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 Thor’s Cave 2023

no need for words. the space speaks for itself through the saxophone. every visit has a different vibe. such an inspiration. enjoy…

 

 

call of the wild
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

 

underground torrent
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

 

the sun sets in silence
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

 

sinuous
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s cave

 

 

the last curtain
alto saxophone, 09 august 2023
thor’s 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 Stoney Middleton St Martin’s 2022

i spent two days across moorland chasing after deer sounds, fawning across the fern and forests for close encounters. finally had a long and silent eye contact with the big dude. not a single sound. on the last evening, nearly out of earshot of constant distant traffic, i find antlers clashing and guttural calls… proved to be worth the wait.

for a change of scenery and ticks removed, i head down the valley to a small church in the village of stoney middleton, tucked away in the rocks. the space is open and bright, the sound welcoming. it is a quiet morning and the light filters through and gently lifts the faded colours of this interesting interior.

skylines
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

harvest
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

rolling free
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

the bell calls
alto saxophone, 14 oct 2022
st martins, stoney middleton

   

   

Sounding Out Thor’s Cave 2022

Such a pleasure to return to this very inspiring location, full of character and fire. There are many distractions and flow is sometimes difficult… One has to be mindful of their steps… it is a long slide down. Birds always join in. Visitors come for a chat. Great times.

It is usually quite late when the space opens, and i end up recording as the light goes down. i’ve always found that the energy is quite mixed, and playing here is an interesting challenge. But this can be rewarding too to find inspiration and flow when it is not as obvious and giving as in other locations. Simple ideas seem to be a thread, and i enjoy the minimal motifs that come out of the improvisations, leaving space for textural connections and more busy runs. The moods also clash – at times gentle, but more often, there is a full-on explosion of sound and it feels like the fingers barely keep up. This place is raw. And i like it.

step up
alto saxophone, 14 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

indecision
alto saxophone, 14 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

colour clash
alto saxophone, 14 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

bird view
alto saxophone, 14 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

 

two paths
alto saxophone, 15 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

ajna – the tao of three
alto saxophone, 15 may 2022
thor’s cave

   

Sounding Out Smoo Cave 2021

Travelling north, a short stop in the middle of Scotland, amidst splendid scenery, mountains bathed in magic light, and broody skies, i found a wee church that was open and welcoming. Surprised by the gentle inspiration, i played in unexpected style for a while. Amulree church.

 

wind hill
alto saxophone, 10 june 2021
amulree church

 

 

weaving history
alto saxophone, 10 june 2021
amulree church

 

 

the round mount song
alto saxophone, 10 june 2021
amulree church

 
 
 

I have paid many visits to this majestic cave, and every time enjoyed its amazing resonance, deep vibe and rich inspiration. This year, for the first time, the water levels are so low that there is no waterfall in the adjacent chamber, and so the main space is a lot quieter, giving maximum resonance to the cave, which is now inhabited by a range of birds. Their cries punctuate the improvisations which go late into the evening. As usual, there are visitors that come in and out, some stay and listen, but mostly, i have stretches uninterrupted to record. And because of this unique opportunity, and the very special occasion of finding the cave so quiet, i decided to spend more time.

I returned twice on my first visit, and again, two nights in a row after exploring the area and spending a few days in solitary, tucked away in the mountains. This period of meditation has been amazing, and the energy of the mountain is deeply moving (or stilling…). Close to the elements, exposed and yet under the protection of imposing hills, the benefits of this period of retreat is indescribable.

Each day of this series of recordings in Smoo Cave was very different. The inspiration yielded music of different character and the vibe was strickingly different. Here is a selection from each session.

 

shine
alto saxophone, 12 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

constellation no1
alto saxophone, 12 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

mantra for the dakinis
alto saxophone, 12 june 2021
smoo cave

 
 

 

circular shapes
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

constellation no3
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

fermion eleven
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

when all return
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

nebulous
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

gentle power
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

mila’s rag
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

solitary hill
alto saxophone, 13 june 2021
smoo cave

 
 

 

the unspoken cartwheel
alto saxophone, 17 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

after the wind
alto saxophone, 17 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

three steps
alto saxophone, 17 june 2021
smoo cave

 
 

 

touch the earth
alto saxophone, 18 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

cath’s wheels ride
alto saxophone, 18 june 2021
smoo cave

 

 

the other side
alto saxophone, 18 june 2021
smoo cave

 

   

Sounding Out North Yorkshire 2021

While travelling through North Yorkshire earlier this year, i came across two churches that were open. A rare treat these days… so i could not resist a little sonic exploration.

