The draw for this
Decca
release is not really composer
Damian Montagu
, nor even trumpeter and former
Paul Weller
sideman
Stewart Prosser
, who co-produced the album with
Montagu
, but Downton Abbey actor
Hugh Bonneville
, who picked it as a Desert Island Disc. Given
Bonneville
's own involvement in the project, that's a questionable move: the album features verbal impressions -- he doesn't want to call them poems -- of the South Downs hill country in East Sussex. Supposedly he was inspired to contribute these after hearing one of
's instrumental tracks. You might think from the cover that the album consisted of songs with words by
and music by
but actually,
's words are interspersed among
's instrumental compositions -- for string quartet, keyboard, and added instruments such as
Prosser
's trumpet and others. These, more numerous, may actually be more important in determining your reaction to the album than the
texts.
claims to have hit on these tunes while walking in the South Downs. Although any other region of Britain might have served as well (and may in the future, for this album is projected to be the first in a series), the overall effect is pleasant. "Atmospheric" is the word people use to describe this sort of thing, and if that rings your bell, you'll find it rung here. The improvised piano part and the added instruments give the music a more personal feel than you might encounter in the likes of
Einaudi
, and the shift between music and spoken word also contributes a variety that strengthens the whole. Sample from the beginning; you'll know soon enough whether this is for you. ~ James Manheim