Arun Ghosh - The Canticle of the Sun

Description

Clarinettist and composer Arun Ghosh presents a spiritual jazz reimagining of St. Francis of Assisi’s mystical and sublime prayer, The Canticle of the Sun.

Performed by a contemporary eight-piece ensemble, this is life-affirming new music, in praise of nature and the Universe. Other-worldly vocal melodies soar over the group’s hypnotic rhythms, searching harmony and meditative ambient textures, revealing a transcendental sound. Written in the Umbrian dialect in the 13th Century, The Canticle of the Sun expresses St. Francis’ all-encompassing love for the natural world, and for humanity. His flowing verses call out in praise of our Celestial world: the Sun, the Moon and the Stars; our natural elements; Air, Water, Fire and Mother Earth; and the universal themes of Love, Devotion, Death and Peace.

In his own words, the sound “draws connection between Sun Ra and Alice Coltrane on one hand and Gregorian chant, Gospel and even Qawwali” on the other.

With Arun Ghosh on clarinet, keyboard and guitar, Seaming To and Irini Arabatzi on vocals, Mieko Shimizu on keyboards, harmonium and vocals, Camilla George on alto sax, Ruth Goller on electric bass, Davide Mantovani on double bass and Dave Walsh on drums and percussion, this is set to be a grandest of finales to our 30th year!

“If melody is a gift, Arun Ghosh might be the most gifted man in jazz.” – London Jazz News

Seaming To is “..an astonishing vocalist of haunting emotional power.” The Guardian

Produced by Sound UK. Co-commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival.

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