Callum Au

— SONGS AND STORIES

BY SIMON MINSHALL

951 days is a long time. That's how many days Callum Au reminded us of the delay to this show but some things are worth the wait. Featuring charts from his Songs and Stories album and showcasing the incredible vocals of Claire Martin, the orchestra brought together by Callum on 20 January 2023 could not have sounded better, from the gorgeous warmth of Pure Imagination to the roaring Hello, Young Lovers!

Opening the show was a new composition, Murmurations, fronted by the magnificent Mark Nightingale and tenor saxophonist Nadim Teimoori (Mark was in fact the conductor for the album). This was our first taste of the intricate way Callum layers sounds and melodies to create his own signature sound world.

One of my favourite tracks from the album is I Get Along Without You Very Well. Orchestra leader John Mills and Principal French Horn Andrew Littlemore need a mention for their beautiful contributions. The stand out moment in this chart for us trombone players has to be Andy Wood's breath-takingly effortless high melody playing. Watch an exclusive rehearsal snippet here

For the low brass fanatics, the whole show was a gift to the ears, with Andy Wood, Mark Nightingale, Matt Lewis, Barry Clements on trombone and Owen Slade on tuba proving they can turn their musicianship to each and every style with the upmost class. I was smiling ear to ear!

Callum couldn't help but play a chart himself (we are glad he did!) and brought out the pixie and plunger mute combination for Gershwin's How Long Has This Been Going On. The band constantly glued together by Matt Skelton on drums and Laurence Ungless on bass.

Next up was a Latin take on You and the Night and the Music: a huge mention to Barry Clements on bass trombone, whose powerful and perfect tone anchored the ‘bone section.

I can't express what a joy it was to see so many musicians loving what they do and to hear an album come to life in the beautiful Cadogan Hall, with new works generously supported by Arts Council funding.

Callum is a true great of our generation. Click here to watch his presentation ‘Writing for the Trombone’, given at the British Trombone Festival 2022, to learn more about his approach to orchestration and arrangement.

Songs and Stories is available to purchase from Callum’s website. Go and buy the album, you won't regret it!

BY JEREMY PRICE