Guildhall Jazz Orchestra & Choir: Emboldened
featuring Steve Banks

The Mancunian Candidate

This is a composition dedicated to the joyful spirit and endless musical inspiration I will always find from my friend, Mike Walker. Born and raised in Manchester, he lives now just north of the city in a small cottage with thick stone walls. A peaceful haven, it’s like stepping off the world. I’ve spent many days there, lost in music, walking amongst the surrounding hills, and laughing until my sides ache.

Crockatt Man

Dedicated to the saxophonist in my quintet, Sam Crockatt. Sam’s energy, and the rhythmic and dynamic momentum he creates is so powerful. His creativity and vocabulary as an improvisor seem limitless and his enthusiasm for the music sometimes makes him dance a bit on stage, which I love. He also writes beautiful compositions. You can hear the influence of giants in his music, but he’s created a sound all of his own. I tried capturing some of Sam’s energy in this composition whilst providing him with a launch pad to take off . . .

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Saunton Sands

When entering periods of composition, I spend time listening to inspiring musical influences and amongst nature. It usually takes me a while to move from an ‘input to output’ phase. During March 2023, I was searching for elusive inspiration when my wife, Sara and I took a weekend break to north Devon. We spent several hours walking on Saunton Sands at low tide, a stunning 3-mile stretch of sandy beach. When we returned to the house later that day, my senses filled up by the huge skies, rhythmic waves, sights, sounds and colours of the sea, I composed this piece. Enhanced now by Sara’s lyrics and Jonathan’s arrangement, complete with the wind, you will hopefully be transported onto the sand dunes, looking out across the waves, or perhaps taking flight with one of the sea birds . . .

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Two Brothers
This composition began by writing a melody in two keys, combined with influences from the music of Fred Hersch and Kenny Wheeler. This also got me thinking about siblings – people connected, yet separate. There are several pairs of brothers in my extended family and so I named it Two Brothers.

Just Listen
This is dedicated to the importance of listening. In composition and improvisation, I’ve found that allowing a natural, inner voice to emerge is essential. In performance, we’re also constantly listening to the other musicians. I think we can often find the answers we’re looking for if we’re quiet enough to listen and value listening very highly. Jonathan refers to this as “the happiest tune ever” and it includes the biggest chord I’ve written!

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Emboldened
During the first lockdown in 2020, I decided to create a project reflecting what I saw happening around me. Inspired by the music of Maria Schneider and Nikki Iles, amongst others, I chose to write a suite of music with three movements documenting the positive journey of people facing challenge and adversity: Fear, Belief and Unity. I wanted to offer an optimistic and reassuring experience for the peaceful majority. A message that we are heard, and we do have influence, that everyone across the world shares a common humanity and we are strongest together in adversity. I called this suite Emboldened.

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Always For You And Forever Yours

I wrote this after listening to Tom Waits on my own, deep in the Welsh countryside. The title comes from a lyric in the song Take It With Me and is also inspired by Bill Frisell.

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Programme notes by Steve Banks