Monday 20 January 2014

Louise Gibbs - Seven Deadly Sings out today

                                                        Album art by Oli Bentley, Split

Vocalist and composer Louise Gibbs has taken inspiration from the seven deadly sins to create her newest work, an ambitious 50 minute song cycle scored for vocals and septet.



Split into 7 pieces, Gibbs has allocated each instrument a sin -

Prologue - voice (Louise Gibbs)
Pride - piano (Sam Leak)
Lust - tenor saxophone (Tim Whitehead)
Gluttony - trombone (Tom White)
Envy - trumpet (Quentin Collins)
Sloth - double bass (Oli Hayhurst)
Anger - drums (Sam Gardner)
Greed - alto saxophone (Tony Kofi)

As an instrumental composer, Louise wanted to write material that was challenging for the ensemble and  mixed the roles of storyteller, soloist and ensemble player. As a lyricist (all the lyrics can be found in the liner notes of the CD and will be handed out as programme notes at the premiere in March. Alone, they read as powerful poetry which confirms Gibbs' strength as a writer) she wished to write on subject matter other than romantic love.

If the devil has the best tunes, then the singer is a compulsive sinner! Even in this agnostic and post-Freudian age, the medieval idea of the Seven Deadly Sins has a powerful and enduring hold on our imagination. The Sins in their finger-pointing way encapsulate our eternal struggle with wayward desire, political impotence and moral cowardice. In the grip of pride, lust, gluttony, envy, sloth, anger and greed we are all sinners.
- Louise Gibbs, liner notes

The album is available from today from 33Xtreme label and on itunes and amazon. The work will premiere at Seven Arts in Leeds on March 6th and will tour later in the year.
                                     

No comments: