The journey of the big band is often an expensive one, as well as an integral part of the jazz world, and an important thing to support so that large scale works can continue to be written, recorded, and heard.

We docked in with Josephine Davies to ask her about her new jazz orchestral work, and her crowdfunder needed to launch this new exciting project.

Please consider supporting the recording of Josephine Davies’ jazz orchestra, which will take place at the end of May.

Support the project here: 

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/celtic-wheel-of-the-year-suite-album-recording 

Hi Josephine, congratulations on your exciting initiative, your new extensive composition ‘The Celtic Wheel of the Year Suite’ for jazz orchestra, we’d love to hear more about it. Tell us more what’s happening ‘behind the sounds’ and how it all came about, what was your inspiration for this new work?

The inspiration comes from my own deepening connection to the natural world, and feeling the need to be more in tune with it’s rhythms, the ebb and flow of seasons, and the transition from light to dark and back. I’ve tried to harness how I experience these movements as well as what they symbolize within the Celtic traditions, and express them through the 8 movements of the suite. It starts at daybreak on summer solstice with a very bright piece in B major, representing the lightest day of the year, and gradually moves through to the darker months with some very dissonant and stark writing, before coming into an optimistic spring, another major key, but using the flattened 6th to remind us of the ever-present turning of the wheel. I love how the Celts celebrated each aspect of the year, knowing that even in the darkest and most barren months of winter’s end, life is always stirring underground, ready for renewal and awakening.

Have you composed for jazz orchestra before, and how do you practically embark on such an extensive compositional format?

I was a member of the London Jazz Orchestra for 10 years – we rehearsed every month and everyone was invited to bring new pieces which was a great way to develop my writing for this line up as I could try things out, see what worked and what didn’t. Although on a practical level it is like anything else – studying the scores of others, developing orchestration and voicing knowledge etc, my favourite aspect of the jazz orchestra is having so many instrumental colours to play with. It gives so much scope for dynamic and dramatic passages, which is important when embarking on a suite that is as much influenced by ‘classical’ as jazz traditions, though of course, we could endlessly debate what these terms mean!

When composing do you seek to portray a particular message, or to explore harmony and sound in its own right, or do you seek to combine these journeys?

It’s an interesting question that I’m constantly asking myself as I’m not always consciously making choices, but rather following instinct. Some of my best ideas have occurred spontaneously in the sea (where I feel almost more at home than on land – I definitely had a previous life as a mermaid!) Yes, I always want to explore harmony and sound, and find my original voice within these, but there is a particular message with this suite which is that I hope to inspire people to find their own connection with Mother Earth. Our society is so disconnected, and I think that even the people trying to change the world for the better can often use language that contributes to this disconnect, such as ‘environmental issues’, for the earth is not outside or apart from us, but lives and breathes with us. I like to think it will be from a place of love and wonder at Gaia’s magnificence that we begin to make the radical changes needed, rather from a place of fear and scarcity.

Prior to recording you’re doing a warm-up concert May 7th at The Vortex Jazz Club Is this the first public outing of your new work and how do you feel about this? 

It’s in fact our second outing; we premiered the work in October last year, which was actually what influenced me to make the commitment to recording it as it was such a joyous occasion. Nick Smart then invited me to work with the Royal Academy Jazz Orchestra to perform the suite earlier this year (they were amazing), so I’m feeling pretty good about it. I’m mainly conducting rather than playing saxophone, and it’s been great to develop this skill, and confidence as the leader, as I remember how terrified I was when I stood up for the first time in front of the LJO to rehearse my first attempt at big band writing. That was in 2014, so when this album comes out next year it’ll be a very nice marker of a decade of development!

Writing, performing, and recording for jazz orchestra is a hugely connective process bringing together a large number of musicians to enable your musical vision to be heard. How can people help support your new work and its musical journey? 

There are 17 incredible musicians in the ensemble, many of whom are bandleaders and composers in their own right, and they’re listed on the crowdfunder page with links to their work and websites. People can support this journey by participating in the crowdfunder, which also offers rewards for doing so, such as digital download of the album when it is released, being a named contributor, a creative process e-book (which has been immense fun to write) and access to the scores. I have been amazed at people’s generosity already, and am hugely grateful for all support and participation in this project. I can’t wait for it to be completed and out in the world, so I can start work on the next one!

A short personal note from Josephine Davies:

Hello! I am a saxophonist and composer, and over the past 18 months I have composed a suite of music for jazz orchestra, inspired by the Celtic Wheel of the Year. The Celts historically celebrated 8 parts of the annual cycle; the solstices, equinoxes and the 4 points in between. My suite engages with each of these points and what they represent, as a celebration of natural rhythms of the earth and the changing seasons.

The experience of writing the music has been one of contemplation and spaciousness as I connect more consciously with the natural world and embrace the quiet and cold of a winter morning as well as the bright birdsong of midsummer. I feel passionately that the pace and technology of modern life distracts us from paying attention to what is all around us, and that tuning into nature is where true healing and joy arises. It is my hope that the music will help others to find within themselves a place of stillness and peace.

Supporting the project (more from Josephine Davies):

‘’Your support will help pay the musician’s fees for rehearsing and recording (£6,800) and the studio costs (£2,682). You can donate any amount by clicking the donate button. Please see the list of rewards below. I am truly grateful for your generosity: it has been a profoundly beautiful writing process, and I can’t wait to share the music with the world.’’

More about the jazz orchestra:

The Enso Ensemble consists of some of the finest classical and jazz musicians in the UK, most of whom are also composers and bandleaders themselves, and I am hugely grateful to each of them for bringing their enthusiasm and creativity to the project. Woodwinds: Mike Chillingworth, Rachael Cohen, Helena Kay, Adam Bishop, Tamar Osborn. Brass: Anna Drysdale, Maddie Dowdeswell, Olli Martin, Eddie Curtis, Noel Langley, Reuben Fowler, Nick Smart, Robbie Robson. Rhythm Section: Alcyona Mick, Shaney Forbes, Dave Whitford. We premiered the work in October last year (a snippet available here) and we will be recording at the end of May in the amazing Livingstone Studios, North London. I cannot yet divulge the record label or release date as we are still in discussion, but the album will be released in 2024 digitally, and potentially also on Vinyl and CD.

Warm-up Concert:

Josephine Davies and the jazz orchestra will be performing prior to recording at the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston, London, on Sunday 7th May 3.30-5.30pm, tickets are £12.50 and are available here.