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unusual facts about Penguin Cafe Orchestra


Still Life at the Penguin Cafe

Still Life at the Penguin Cafe is the name of a ballet choreographed by David Bintley and featuring music composed by Simon Jeffes, founder of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.


A Matter of Life...

Robin Denselow of The Guardian gave the album three stars, and described it as "some of the most unusual and delightful music of the last 40 years", which didn't quite match classics of the earlier Penguin Café Orchestra, but was an "impressive attempt".

Fade into Darkness

The song incorporates elements from "Perpetuum Mobile" by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, as written by Simon Jeffes.

Kathryn Tickell

She has also composed music for two productions by Newcastle's "Live Theatre", presented a series of programmes for "BBC Radio 2" and TV programmes on music composition for Channel 4 Schools, recorded with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, The Chieftains, Beth Nielson Chapman, The Boys of the Lough, Jimmy Nail, Linda Thompson, Alan Parsons, Andy Sheppard and many others.

The Eden House

Other contributors include violinist Bob Loveday, who has previously worked with Penguin Café Orchestra and Van Morrison as well as being a member of Bob Geldof’s band; former Fields of The Nephilim members Peter Yates, Nod Wright and Paul Wright; and drummers Simon Rippin (previously with Nefilim and NFD) and Bob Irwin (who has also worked with Johnny Cash and Van Morrison).


see also

Perpetuum mobile

"Collide" by Leona Lewis and Avicii, based on "Perpetuum Mobile" by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and "Penguin (Fade Into Darkness)" by Avicii