 

travelling
alto saxophone, 20 may 2021
east witton church

 

 

flow patterns
alto saxophone, 20 may 2021
east witton church

 

 

 

blues for swirling leaves
alto saxophone, 21 may 2021
st oswalds church, hauxwell

Sounding Out Devon

This has been a very strange year indeed for everyone, and there were very few opportunities to escape to the country. So my sonic explorations have been very limited. And yet, this has also been an opportunity to go back to the roots of Sounding Out, and return to the type of environment where it all started.

Over the years, i have very much enjoyed my visits to amazing churches with grandiose acoustics, and chapels that have a very special quality. Both the resonance and the feel of those places have inspired me much. And now, with most buildings closed, i embraced a return to nature, and to the acoustics of the forest. Interacting with the natural world, its soundscape and gentle reverberant responses was the starting point to this series. It felt like a conversation. And i always like this kind of connection with the outdoors.
Sounding Out has always been about this, away from the studio or controled environment. And yet, remote chapels have been dominating my recordings, apart from a few much cherished caves. Those that really speak to me are rare. And so it is the same with forests, it is hard to find the right environment, away from noise pollution and into a unique sonic world.

During a quiet period at the end of the summer, Devon was so attractive, and a perfect opportunity to get away, away from people, and disappear into the moors and forests. Of course i had the saxophone with me, and regular practice was tricky while hiking and camping. So i started walking out into the dark forest in the evening to practice against bursts of wind and into the thick green canvas. i enjoyed it so much that i decided to record some of these. The recording conditions were difficult, but here are some examples below.

i was very lucky to find one chapel open, during my travels, and found it had a very sweet sound. so of course i spent a little time there, wrapped in the uplifting experience. And finally, at the end of the trip, i returned to the forestry above fernworthy reservoir and took a day visiting a number of locations within the same area, each with its own character, finishing with an improvisation at the top of a stone row, looking down across the valley and listening to entire melodic lines bouncing off rich canopies of trees and rolling back to me with a few seconds delay. Unfortunately, although this amazing effect was clear, it was also very subtle and did not get picked up on the recording. Still…
i hope you enjoy listening to the spirit of the forest, singing through the saxophone.

 

 

woody
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [start of track, by assycombe brook]

 

 

bridge by the hill
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [bridge]

 

 

off track
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [track with opening in the trees below]

 

 

five trees
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [track with opening in the trees below]

 

 

straight line
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [stone row]

 

 

the ballad of passing forms
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [stone row]

 

 

wavelets rising
alto saxophone, 10 september 2020
fernworthy forest, four locations [stone row]

 
 
 

 

a touch of light
alto saxophone, 03 september 2020
st raphael, hexworthy

 

 

entanglements
alto saxophone, 03 september 2020
st raphael, hexworthy

 

 

tread lightly
alto saxophone, 03 september 2020
st raphael, hexworthy

 
 
 

 

the trees swirling dance
alto saxophone, 02 september 2020
fernworthy forest, night time

 

 

solitary bird
alto saxophone, 02 september 2020
fernworthy forest, night time

 

 

Sounding Out – the Peak District

The Peak District on my doorstep, it is easy to nip out and see so much beauty. A little further afield, the limestone valleys offer a different type of landscape. i don’t often go that far and so missed the area and decided to return to known places, in the south peaks.

It was wet in wetton. Storm was on the menu, and it did not disappoint. But first, in the day, it was really hot and sunny. Walking up the hills was fairly taxing and many people were out swimming in the rivers.

By the evening, the distant lightning provided a spectacular display; with stars above, flashes lit up gorgeous cloud formations. The flashes were relentless, it was like watching fireworks and the storm being so distant, it was completely silent. Quite a surreal scene. And it took a while for the rain to arrive. And here too, it did not disappoint.

