists Sunny Kim (voice, electronics, percussion), Peter Knight (trumpet, electronics, percussion) and Aviva Endean (clarinets, flute, objects, percussion). This eclectic ensemble has an extraordinary rapport.   

Richard Tognetti saw Hand to Earth play at the Barbican in 2025 and instantly knew he had to work with them. This intimate recital marks the start of a special relationship. The first half of the concert is a showcase of Hand to Earth’s hypnotic, elemental sound, as the musicians fuse ancient Yolŋu songs with improvised, ambient minimalism. The second half is an improvisation-driven collaboration with a quartet of ACO musicians led by Richard Tognetti on violin. 

This atmospheric evening of music will draw you into a sound world that feels ancient and immediate all at once.