The Arts Desk 18.04.22

Jess Gillam, NYOS, Hasan, Usher Hall, Edinburgh 

The undoubted star of the show was the young Cumbrian saxophonist Jess Gillam in the concerto Briggflatts by John Harle. This opens with an expansive flourish of notes from the soloist, the orchestra gradually finding its feet and settling to a lyrically jazzy accompaniment. The work is inspired by the eponymous poem by Basil Bunting and was written in 2019 for Jess Gillam, making the most of her nimble virtuosity and irrepressible personality. This too uses a huge orchestra, with a full battery of percussion, and it’s a tribute to both Gillam and her conductor that she remained clearly audible throughout. 

The concerto falls into three movements, Flare, Garsdale and RANT!, each with its own character. The first conveys a vivid sense of urgency, with African rhythms and at several points the entire orchestra clapping in unison. The soloist gives the impression of running in dizzy circles above and around a pulsating harmonic backcloth, which comes to an abrupt halt at the end of the movement as though falling off a cliff edge. There’s a brief respite in the slow movement that follows, before the final “Rant!” bounds into view with a distinct folk-like character, the soloist imitating the querulous sound of northern English bagpipes. A big tune (The Ulverston Volunteers) builds slowly into the orchestral fabric as the concerto pirouettes to its exultant conclusion. Words don’t really do this piece justice, but I can confidently say it was one of the most enjoyable and imaginative pieces of new music I have heard for a long time. 

Vox Carnyx - 18.04.22

John Harle - Briggflatts

NYOS/Hasan/Gillam

Gillam was not only the star turn, but an irrepressible force of nature whose electrifying presence, let alone her exuberant blue and yellow sartorial creation, demanded nothing less in return from the orchestra. Harle’s music – the suite Briggflatts, based on the autobiographical poem by the British modernist Basil Bunting – played its own part as a vital stimulant, driven much by an infectious motorised minimalism, restless rhythmic unpredictability, rich jazz- infused melodies and a high-voltage Rant that converts its base material, Cumbrian folk music, into a delirious foot-stamping finale. 

But all eyes were on Gillam, whose visible egging-on was the motivating linchpin, encouraging Hasan and the orchestra to take risks they may not otherwise have considered. If such encounters with danger took the performance to the very brink, it inspired nothing less than an explosive triumph.