Last month (26.11.2024) I performed with my old friends Trio CZW, at The Vortex in Dalston, London. I’ve known Paul Cheneour (flutes) and Maureen Wolloshin (oboe/cor anglais) from my time living in Canterbury, not only during our work with the Free Range Orchestra, but also due to our having formed a trio. Your concert was part of the Mopomoso concert series held every 3rd Sunday afternoon each month. This was the first time I performed with this trio since moving from Canterbury to Manchester early in 2023.

Our previous work together was recorded in our album, released on 21st October 2021 titled Where the Wind Takes Us, which is also a title of one of Maureen’s graphic scores; the album can be heard by following this link. The album consists of both compositions and improvisations by each of us.

Anyone who has heard this album & that heard us perform in November will have been struck by how different both sound worlds will have been. During rehearsal a few days before, we decided to present a set where each player primarily concentrates on the overall sound, or the sound of their neighbour, only at times departing from this to present parallel ideas or textures. We also rehearsed and performed a text piece by Maureen that is based on a poem by Jonas Mekas, whose poetry I was unaware of – I’m certainly aware of his work in film. I felt this worked well for the concert, and would certainly be an idea to develop for future concerts, that I hope might materialise soon.