Wychmore Hill Suite (Anthony Phillips, 2024)

We all know Ant Phillips lives in a musical world of his own, a very charming one. This track comes from his 2024 "The Golden Hour" album, twelfth installment of the "Private Parts and Pieces" series, an archival project begun in 1978. This 19 minutes suite for classical and 12 string guitars was recorded around 1989 and IMHO is the brightest gem of "The Golden Hour": varied, well balanced, full of beautiful themes and built up on a coherent, dynamic pattern. One wonders why such a beauty had to wait a release for more than 35 years. 

Ant Phillips took himself this beautiful cover photo.

Its four movements ( I. Country Mile - II. Ring of Steel - III. Peaceful Land - IV. Jack The Lad ) each feature two or three recurring themes and alternate fast and calm moments, so they're never boring and conjure up folk, gypsy, pastoral and classical roots, sounding fully English the way only Phillips can do. A parting note about the title: a Wychmore Hill doesn't exist, Ant was inspired by Northern London's Winchmore Hill: he switched to a sharper and almost medieval sound.

Slow Dance - Part Two (Anthony Phillips, 1990)

Like in this long suite first part (see the post in this blog), "Slow Dance Part Two" is a beautiful, calm and classically arranged succession of good themes and colourful variations, one of the best achievements of Ant Phillips' solo career. The acoustic guitars, the winds, the harp and even the drum machine all cooperate to an elegant and relaxing tapestry ruled by the keyboards.

 

Ant Phillips seems to live in a pleasant world of his own.

This part spans over more than 26 minutes, but don't expect a challenging listening experience, as the track is so pleasant and so well organised that time flows rapidly and each musical sketch has its own charm. I rarely listened to such a delightful piece of music, that's got the power to infuse wellness into the listener's soul. Not a neglectable virtue, I'm sure you agree.

Scottish Suite (Anthony Phillips, 1980)

IMHO, this 15 minutes classically arranged suite is a gem. It comes from "Private Parts and Pieces II: Back to the Pavilion", the second Ant's compilation of previously recorded but never released materials. This track, in particular, was originally conceived as part of a wider and never achieved musical translation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth and was recorded in June 1976.The sub-title of the piece, "A collection of Scottish Salmon farmer's songs and 12th century Paraguayan tin-miner's threnodies" reflects the tricky and challenging plot of the suite, divided in five movements (by the way, a threnody is a mourning song, but please don't ask me about Paraguayan tin-miners habits!!).
 

Peter Cross created this beautiful cover for Ant's album.

That said, the suite is a splendid instrumental piece of music, full of good melodies, pleasant electric and acoustic guitar harmonies and rythm changes. The romantic vein of Phillips meets here a somewhat edgy and even scary mood, a gloomy side of Ant's music we appreciate now and then in his huge discography. In addiction to this, Mike Rutherford's 12 string guitar graces the second movement, titled "Salmon Leap". Each movement has its own secial charm and still, as different as they are, they perfectly match. Each time I listen to this track I'm taken by its delicate balance of stength and delicacy... don't loose it, if you can.

Henry: Portraits from Tudor Times (Anthony Phillips, 1977)

Is it because of this renaissance music inspiration? Or maybe for its pastoral and rarefied 12 string guitars? No, I think I love this suite because of him, Anthony Phillips and his passion for good melodies and melancholy atmospheres. This track comes from Ant's first album, "The Geese And The Ghost" and it's a 14 minute epic in seven movements, depicting life and death of  Henry, a Tudor era knight, during the long war against France. Two main features single out this track: the strong contrast between quiet and loud moments and, of course, the little chamber orchestra accompanying Ant's and Mike Rutherford's guitars.

I also like this cover. Do you?

You'll find many wind instruments, with John Hackett's flute playing the lead role. The final effect is an Old England tapestry and a delicate romantic fresco, brighter than "Trespass" songs but more intimate than any Genesis track. One may love or hate Ant's music, but never say he's not perfectly coherent and sincere. He lives in a world of his own and his music's a door to go in and take a look.

Slow Dance - Part One (Anthony Phillips, 1990)

IMHO "Slow Dance" is the best Ant Phillips' album ever. It's a suggestive and pastoral piece divided in two parts, equally enjoyable, even if I better like Part One. The slowness of the title result in a serene and grand musical architecture, where three main themes intertwin and evolve, building up a rural and airy symphony driven by keyboards and classical instruments.

 

Ant & his guitar...

 

This relaxed atmosphere has the power to calm me down even in my most nervous days. This music is full of visual suggestions, mainly from natural landscapes, but this isn't just a description: like a romantic poet, Phillips creates strong links between the nature's elements and the listener's soul, prompting a deeper and private exploration.