FEATURE:
Over the Quavers, Drunk in the Bars
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in the photoshoot for the single art of Babooshka (which featured on the 1980 album, Never for Ever)/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
The Classical Potential of Kate Bush’s Music
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THERE has been a smattering…
of Kate Bush articles the past few weeks or so. There is still a lot of attention around her 1978 debut single, Wuthering Heights, and how people have discovered it after Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” film. Even though the song did not feature, it was inevitable this track would receive increased focus by association. What I love is how different tracks of hers have received boosts and been picked up by young generations for various reasons. It gives people a deeper and broader knowledge of Kate Bush and her career. My real hope is that, even before another album is released, there is something that motivates a greater and more concentrated on her entire catalogue. In terms of understanding why she is so revered and is this such a remarkable songwriter. I think there is recognition around certain greats and their genius, as more of their music is played and known. If it is a documentary, film or interviews, you do get more insight into the artist and, as a result, there is this wider appreciation and knowledge. Maybe Kate Bush is responsible for some of the issues. In terms of not releasing albums more regularly and being visible in interviews. In the sense she has not given a filmed interview since the 1990s and she perhaps does not give permission to make documentaries or use her music unless it is for something she really loves. That is fine and her decision. However, I do feel there are facets and sides to her music that are going unexplored or unknown. In terms of Bush’s compositions and her catalogue, I do think there is something epic and symphonic. Even if Bush did not use orchestras and Classic players much, there is a grandeur and this scale that does suggest itself to a larger production. Hounds of Love (1985) definitely had these operatic, sky-scraping and huge moments. Aerial (2005) in a different way. I feel this is one of the undermined aspects of her career.
I have said before how Kate Bush would be magnificent composing scores or working on a soundtrack. Some of her contemporaries have, and you really do feel like there is this natural composer who is aware of Classic music and has woven it into her work. In Violin, from 1980’s Never for Ever, is “for all the mad fiddlers from ‘Paganini’ to ‘Old Nick’ himself”. She said that in a fan club newsletters in September 1980. “Four strings across the bridge/Ready to carry me over/Over the quavers, drunk in the bars/Out of the realm of the orchestra/Out of the realm of the orchestra”. “Get the bow going!/Let it scream to me:/Violin! Violin! Violin!”. Bush learned the violin as a child and, whilst she did not take to it and much preferred the piano, I do feel her household featured music from Classical composers. Her father particularly would have played Classical music. Bush wrote a song, Delius (Song of Summer) for 1980’s Never for Ever. That album nodding to Classic al music in more than a couple of ways. Frederick Delius was an English composer who died in 1934. Bush also danced with a double bass in the video for Babooshka. If there is to be another album from Kate Bush, might she go in a more Classical direction and utilise Abbey Road Studios and hire a full orchestra across several songs? That would be wonderful to hear! I have written before how modern artists are performing their songs backed by orchestras. It is not inauthentic or artists trying to elevate themselves. It brings something new from their music and is to be commended. Dua Lipa, RAYE and St. Vincent are a few artists who have teamed with conductors and orchestras recently to give their well-known songs this new interpretation.
Even if Kate Bush herself will not do this or do a one-off live event where she is supported by Classical players, others are noticing how her incredible songbook would reach new levels – and new audiences – when they are given a Classic edge. This brings me to this article and how there is this exciting tour happening next summer that Kate Bush fans will be interested in:
“Cloudbusting have just announced they are to team-up with the acclaimed West London Sinfonia 50-piece orchestra for a major new ‘Classical Kate Bush’ UK tour in summer 2027.
Described by Classic Rock magazine as “utterly, surreally brilliant”, Cloudbusting – The Music of Kate Bush have confirmed a brand new run of live shows, which includes a date at Manchester Bridgewater Hall on 12th June.
In an ambitious return to the stage, the band will bring their ‘Classical Kate Bush’ live experience to some of the nation’s most prestigious concert halls next year, accompanied by the magnificent West London Sinfonia.
Formed in 2012 and having performed more than 500 live shows across the globe, this new 2027 UK tour represents the pinnacle of Cloudbusting’s 15 year-long journey - the longest-running and most acclaimed homage to Kate Bush - transforming her extraordinary experimental pop catalogue into a grand orchestral spectacle. Featuring bespoke arrangements by BAFTA & Ivor Novello award-winning composer Rob Lane, Classical Kate Bush marries the raw energy of a live rock band with the soaring thrill of a world-class fifty-piece symphony orchestra.
