Esther Swift Expectations of a Lifetime Queen's Hall Edinburgh 14th June 2024 Review
Image credit Sean Purser
Esther Swift was at the Queen’s Hall Edinburgh tonight to launch her debut album 'Expectations of a Lifetime' and from the very beginning it was obvious that attention to every aspect of this multi-media event had been planned and rehearsed down to the smallest detail.
'Expectations of a Lifetime' is a bold project, and the twelve works on it allow harpist, composer and vocalist Esther Swift to explore her love of a wide diversity of musical genres that include (amongst others) classical, jazz, folk and dance music. Often this music is taking us all into soundscapes that you would not usually expect harp music to be taken, but that love of exploring new possibilities for this instrument and for herself as an artist has been a trademark of Esther Swift and her music to date.
This live event for the launch of 'Expectations of a Lifetime' was far more than the often standard set-list of the songs/music from the album. Instead, this was a performance work created with visual artist Oana Stanciu (who also created the graphic and design for the album) with additional work by sound designer Dave House and lighting designer Sam Jones. Together with on-stage appearances from some of Esther’s friends and musical collaborators through the years, this album launch was obviously a labour of love for everyone involved.
The music performed this evening explored many diverse topics that were obviously important to Esther on a personal level, and through the songs on this album an exploration of the world around us both at a human and a wider environmental and ecological level unfolded in music, words, light and sound.
Whether it be the title track of this album, 'Expectations of a Lifetime', or music set to the words of poets Edwin Morgan (“One Cigarette”), William Butler Yeats (“Lake of Innisfree”) or Rachel McCrum (“Problems to Sharpen The Young”), there was always that creativity in Esther’s work to take the listener to unexpected places and soundscapes.
Esther Swift had obviously chosen her musical collaborators on stage with great care, and the combination of a classical string quartet fusing musically with the far more jazz influenced sounds of Alex Palmer (Drums) and Tom Gibbs (piano) allowed the very different musical aspects of each of the songs on this album to be explored to their full potential.
Opening this evening’s musical programme were the combined talents of Juliette Lemoine (Cello) and Chris Amer (playing a unique 5-string theorbed tenor guitar). Together both gave us very unique instrumental interpretations of classic traditional folk songs and reels.
With Juliette often re-interpreting music on cello that many of us are more familiar hearing played on fiddle, and Chris Amer almost instinctively flowing through this music on guitar, much of their performance was more akin to how jazz musicians work together than the standard folk music format, and the results were impressive.
EXPECTATIONS OF A LIFETIME TRACK LISTING
1. Opening
2. Blue
3. Lateral Flow
4. Problems to Sharpen the Young I
5. Work and Play
6. Snow Day
7. The First Blast to Awaken Women Degenerate
8. One Cigarette
9. Swifts
10. Vessels
11. Expectations of a Lifetime
12. The Lake of Innisfree
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
'Expectations of a Lifetime' is a bold project, and the twelve works on it allow harpist, composer and vocalist Esther Swift to explore her love of a wide diversity of musical genres that include (amongst others) classical, jazz, folk and dance music. Often this music is taking us all into soundscapes that you would not usually expect harp music to be taken, but that love of exploring new possibilities for this instrument and for herself as an artist has been a trademark of Esther Swift and her music to date.
This live event for the launch of 'Expectations of a Lifetime' was far more than the often standard set-list of the songs/music from the album. Instead, this was a performance work created with visual artist Oana Stanciu (who also created the graphic and design for the album) with additional work by sound designer Dave House and lighting designer Sam Jones. Together with on-stage appearances from some of Esther’s friends and musical collaborators through the years, this album launch was obviously a labour of love for everyone involved.
The music performed this evening explored many diverse topics that were obviously important to Esther on a personal level, and through the songs on this album an exploration of the world around us both at a human and a wider environmental and ecological level unfolded in music, words, light and sound.
Whether it be the title track of this album, 'Expectations of a Lifetime', or music set to the words of poets Edwin Morgan (“One Cigarette”), William Butler Yeats (“Lake of Innisfree”) or Rachel McCrum (“Problems to Sharpen The Young”), there was always that creativity in Esther’s work to take the listener to unexpected places and soundscapes.
Esther Swift had obviously chosen her musical collaborators on stage with great care, and the combination of a classical string quartet fusing musically with the far more jazz influenced sounds of Alex Palmer (Drums) and Tom Gibbs (piano) allowed the very different musical aspects of each of the songs on this album to be explored to their full potential.
Opening this evening’s musical programme were the combined talents of Juliette Lemoine (Cello) and Chris Amer (playing a unique 5-string theorbed tenor guitar). Together both gave us very unique instrumental interpretations of classic traditional folk songs and reels.
With Juliette often re-interpreting music on cello that many of us are more familiar hearing played on fiddle, and Chris Amer almost instinctively flowing through this music on guitar, much of their performance was more akin to how jazz musicians work together than the standard folk music format, and the results were impressive.
EXPECTATIONS OF A LIFETIME TRACK LISTING
1. Opening
2. Blue
3. Lateral Flow
4. Problems to Sharpen the Young I
5. Work and Play
6. Snow Day
7. The First Blast to Awaken Women Degenerate
8. One Cigarette
9. Swifts
10. Vessels
11. Expectations of a Lifetime
12. The Lake of Innisfree
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
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