Infant, the second single from the ‘Seven Ages of Man’ album, has been released.
Infant is the 3rd movement of Seven Ages of Man, a large scale 70-minute work scored for Jazz Sextet and String Orchestra. The album exists at the intersection between the worlds of classical music and jazz and takes the listener on a continuous musico-dramatic journey through the stages of human life. It was written for the acclaimed jazz-musician Tim Garland (soprano/tenor sax and bass clarinet), a contemporary of Paul’s at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in the late 80s. Tim performs as the principal soloist with Jason Rebello on piano and Jonny Mansfield on vibraphone.
A detailed article about the album (which will be released on 6th October 2023) appears in the latest project section on the home page.
Although Infant is the first of Shakespeare’s ‘Seven Ages of Man’, as referenced in the ‘All the World’s a stage’ speech in the play ‘As you like it’, it exists within the album after two prologue movements (not yet released), which explore the beginning and evolution of life itself and slowly introduce the sextet and string orchestra, developing with increasing energy and complexity.
‘Infant’, by contrast, is a movement of poignancy and reflection. Soft and delicate, it exists emotionally from the viewpoint of a parent, and in the form of a lullaby, concentrating on the tender love felt for this new, precious, delicate being. It’s a rose tinted view, certainly, though tinted with a parent’s anguish, and features a simple ‘lifelong’ theme that makes an appearance after the vibraphone solo.