SUNDAY
20.09.26
ST LAURENCE CHURCH
Recently selected as one of BBC Radio 3 Late JuncƟon’s “Sounds of 2025”, Jude Rees is a genre- defying oboist and multi-instrumentalist based in the Midlands, UK. Her noise is new/old, breathing new life into old instruments and fusing historical sounds with modern circuitry to create her own sonic lexicon. Under her solo moniker MADRIGIRL, Jude reimagines early music through a contemporary lens, diving deep into the raw source material of ancient polyphony and reconstructing it with live-looped improvisations, her own compositions, and a rich tapestry of drones.
Her live performances feature a bewildering array of instruments, including shawms, English border bagpipes, crumhorns, hurdy gurdy, synths, electronics and voice, all woven into immersive, otherworldly soundscapes. It’s experimental music with warmth, intelligence and edge.
As an ensemble musician, Jude has collaborated with some of the luminaries of the British folk scene and has guested on numerous albums and tours, working with artists such as Will Pound, Pilgrims' Way, Jim Moray, Isambarde, Circulus and Dave Swarbrick. Beyond the stage, Jude regularly collaborates on projects for film, theatre, and broadcast, with credits including The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Revolution X, Royal Bastards: Rise of the Tudors, and productions and recordings with the Royal Shakespeare Company.