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Many of the songs that form the basis of THE WESTBROOK BLAKE, derive from "TYGER", Adrian Mitchell's musical about Blake which was staged by the National Theatre Company in 1971 with specially commissioned music by Mike Westbrook. In 1977 this material formed the basis of Mitchell's "GLAD DAY", a Thames TV Music Drama which marked the 150th anniversary of Blake's death. However, it is as an integral part of the repertoire of Mike Westbrook's band that the Blake songs have been most widely performed and become best known. They are particularly associated with singers Kate Westbrook and Phil Minton and have been performed by the group on record, on radio and TV, and in concerts throughout Britain, and most European countries. In 1983, they were performed at St. Peter's Church in New York, and in 1984 they were presented as one of the main concerts at the Adelaide Festival. Other artists who have performed Westbrook's Blake settings include Van Morrison and the folk singer Frankie Armstrong.
The Westbrook Blake
The album THE WESTBROOK BLAKE, devoted entirely to the William Blake settings, was released by Original Records in 1980 and re-issued on Impetus Records IMP 18013 in 1987 to international critical acclaim.
THE WESTBROOK BLAKE was revived in 1996 for a performance in London at the Greenwich Festival. The original Mike Westbrook Brass Band was brought together specially for the occasion;
PHIL MINTON, KATE WESTBROOK voices, ALAN WAKEMAN, CHRIS BISCOE saxophones, MIKE WESTBROOK piano, DAVE BARRY drums
with special guests:
PETER WHYMAN saxophone, STEVE BERRY bass.
This was the first live performance to involve a choir, - The Senior Girls Choir, Blackheath Conservatoire of Music and the Arts. Director Lucy McAlary.
Glad Day
A new double album, GLAD DAY was recorded at CTS Studios, London in November 1997, funded by an award from the Airshaft Trust. It features new, up to date versions of the classic songs, plus six settings not on the original album. The release of the album in June 1999 on Enja Records was marked by concerts and Festival performances during the year.
250th Anniversary of William Blake's Birth
A concert marking the 250th anniversary of Blake's birth was given at the Foudling Museum in London in May 2007. This was a Choral arrangement of the work that Mike Westbrook originally wrote for a concert with the Flemish Radio Choir in Antwerp. Performing in London were Phil Minton and Kate Westbrook - voices, Karen Street - accordion, Billy Thompson - violin and Mike Westbrook - piano. The London College Of Music Chamber Choir were directed by Paul Ayres.
To book The Westbrook Blake/Glad Day please see our Contacts page.
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"...Arguably the most majestic work to appear in recent years. It's marriage of Inspirational lyrics and uplifting scoring, performed by some of the most talented musicians in Europe, harks back to the jazz suites of Ellington..."
- THE GUARDIAN |
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"Mike Westbrook makes full use of his two striking vocalists, Kate Westbrook and Phil Minton, and coaxes fervent performances from horn men Chris Biscoe and Alan Wakeman. He finds music to snatch the ecstasy of 'I See Thy Form' and desolation of 'London Song', turns 'A Poison Tree' into a blood-curdling tango. and fashions a magnificent anthem for 'Let The Slave/The Price of Experience' , Blake's great paeans to freedom, dignity, and compassion."
- THE WIRE |
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"Perhaps the greatest work in all British jazz"
INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY. |
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"Westbrook's settings are among the greatest British music of the century...bold, optimistic and inspiring".
THE INDEPENDENT. |
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"Bright as Fire pulls no emotional punches, Blake's visionary words matched by some of Westbrook's most trenchant writing".
Alyn Shipton - The Times
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"It's one of the great fortuitous yokings together of the century: Blake's forthright lyrics, and Westbrook's English-Ellington music, the words brilliantly sung by Kate Westbrook and Phil Minton and accompanied by a septet with three great sax players in Peter Whyman, Chris Biscoe and Alan Wakeman".
Phil Johnson - THE INDEPENDENT |
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WILLIAM BLAKE,
by Adrian Mitchell
Blake was born in Soho on November 28th. 1757.
As a child he saw visions, refused to go to school and was a prodigy both as a poet and artist. He began to write poems, composed his own tunes for them and sang them for friends. (All the tunes are lost), Later he invented a technique for combining his skills as a poet artist and engraver in the illuminated books which he published himself. These Include SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE. THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN & HELL, URIZEN, MILTON and JERUSALEM. These he engraved and printed, then coloured in by hand with the help of his wife Catherine. They were always poor and Blake's work as a poet and painter was regarded by most people as eccentric, Blake was not only unfashionable but politically dangerous. Frankly opposed to all Kings, Warriors and Priests, he was tried for sedition In 1804 and was lucky to escape with his life. The obscurity of some of his later prophetic books may well he due to the political oppression of the time, Blake died at the age of 69 in 1827. This is the letter his friend George Richmond wrote to Samuel Palmer afterwards:
My Dear Friend,
Lest you should not have heard of the death of Mr Blake I have written this to inform you,- He died on Sunday at 6 0'clook in a most glorious manner. He said He was going to that Country he had all His life wished to see & expressed himself Happy, hoping for Salvation through Jesus Christ - Just before he died His Countenance became fair. His eyes Brightened and He burst out into Singing of the things he saw in heaven, In truth he died like a Saint as a person who was standing by Him Observed - He is to be Buried on Friday at 12 in the morn. Should you like to go to the Funeral - If you should there will be room in the Coach,
Yours Affectionately,
G. Richmond
Excuse this wretched scrawl.
