Thursday, 21 March 2024

Spring Equinox - Jennifer Austin, St Giles

 A solo piano performance in the vast cathedral space, featuring tracks from Austin's debut solo album, Night Painting, which is on general release soon. She has a subtle touch on the keyboard and in her timing, and writes deceptively simple melodies which build and swirl around the arrangement. Although steeped in the Orcadian folk tradition, Austin has moved into a genre that's hard to classify, drawing on a multitude of influences. In feel it's often classical, almost baroque, but then come traces of the folk background, or hints of jazz. It all fitted well with the atmosphere of the venue, her pauses leaving chords hanging in the cathedral heights. It was all very relaxing, and if there's a quibble it's that the tempo didn't vary enough. An injection of something livelier half way through the set would have introduced a bit more variety. But that's a minor point, and the overall feeling was one of calm, of vast landscapes and peace. Beautiful.

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