Recorder31 Day 26 | Live Music from Loom (+ A Spotlight on our Informal Recital Series)

Every month at our Snape Maltings showroom from March to December, we host a performance of early music (and/or on early instruments) free of charge to all visitors to our shop. They have become an important part of our shop's calendar and have brought nationally-renowned performers and local musicians to an intimate audience in the beautiful Suffolk surroundings. Every August, Recorder31 gives us the perfect opportunity to feature brilliant recorder players in the recital series, and today we're hosting the second of these events.

Earlier this month, we were entertained by The Delightful Recorder Companions in a programme of recorder consort music by Britten, Mattheson, Dowland and more. Today at 17:00, we will be joined by recorder and percussion duo Loom, featuring Recorder31's very own Olivia Petryszak alongside Jonno Gaze.

We will be live-streaming Loom's performance at The Early Music Shop and sharing a behind-the-scenes look at our Informal Recital Series on our Instagram account today – so wherever you are in the world, you can join in the fun!

Click here to visit our Instagram page and view the live-stream (between 17:00-17:30 BST).

And of course, if you're in Suffolk today, we'd love to see you in person at the shop! Admission is free and the event is not ticketed – just turn up and take a seat. All audience members are welcome to join us for a drink after the performance.

About Loom

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Loom is a London/Birmingham-based duo made up of Olivia Petryszak (recorders) and Jonno Gaze (percussion). Drawing eclectically from folk, experimental and improvised music, the duo weaves together contrasting traditions into new and unfamiliar sound-worlds.

British-Polish recorder player Olivia Petryszak works across early music, contemporary creation and cross-genre collaboration. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with First Class Honours and the Concert Recital Diploma, later continuing her studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and the Kraków Academy of Music with Erik Bosgraaf. She performs widely across Europe in projects involving early music, jazz, film, folk and electronic music. Her recent work includes recordings with cross-genre ensembles, involvement in Thom Yorke’s latest album, a Gambian-fusion project and residencies with musicians from Portugal, Ukraine, the UK and beyond. She regularly commissions new pieces and contributes to contemporary recorder publications, expanding how the instrument is used today.

Jonno Gaze is a percussionist, composer and improviser living in Birmingham. He has collaborated with artists such as Deepa Shakthi, Nifeco Costa and Didier Kisala and groups including Tephra, Ideasthesia and Dreamscapes, alongside leading his own trio and quintet, with notable performances at the Royal Albert Hall, Glastonbury Festival and Birmingham Symphony Hall. Currently, he plays with artists such as Germa Adan and Georgia Morgan-Turner and is a member of groups such as Abyssal and Fèy Lajwa. Drawing from folk, electronic and improvised music, Jonno is an emerging voice on the experimental and fusion scenes. He currently has two releases: Umbra for solo drums and The Birds Still Sing.

Still to come in our Informal Recital Series!

This series of our monthly recitals continues until the end of 2026, and while the remaining concerts do not have a recorder focus, we will be featuring other fabulous instruments from The Early Music Shop's catalogue, including sackbut, harpsichord, cello and harp. If you're in Suffolk (or fancy a trip!), please do put the dates in your diary and we'd love to welcome you to the performances.

Click here to find out more about our Informal Recital Series.

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From the Takeyama workshop in Japan comes today's featured instrument, the Alto Recorder in Boxwood (a415). A remarkably light-weight instrument in beautiful stained Brazilian boxwood, this instrument has a rounded and even tone across its register, offering more power than its maple cousin in the Takeyama range. Tuned at a415 (Baroque pitch) this is a strong option for players looking for a high-quality instrument for low pitch work. Check out the audio clips below or follow this link to find out more about this instrument.