Barrage (group) - History

History

Barrage began as a musical entertainment concept created in Calgary, Alberta in 1996 by musicians Dean Marshall and John Crozman. Together with Jana Wyber, Brian Hanson, and Anthony Moore, they formed Barrage's executive production and creative team, known as "5 to 1 Entertainments".

Barrage originally consisted of seven violinists, along with a four piece backline made up of bass guitar, acoustic/electric guitar, drum set and percussion. In its early days, Barrage's performances concentrated solely on experimenting and exploring new musical ideas. The group initially gained attention for pushing the violin's musical boundaries in their attempts to change the public's general perception of what is considered acceptable music to be played using the instrument. The seven violinists began incorporating choreography and several forms of dance into their shows while playing the violin at the same time, thus creating unique visuals to match the various music styles they were performing. Barrage quickly evolved into a hybrid cross between a theatrical music production and a musical ensemble show.

A second cast of Barrage was created by 5 to 1 Entertainments in 2001 and was based in London, England. For a short time, two entirely different casts of Barrage were touring and performing the same show in different parts of the world simultaneously. The two casts were later amalgamated, reverting to a single, eleven member Canada-based cast.

In 2006, Barrage changed their general show format, moving away from their traditionally large scale theatrical music shows and tours to a smaller scale, education-oriented show format. The change saw the cast decrease in size from 11 members to 8 and included the addition of a major educational component to their touring. They frequently worked in American schools with their "Energize Your Strings!" program, which consisted of a day-time workshop and an evening concert, usually in the school's auditorium.

On May 9, 2012, Barrage released a statement via Twitter that the group had decided to suspend their performance and touring schedule, along with all other operations. No further information was or has been given, however they also stated that they may resume activity in the future.