Psalter: Themes For Peace is a unique album from sought-after jazz saxophonist, pianist and composer Tim Boniface. An ordained priest and chaplain at Girton College, University of Cambridge, Boniface is the artistic director of Girton Jazz, a unique programme of public concerts and student workshops at the College, where he regularly collaborates with many different jazz luminaries, including James Pearson, Artistic Director of Ronnie Scotts and Musician In Residence at Girton. Pearson features on the album, alongside Malcolm Creese on bass (collaborator with Kenny Wheeler, Dame Cleo Laine, Stan Tracey and many others), with Jon Ormston on drums and percussion (known for his work with Eliot Galvin, Guy Barker and many more).
The unique aspects of Tim Boniface’s life and work coalesce on Psalter: Themes For Peace, in that the music is a six part mainstream jazz suite based on six ancient texts on peace from the Hebrew book of Psalms. Each movement is based on a different text, going through very different approaches to the word ‘peace’. Though the themes of the work encourage a deep dive in to what these texts mean and how they could be interpreted, Psalter: Themes For Peace isn’t ‘religious music’ – much more a broadly themed instrumental work which stands alone, or offers an exploration of the very different ways humanity has understood and reflected on peace.
Recorded live at Girton with no edits or overdubs to create a live ‘in the moment’ feel, Psalter: Themes For Peace is a deeply engaging and profound body of work on many levels, destined to titillate the ears of all who hear it – undoubtedly an important album and a stand out release in jazz and beyond.