As lead vocalist Mandy Watson says, "There is something uniquely spiritual about hearing these songs performed with a full orchestra. After such a phenomenal reaction to our previous performances there was no question about it - we absolutely had to do it again, to share this magic with even more people in 2027.”
Under the baton of conductor Philip Hesketh and leader of the orchestra Iwona Boesche, the show’s set-list will span Kate’s entire career — from the ethereal heights of The Kick Inside to the conceptual mastery of The Ninth Wave and beyond. Audiences can expect many "wow" moments as hits like ‘Cloudbusting’, ‘Hounds of Love’ and ‘Running Up That Hill’ are reimagined live with the orchestral depth they have always deserved.
Mandy adds: "Performing Kate’s music is always an emotional journey, but to do so with a 50-piece orchestra is simply surreal. Many of her songs have such an inherent cinematic quality — they were always meant to be this 'big'. Having that wall of sound behind me doesn't just change the scale; it allows us to explore the emotional core and 'unheard dialects' of her work in a way that feels like a homecoming. I want every fan to leave feeling like they’ve experienced the absolute depth of her genius."
Significantly, Cloudbusting have often performed Kate’s music alongside her original collaborators, a distinction and honour that speaks to the band’s unmatched authenticity. They have been deeply honoured to share the stage with legendary drummer Preston Heyman (Tour of Life, Never For Ever, The Dreaming) and Kate’s iconic dance partner and co-choreographer, Stewart Avon Arnold, both of whom brought an indescribable energy to their live shows. Most poignantly, the band shared a long-standing professional bond with the late Del Palmer, Kate’s long-time bassist and sound engineer, who played live with the band many times. As the only tribute band to have performed with the man who originally helped shape Kate’s studio sound, Cloudbusting carry this privilege with them in every performance as they continue to celebrate their collective legacy.
Tickets are on-sale now here for Classical Kate Bush’s summer 2027 live shows in Liverpool, London, Basingstoke, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham, whilst fans can also check out www.classicalkatebush.com for further information”.
That quote about Bush’s music being cinematic. I have always said that. I have also said how Bush maybe approached albums like films. That they were soundtracks where each song was more a scene that traditional works. This idea of a fifty-piece orchestra bringing the full theatrical and cinematic qualities of Kate Bush’s work out is to be commended. I think that everyone should go and book a ticket. When ROSALÍA released Lux’s Berghain, there was criticism because of its blend of Classical and Opera. Snobbish and ignorant people feeling it was not the place of a Pop artist to step into these worlds. I do wonder if Kate Bush ever considered something like Berghain in her career but worried how that might be perceived. That particular song is fascinating when you break it down. Kate Bush has actually tried to replicate and emulate Classical music. In 2011, when she released 50 Words for Snow, you can feel this sense of these longer songs unfolding like Classical pieces. More mobility, story and breadth compared to shorter Pop songs. This NME article reflected on an interview she gave to the Independent about her then-new album and Classical music:
“Kate Bush has said that she likes the idea of “emulating classical music” in her work, although she claimed she lacked the compositional ability to create her own classical piece.
In an interview with The Independent, the singer said there were elements of classical music in her new album ’50 Words For Snow’, which is released on November 21, and hinted that she found the idea of classical composition appealing.
She said:
I quite like the idea of emulating classical music in what I do. I’m not able to orchestrate, but I can certainly direct, and give ideas. Although this isn’t a classical album at all, in some ways it holds elements of that”.
I am excited Classical Kate Bush and bringing her music to new heights. Truly cinematic and epic, I think it does validate this claim that her work is Classical. At least how thee are elements of the genre within the blood of many of her tracks. How Bush is someone whose music often went beyond the mainstream and conventional and into the realms of the Classical – something modern artists like ROSALÍA has done recently and won huge critical acclaim. How Bush wanted to create her own version of Classical music for her most recent album and how, nearly fifteen years since that came out, there is this announcement that a fifty-strong orchestra will do something truly mesmeric with her music, alongside the extraordinary Cloudbusting. It does make me think of Kate Bush as a composer in a Classical sense. Or a director and cinematic producer. Someone who has affection for this world and it has been part of her career almost since the beginning. It adds extra layers of wonder and gold…
TO this peerless and unique artist.