Welcome to Hyperion Records, an independent British classical label devoted to presenting high-quality recordings of music of all styles and from all periods from the twelfth century to the twenty-first.
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He was incredibly talented and hard working, but, more than that, he was one of the most generous musicians I have ever worked with—always willing to try new ideas, always supportive of composers and fellow musicians alike; always with a ready smile on his lips, he was a joy to know. No star shone more brightly. Although this is not a jazz album, I wanted to get something of the sense of Chris and his immaculately tasteful playing, so I invited long-time friend Mike Smith—himself an eminent drummer—to contribute some colouristic cymbal textures, which he did beautifully in one take.
Typically though, Mike wasn’t satisfied, and only after we had allowed him to do a couple more takes and some extra overdubs did he declare the performance satisfactory—so very like Chris in the generosity of his talents and his perfectionism!
The piece is a quartet for cello, tuned percussion and cymbals. It follows a straightforward ternary structure—just as a jazz piece might follow the traditional form ‘head – solos – head’—with the central section taking the form of a dance in which the cello plays polyrhythmic melodic shapes against the constant 5/4 of the percussion.
from notes by Mike Sheppard © 2010