Skempton: The Man, Hurdy-gurdy and Me
Howard Skempton has established over the last 50 years a reputation as one of the UK’s most accomplished and internationally-acclaimed composers, with a style which is based on traditional tonality and lyricism; but he also delights in working with unusual instruments and settings, as is clear from this superb new album including music for hurdy-gurdy, viol, medieval harp, accordion and gamelan alongside ‘normal’ contemporary Western instruments. This is probably one of the most individual and striking albums of the year!
Founded in 1992, Sirinu is a British ensemble specialising in early and world music, performing and recording music from the 11th century to the present day. The group has appeared at festivals and venues throughout Europe. An important element of its activity is the commissioning of new works for medieval instruments (such as the title track of this album) which directly led to the making of this recording. Founder members Sara Stowe, Matthew Spring and Jon Banks are joined on this recording by contemporary and world music specialists Chris Redgate (oboe), Isabelle Carré (flutes, recorders and gamelan) and Chris Brannick (percussion).
Track Listing
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Howard Skempton (b.1947):
- The man hurdy-gurdy and me (4:56)
- Random Girl (2:09)
- Two Highland Dances - No. 2 (1:46)
- Concerto for Accordion and Oboe: Sextet version (13:19)
- Apple-Blow (2:40)
- Bagatelle (1:13)
- Gentle Melody (2:10)
- Winter: My Secret (4:10)
- Gloss (3:37)
- Two Highland Dances - No. 1 (2:40)
- Feste's Song (2:04)
- The Beauty of the Morning (2:13)
- Half Moon (2:45)
- Concerto for Hurdy-gurdy and percussion (17:46)
Reviews
“The unusual combinations of instruments intrigued me. The performers seem very skilled on their various instruments.
” —Henry Fogel
“Skempton’s music has a beguiling simplicity that masks its subtle brilliance just beneath the surface. His compositional choices are so free from ego that the music flows with a natural spontaneity… a humble reminder that great music isn’t always intricate.
” —Nathan Faro
“A profound sense of imagination when dealing with unusual and intriguing combinations of instruments. In each combination [Skempton] comes up with a sound world at once simple yet intensely intrinsic to the instruments concerned. The performances from Sirinu are terrific, with each performer playing a number of roles. This is a disc to delight and intrigue. (four stars)
” —Robert Hugill
“This is 100% wonderful: witty, joyful, a bit mad, wildly eccentric and lots of fun. Whatever you want it’s got it. A brilliant CD.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“This excellent disc covers a fascinating range of instrumental colours, utilising ancient and foreign instruments as well as more traditional ones… such a feast for the ears; beautifully arranged, constantly surprising and exceptionally well played by the ensemble. A fine introduction to a fascinating composer.
” —Paul Jackson
“Fascinating? Absolutely! I got hooked from track 1 through track 14. This is seriously fun music, as entertaining as it is complex in its sonorities and its devil-may-care approach to instrumentation. The ensemble in charge of these giddy proceedings is named Sirinu and they take on their multi-instrumental tasks with enthusiasm and accuracy.
” —Rafael de Acha
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