Dear Malcolm,
A belated email to say thanks very much for taking the time to visit Lichfield Festival for such a wonderful performance the other week. It feels like I’ve just lifted my head up from my desk and a month has already gone. Please pass on my best wishes to Tim, Gwil, Ben, Robin, Charlotte, Emma, Hannah and Cara. It was really great to see you all again (and to meet Emma and Charlotte) and I trust all is going well with the continuation of the tour.
Best wishes, Richard.
From Malcolm: Now we are half way through our tour, I thought it would be nice to ask some of the musicians to write about their experiences so far. Here’s what Charlotte wrote:
“The day Malcolm phoned me asking me if I had public liability insurance and soft flat shoes, I knew I was in for interesting ride on this tour! Little did I know that I would trekking up into ‘the Gods’ in these outstandingly wondrous Cathedrals to play some of the openings phrases of each concert, sometimes crouching in a stone passageway or balcony, even balancing on a wooden plank or the top of a roof vault! Thankfully there are always lovely Cathedral staff on hand to escort Emma and me up to those precarious locations, although several have told me that it is usually impossible to enter these parts of their Cathedral! I often seem to get a nice thick coating of dust, so i’ve taken to rolling up my black trousers and shirt sleeves – leaving me some room to look presentable when I descend down the many spiral steps and (slightly dizzily) join the others on the ground floor.
The acoustics in these magnificent buildings vary so much. As I wait in the Gods for Tim’s opening phrase, I feel I have to wait a number of seconds until I can start the answering phrase. Each time it’s different though, and sometimes the echoes are deceptively long and I kick myself for entering too early over Tim’s reverb.
It’s such a pleasure to be a part of something so innovative and to spend time with such wonderful people. Its a truly unique experience doing this tour, and being only halfway through means there is much more fun to be had.”
You can take a boy out of the church, as they say, but you can’t take the church out of the boy. Consider Acoustic Triangle. Three former choristers now accomplished jazzmen, they are returning to their roots for a 14-date tour of English abbeys and cathedrals. Thanks to the Arts Council and Yamaha, the six-piece Sacconi Strings are involved and the results are spectacular. “If you try to play bebop in these acoustics, it turns to mush,” explained double-bassist Malcolm Creese, “so we had to come up with something else.” He is being modest.
While containing enough rhythmic and harmonic interest for any jazz fan, pianist Gwilym Simcock and saxophonist Tim Garland’s unique blend of jazz and choral music was made to measure for the Purbeck stone of this elegant Hawksmoor church.
Garland played flute, bass clarinet and soprano and tenor saxes, while Simcock briefly exchanged keyboard for French horn but only rarely did they solo in a traditional sense. Mostly, their lines entwined with the strings, who themselves kept disappearing into the naves to create an illusion of 17th-century stereo. Even the most irredeemable church-dodging sinner could enjoy this.
Jack Massarik
Yorkshire Post 23rd July 2008
Here’s a collaboration between one of Britain’s classiest trios and a sextet of string players for an often quite beautiful programme in which elements of composed and improvised music find an attractive balance. Acoustic Triangle – pianist Gwilym Simcock, bassist Malcolm Creese and saxophonist Tim Garland – have written the music, which includes three suites. The trio play beautifully and the strings are integrated into the performances. The music is contemplative in mood, though there’s plenty of passion in it. It’s a rewarding listen. AV
The Times June 21, 2008
Speakeasies, bars and juke joints, yes, but only occasionally does jazz tiptoe into the church.
Acoustic Triangle – the redoubtable trio of Malcolm Creese, bass, Tim Garland, reeds, and Gwilym Simcock, piano – explore a fertile terrain where jazz improvisation merges into modern classical music. On their latest tour the group, plus six string players, are visiting the great cathedrals of England playing music designed to take advantage of the luminous acoustics. Propelled by spiky strings or Creese’s sinuous bass, their compositions are full of melody and drama, convincingly merging notated scores with the explorations of first-rate improvisers. Even the godless will be charmed.
John Bungey
A review of the 3 Dimensions CD from a satisfied customer:
“How do you praise the superlative? Three
times previously on Amazon I’ve had the pleasure of
giving top marks to the expert accomplishments of
Acoustic Triangle for their scintillating
music-making. Now I can do so again, but with the
wish I could somehow overtop the best of praises.
Wonderfully recorded by Bob Whitney, and as always
tastefully produced by Malcolm Creese, who also plays
the heartbeat bass, this time we have innovation to
add to the superior compositional inventions of Tim
Garland on reeds and Gwilym Simcock on piano and
French horn. Previous discs and the product
description above tells us what sort of music to
expect, and now we have the addition of six string
players to add – what? Thin background colour?
Swooping sentimental sugar? No, in these fully mature
compositions, the strings are an integral part of the
music, as necessary and aurally satisfying as any
orchestra in a classical concerto. The augmented
Sacconi Quartet, then, can proudly share in the
credits. The compositions themselves are masterly;
the playing of all the musicians no less magisterial.
At home all these sound wonderful. Played ‘live’ in a
cathedral will surely carry those lucky enough to
attend the grouping’s concerts to an altogether
different realm.
In short, I believe this to be seriously beautiful,
important, life-enhancing music – a triumph.”
Mike.
Acoustic Triangle were interviewed by Sean Rafferty on Radio 3’s “In Tune” on Fri 13 June 2008.
They played:
Gwilym Simcock’s Fundero
Malcolm Creese (double bass)
Tim Garland (bass clarinet)
Gwilym Simcock (piano)
Live
Tim Garland’s The Power of Now / For Whom (extract)
Malcolm Creese (double bass)
Tim Garland (saxophone / percussion)
Gwilym Simcock (piano)
Ben Hancox, Hannah Dawson, Charlotte Scott & Emma Parker (violins)
Robin Ashwell (viola) Cara Berridge (cello)
From AUDIO-B ABCD5024
Tracks 1-2
Tim Garland’s Black Elk
Malcolm Creese (double bass)
Tim Garland (bass clarinet)
Gwilym Simcock (piano)
Live
Acoustic Triangle is taking it’s musical exploration of inspiring buildings to new heights in 2008. The acclaimed trio, joined by six world-class string players including the Sacconi String Quartet, is touring the UK’s Cathedrals and Abbeys in a celebration of sound and inspiring architecture. Award-winning composers Tim Garland and Gwilym Simcock have written new music for the tour. In fifteen unique three-dimensional performances, musicians will appear from all around – their sounds echoing, developing and surprising. The tour begins in May and goes on until October 2008.
The nine players are: Malcolm Creese (double bass), Tim Garland (bass clarinet, saxophones, flute), Gwilym Simcock (piano, French horn), Ben Hancox, Hannah Dawson, Charlotte Scott and Emma Parker (violin), Robin Ashwell (viola) and Cara Berridge (cello).
