sounding out returns to the lakes

 
 

sounding out is feeling a little rusty. don’t worry, cobwebs are not gathering on the keys, and my sax gets plenty of practice. but i have not been listening to the call of the wild as much. so it is such a pleasure to revisit places of greatness. those two caves are amongst my favourite spaces to resonate. both have a very unique and different atmosphere. a few seconds in rydal cave, and the constant dripping takes you into a different world. however, today has many distractions and people come in and out througout the session.

some nice encounters and cool conversations, but i am used to a more intimate connection to the space itself. normally, i only play to birds, and possibly maybe the spirit of the rock… or to quote some of my musical influences, ‘i talk to the wind’ and ‘the trees are all agreed’. the intention is not to create a spectacle for visitors, however, it’s nice to make someone’s day, and the smile of wonder as kids wave goodbye is kinda cool.

i may not be totally in the zone, but very excited to play this place. and i hope you can hear it…

 
 
 

 

wind in the reeds
alto saxophone, 13 april 2024
rydal cave

 

 

shapes in the shadows
alto saxophone, 13 april 2024
rydal cave

 

 
 
 

 
 

in contrast, cathedral cave is all stillness and suspension. but here too, groups of people visit the site until late. by then, it gets cold and tired, and the saxophone feels it. i still manage to get a good stretch out of this session. some abstract passages offer a nice relief but most of my playing is quite harmonic this time. i feel i’d like it to be more adventurous, but i do not choose what the space inspires. still, i think that the symmetrical shapes which have been my main focus give an interesting colour to my melodies. it is good to realise that what i have been practicing is gradually feeding into my playing, without having to think about it. you dig?

 
 
 

 

taking steps
alto saxophone, 14 april 2024
cathedral cave

 

 

peaceful at the top
alto saxophone, 14 april 2024
cathedral cave

 

 

down the cloughs and the hollows
alto saxophone, 14 april 2024
cathedral cave

 

 

slow drift
alto saxophone, 14 april 2024
cathedral cave

 

 

the ragged edge
alto saxophone, 14 april 2024
cathedral cave

 

 

mirrors
alto saxophone, 14 april 2024
cathedral cave

 

 

avalanche
alto saxophone, 14 april 2024
cathedral cave

 
 
 

Sounding Out Cathedral Cave – june 2023

a most welcome return to a spectacular location.

cathedral cave is a very unique and wonderful place both in terms of atmosphere and acoustics. this time, the weather gives a very different quality to the experience of the place. i have been walking in the area in blazing sunshine, swimming in the clear water of lakes surrounded by beautiful landscapes.

i arrive to the cave tired, warm and pretty blissed out from such stunning scenery. the cool space provides a nice shelter from the heat. and although it is still busy that late in the day, the imposing presence of this carved architecture sets a strong mood that is serene.

the name of cathedral cave is well deserved.

here, time stops.

and from the very fist notes, i enter that very special place fully.

both evenings, i play for a period of time, blending melodic passages, progressions, and overtones, taking advantage of this unique and powerful reverb. some sections play with the different effects the space offers – the interplay of tones in the sustain is fascinating… two notes linger and dance in the space and each interval a different pattern. each triad swirls a different spin.

although the space mostly inspires a gentle play of tones and melody, more angular shapes find their way in the improvisations. symmetrical structures bounce across the spectrum from one axis to the next. geometric shapes climb the raw surface of the rock. a little slack in the rope allows for smudges of movement. chromatic whirls send phases off-center. the space responds and blesses the ear with stunning sound effects.

 

 

 

the first line
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

blurred boundaries
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

the space in between
alto saxophone, 13 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

 

wind swept plains
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

slack bounce
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

a study of small shapes
alto saxophone, 14 june 2023
cathedral cave

 

sounding out the lake district 2014

 

In a recent visit to the Lake District, i had amazing experiences in two very special locations. Previously, i explored a number of churches in the region, some of them with very interesting quality, and some very inspiring.

However, i have a preference for natural environments. This project started out in the forest, many years ago, and gradually evolved to include other types of landscapes. Caves have always captured my imagination. There is a quality very different to man made environments. It is not just the acoustics, but mostly the feel of the place. And as a consequence, the music it inspires comes out differently.

i have found in the past that certain churches and chapels surprise me in what music they dictate. Some demand reverence. Some are free flowing. From restrained classical to folk and traditional, all the way to full blown trance-like gospel jazz.

One thing that always strikes me is that in a rural setting, and most churches are fairly remote, urban music seems completely out of place. People commented before on the meters i tend to use. As for me, phrasing that is affected, stylised (like jazz swing) and complex signatures or tempo change simply does not feel right. This is all a modern, urban construct. And obviously, buildings that are hundreds of years old simply do not have that kind of energy.

In the case of natural topography and caves, it is again totally different. All sense of style just goes out of the window.
I end up dealing with pure, raw sound.

Caves always have a strong character and the acoustics are a lot more complex due to the quality of reflecting surfaces, and the much more variable volume and shape of the space. Generally, i would expect a cave to inspire something very raw and wild. But i have been very surprised in the past. For example, i had very unique experiences in Scotland, where the gentle stream that runs across Smoo drew the most fragile and mellow tones. See also my first visit to Smoo Cave.

Rydal and Cathedral Caves are part natural, part quarry. They are both surrounded with majestic scenery and have the raw quality i mentioned earlier. And somehow, once i settled into the sound and started playing, both places inspired the most gentle music. At points on the brink of tears.

It felt like, once i had reached the right level – the right mind state and mindfulness, the right volume of playing that is really quiet and barely sounding notes – something clicked. I knew this was right and somehow things ‘slipped’ into place. It is like an inner feeling of sitting down comfortably.
There are no words to describe it. It really is both like settling down and clicking into place. And suddenly things open up. One becomes full of emptiness and the music happens. The flow intensifies as if it has reached the right channel.
The only way i can describe this feeling is with an oxymoron: the intensity of emptiness. There is infinite strength in stillness. It is the power of gentleness.

In Rydal and Cathedral Cave, the strong sound character and unusually long reverberation allowed me to work with harmony: with low tones sustaining through a phrase or chord. And to my surprise, in spite of inclement weather and raw elements, my playing was gently whispered, on the verge of breaking up, intimate and beautiful.

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another day
alto saxophone, 25 oct 2014
cathedral cave, lake district

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in your steps
alto saxophone, 25 oct 2014
cathedral cave, lake district

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couleurs d’automne
alto saxophone, 25 oct 2014
cathedral cave, lake district

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lozanges
alto saxophone, 25 oct 2014
cathedral cave, lake district

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carefree swaying
alto saxophone, 25 oct 2014
cathedral cave, lake district

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melodic drop
alto saxophone, 24 oct 2014
rydal cave, lake district

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wind ripples
alto saxophone, 24 oct 2014
rydal cave, lake district

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sounding out the lake district

during a marathon visit to the lake district, i recorded in many locations, sometimes exploring several churches and chapels in one day. here are some of my favourite sites.

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hollow stone
alto saxophone, 12 feb 2014
st michael and all angels church, hawkshead

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high winds
alto saxophone, 10 feb 2014
st martin’s old church, martindale

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white peaks
alto saxophone, 10 feb 2014
st peter’s church, martindale

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