Free release concert in Aarhus with Jakob Buchanan and Aarhus Jazz Orchestra
On 6 November, the album On Rosenhill will be released, which is a tribute being paid by the composer and trumpetist Jakob Buchanan to his childhood neighbourhood Rosenhøj. On 10 November, you can hear an excerpt from the work at a free release concert in Musikhuset Aarhus.
On Rosenhill is a tribute to the Rosenhøj neighbourhood in Aarhus where the composer and jazz trumpetist Jakob Buchanan (b. 1968) grew up. The album is Buchanan’s first release on Dacapo Records, and has been recorded by Aarhus Jazz Orchestra and a number of international soloists along with the composer himself. The album introduces Buchanan’s music, which is full of delicate textures, inspired ensemble playing and fluent poetry by the highly popular South African writer Iain S. Thomas.
Musical meditation on the childhood precinct
Rosenhøj is a characteristic Danish housing project from the 1960s, made up of uniform concrete blocks of flats. Present-day Rosenhøj, on the other hand, is a fascinating cultural melting pot that offers those living there new possibilities.
Jakob Buchanan explains: “I was born in Rosenhøj. That is where I come from and where I grew up during the first 7-8 years of my life. The area has changed a great deal and has become extremely multi-ethnic. One only hears about the problems there, but it is a fascinating cultural melting pot. Rosenhøj is an el dorado of languages, colours and possibilities. And even if one does not perhaps understand everything that is spoken there, the language universe also becomes a kind of music.”
On Rosenhill has roots dating back to 2017. At the opening ceremony of Aarhus as European Capital of Culture, thousands of people walked in a torchlight procession through the city to the sound of the work Voices from Rosenhill, which Buchanan wrote specially for the occasion. Faces and voices from people living in Rosenhøj formed a unique frame round the mysterious atmosphere of the music and the torchlight procession. This is the musical material Jakob Buchanan has worked on and developed further in his personal work On Rosenhill.
Stream On Rosenhill from 6 November
Free release concert in Aarhus
On Tuesday, 10 November at 19.30, the release will be celebrated at a special concert in Musikhuset Aarhus. The concert is free of charge, but it is necessary to order tickets in advance because of the corona restrictions.
The concert starts with a short talk about the work, after which you can hear an excerpt of the music from On Rosenhill. Taking part are Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, Jakob Buchanan (trumpet), Ingeborg Højlund (vocalist) and the writer S. Thomas via a video link with South Africa.