Colchester’s avantgarde experimental music group, the Dead Rat Orchestra are back, this time exploring the histories of London’s infamous execution ground, Tyburn Gallows.

Since forming more than ten years ago, the Dead Rats have carved out a successful career composing extraordinary music and soundtracks, as well as performing concerts all over the world.

Their latest project is a collaboration with filmmaker James Holcombe, who has made a film about Tyburn and some of the stories that surround the place.

For more than 600 years Tyburn (near Marble Arch) was the principal place of execution in the country as much as a place of justice as a place where justice was seen to be done.

Nathaniel Mann, one third of the Dead Rats, which also includes Robin Alderton and Daniel Merrill, says: “A friend of James saw us when we supported God Speed You Black Emperor and when James was putting together his film together and looking for someone to do the music, his friend recommended us.”

Daniel adds: “He basically sent us this really nice e-mail and we were immediately interested in his idea of exploring Tyburn as an instrument of social control.

James had shot most of the footage already, which was also very interesting to us such as the way he had developed the film using coffee and by placing it a pit he had built by the Thames.”

Working closely with James’ film, the Dead Rat Orchestra have crafted a unique live soundtrack which includes contemporary renditions of 17th/18th Century ballads composed for the condemned as well as by those who met their end at Tyburn.

“These songs were written down,” Nathaniel adds, “and then sold on the street to people attending the hangings. Some of those awaiting to be hanged even penned their own songs so that the proceeds from selling them would go to their families.”

Through their research, the group also discovered Thieves’ Cant, the long forgotten language of the criminal underworld, which the group performed some of their songs in.

NowNathaniel and Daniel are touring the country with the Tyburnia Tour, visiting some of the places where the shadow of the Tyburn Tree extended well beyond London.

Gallows and gibbets were set up in market and county towns right across the country and the pair will be stopping off at 19 such venues as close to the local place of execution as possible.

The Tyburnia Tour follows in the footsteps of last year’s the Cut in which the group travelled the waterways and canals of the industrial revolution, exploring its music and heritage along the way.

DEAD RAT ORCHESTRA: THE TYBURNIA TOUR

Colchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Colchester. Sunday.

Doors 7.30pm, starts 8pm.

£8, £6 concessions.

01206 500900. www.colchesterartscentre.com