ABOUT THE ALBUM:
Claire writes:
I am really excited to release ‘Small World’, my debut album. Working with some of my favourite musicians, I have sought to combine a strong sense of melody with the textual versatility of a septet. Inspired by a love of travel, as well as the power of human connection and our common hopes, ‘Small World’ celebrates the great versatility, yet inherent ‘smallness’, of our world.
‘A Day in A Life’ was inspired by that feeling of sonder, a word of apparently unknown origin, but one that describes the overwhelming realisation of the complexity and uniqueness of each and every life of those around you.
‘Spirited’ is music inspired by very special trips to Kenya and, in particular, the slums of Kibera in Nairobi. A place of great struggle and hardship, it is also a place where the most sincere generosity and warmth of human spirit can be found, and celebrates the importance of taking the time to understand and celebrate divergent cultures.
The title track ‘Small World’ celebrates all that is the same and yet necessarily different within our many cultures, and is, hopefully, a joyous reminder that for the vast majority of the world, our hopes for a better and more tolerant place to live are universally shared.
‘Sea of Tranquillity’ is inspired quite directly by Damien Chazelle’s beautiful film First Man, a biopic that centres on the personal life of astronaut Neil Armstrong during the run up to the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, and the drama and beauty of Justin Hurwitz’s soundscape as Neil and Buzz Aldrin descend to the surface of the moon via the lunar module. Despite the dramatic beauty of this moment, it is perhaps the moments of silence after that are so captivating, as the viewer is drawn into the vastness and emptiness of an unexplored wonder, and the inevitable smallness of its human inhabitants.
‘Eyes Open’ is essentially a lullaby, inspired primarily by the birth of my beautiful niece Emma, that celebrates the feelings of peace and hope that come with all new life.
‘The Time Is Now’ is a reminder to live in the present, instead of the past or future, and make the most of all of life’s opportunities; to be proactive, seize and appreciate.
Finally, ‘Travelling Again’ is a song that sets the words of the great Chinese poet Du Fu, taken from his poem dated 761 of the same title. Apparently written following a second visit to the Temple for Cultivating Enlightenment in Chengdu, the words conjure the image of a weary traveller finding joy in the beauty of his surroundings. However, the words may also be indicative not only of a resting place for the present, but also for the future and at the end of life.
Claire Cope – Piano/synthesiser/compositions
Brigitte Beraha – Vocals
Rob Cope – Tenor saxophone
Jack Davies – Trumpet
Jon Ormston – Drums
Ed Babar – Electric Bass/double bass
Tom Varrall – Guitar
Recorded at Temple Studio with Justin Hill and Tim Redpath
Mixed and mastered by Rob Buckland
Artwork by Lydia Orange
With thanks to Brigitte, Rob, Jack, Jon, Ed and Tom for their tremendous talent and generosity, and my family for their unwavering love and support.