Maarja Nuut presents Liivast juukseid kammides (Combing Hair into Sand) - a large-scale song cycle for vocal ensemble, percussion, violin and electronics. 

Deeply personal, the work unfolds through fragmented inner landscapes shaped by memory and shifting states of perception. At the heart of the work lies a poetic landscape shaped by the writings of Eha Lättemäe alongside texts by Estonian poets and writers across generations. The work is performed together with the acclaimed British vocal ensemble Shards and Swiss drummer Nicolas Stocker.

Combing Hair into Sand is a performance where voice, electronics and poetry move between fragile intimacy and unsettling intensity - a journey through inner landscapes whose meanings reveal themselves gradually. Combining contemporary vocal music, experimental electronics and extended instrumental textures, the work inhabits a space where sound, language and silence continuously dissolve into one another while transformed field recordings drift through the work like dislocated memories and distortions of time.

Maarja Nuut’s distinctive sonic language merges archaic resonances, contemporary electronics and minimalist composition into a hypnotic, deeply textured and singular whole. Her work has been presented on renowned stages internationally, establishing her as one of the most singular voices in contemporary Estonian music. Combing Hair into Sand marks a new chapter in her artistic practice — a fragile, experimental and highly sensitive exploration at the threshold of poetry, voice and sonic textures.

With an opening set from Shards.

Formed in London in 2016 by singer, composer and producer Kieran Brunt, Shards is a vocal collective known for blurring the lines between contemporary classical, experimental pop and choral music. Since emerging with their acclaimed Erased Tapes debut Find Sound in 2019, the group has collaborated with a wide range of artists, composers and filmmakers across record, stage and screen.

In 2024, the group released the mini album Byrd Song, a striking reimagining of Renaissance composer William Byrd’s music through Shards’ distinct contemporary lens. Recent projects also include performances with Norwegian artist AURORA, including appearances at the BAFTA Film Awards and on Later… with Jools Holland alongside James Blake, collaborations with post punk outfit Squid on their album O Monolith, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, and contributions to the score for Apple TV+ series Silo. Most recently, Shards featured as the experimental vocal ensemble on Daniel Pemberton’s score for the sci fi epic Project Hail Mary.