Another magic moment, in the morning, from a nearby bridge, i watched the empty and dry river bed fill up with rain water that slowly had filtered throught the limestone and started flowing, making this most amazing trickle sound, like pebbles coming to life.

But let’s rewind a little to the end of the day, after a wonderful walk in blazing sunshire, and as the weather was slowly turning, i climbed into the imposive stature of Thor’s Cave. Possibly due to the radiant weather, and also to a long period of lockdown, i found the area more busy than usual, and it was a while until there was a quiet moment. i had time to enjoy the golden glowing of slanting light that came into the cave from the side opening. Taking the time to get back in touch with the space i once knew well (a scroll through previous sounding out recordings will show many visits to this site), i could get into the vibe and ready for some improvisation.

As soon as i got the saxophone out and sounded out a few notes into the space, to warm up, the music started to flow. At the end of the session, as the light was diminishing, a single wood pigeon was singing outside the entrance of the cave. I picked up the melody and recorded one last piece.

 

 

the fifth step
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

shadow theatre
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

spin the riff
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

the wood pigeon song
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

 

After a little break, i continued on down the valley, to a tunnel of incredible property. The sound there is just outstanding. After playing in the cave, my lips were starting to tire, but i could not help sending a few notes spinning down that long tube a watch the frequencies merge. Each set of notes shimmers in its own way, creating further overtones, bending notes to align with the tunnel resonance. I could have played triads forever, just listening to the long tail slowly fade. With circular breathing, the tones eventually blend into a mass of sound that slowly modulates overtones. This place has always been a treat.

 

infinite
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

merger
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

scats o’long tails
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

dark skies ahead
alto saxophone, 11 august 2020
swainsley tunnel

 

 

 

On the second day, i wanted to go back to the cave and record some more, explore different textures. I am not sure if the deliberate approach was wise, in any case, i could not really force any ideas as is usually true with this project. I just had to go with the flow. And on that second day, the vibe was quite different. There were many distractions and it took quite a while for things to settle down, and even while playing, there were a few interruptions. Still, even though i found it more difficult to get into the zone, some interesting material came out. And indeed, the results were more high energy flow and abstract than the first session which was predominently melodic. In places like this, i find the vibe and the music that comes out a lot more free and raw than in churches, for obvious reasons.

 

 

another round
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

bustle in the valley
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

 

waltzing wood in the wind
alto saxophone, 12 august 2020
thor’s cave

 

Sounding Out – back to the beginning

There is something intimate about the forest. This is where Sounding Out started out. And in the current situation, accessing churches or any type of public architecture is difficult. Playing outdoors has an immediate quality. The sound of the saxophone is pure. Just dry, dead pan, as it is, no embelishment, no phase tweaking and bounce reflections. In the cool air, it is also slightly raw. Raunchy is the mood.

I’ve just had a series of powerful meditations lately, and i’ve been reflecting on a phenomena with light hitting a waterfall (see my video on reflections on a weir called moving lines). Such reflections took me back to symmetrical figures and the fractal approach to music i have been developing. After meditation, i walked out into the forest with my saxophone and continued my reflections, this time it is the instrument that leads me into similar figures i had seen. Inspired by this experience, i later returned to the same spot and recorded some improvisations.

From the open space immediate sound, i gradually step deeper into the trees and the sounds change. It comes as no surprise our ancestors believed that trees had spirits. As i play in the midst of this thick woods, the trees come alive and respond to the saxophone sounds. There’s calls in the night, shrieks and hullulations, and there’s some jazz licks too, abstract and angular, that all come out into the deep, the dark, impenetrable lush texture of trees.

 

On the return journey, after walking in Northumberland through splendid scenery and lush forests, i stopped in the well known church in Newby. This place never disappoints. The doors are always open, and the acoustics always gives. I have spent much time here, and always had such inspiration in this very quiet space.

Here again, carried by the flow, i play uninterrrupted for 45 minutes.

 

 

 

vajra light
alto saxophone, 24 july 2020
holystone forest

 

 

 

conseil des sages
alto saxophone, 26 july 2020
newby church

 

 

 

un sage conseil
alto saxophone, 26 july 2020
newby church