Christine Tobin's Returning Weather

Christine is celebrated for her versatile, nonconformist musical spirit and her “..a 24-carat voice” [The Guardian]. After leaving Dublin to attend the Guildhall School of Music, she became an integral part of the creative music scene in London & later in NYC where she moved to in 2015. Her accolades include a BASCA British Composer Award; an Edinburgh Festival ‘Herald Angel Award’; ‘Jazz Vocalist of the Year’ at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards and ‘Best Vocalist’ at the BBC Jazz Awards.

Returning Weather imaginatively weaves song, spoken word, visual effects and a stellar group of musicians from diverse disciplines together, creating a multi-dimensional sound-world which blends influences from folk, 20th-century art song and jazz. It charts a journey which is part homecoming, part memoir, inspired by Christine’s return to Ireland after many years abroad and explores themes of finding home, dwelling and landscape, reconnecting with a cultural background, reshaping a sense of identity and belonging. The songs are set in the countryside around Frenchpark, Boyle and Ballaghaderreen. There are many songs of leaving and farewell, this is the music of homecoming and return!

Christine was commissioned to write this evocative new song cycle by The Dock Arts Centre, with an Arts Council, Music Commissions Award.

“A masterclass in songcraft” BBC Music Magazine.

In Returning Weather, Christine collaborates with some of Ireland's finest improvising musicians, with a wealth of experience across genres. Cora Venus Lunny violin & viola, is an improvising and composing musician with a classical lineage and decades of professional experience in contemporary classical, improvised, recorded and folk musics. David Power uilleann pipes, is a soloist who also plays in duos with fiddlers Willie Kelly and Martin Hayes, with harpist Triona Marshall & in collaborations with Edges of Light, Masters of Tradition, baroque ensemble Camerata Kilkenny, organist/harpsichordist Malcolm Proud & composer Kevin Volans. Phil Robson guitar & electronics is acclaimed as one of the world’s leading jazz guitarists. He has led bands with Mark Turner, Dave Liebman & others, played with Vince Mendoza, BBC), Steve Hamilton piano is one of Europe’s most creative and experienced contemporary pianists, long-term member of Billy Cobham’s band, (Bill Bruford’s Earthworks, Joe Lovano)