Hello and welcome to 'Symphonies of the Sublime' a YouTube Channel and documentary project by Patrick Bannon and Sam Drake, two freelance film makers and photographers based in West Yorkshire, brought together through a shared passion for music and culture, and through a vision for exploring and documenting the vast number of musical styles and traditions practised by musicians based in the UK.
The Project features some of the most exceptional musicians to grace this land, they devote their lives to their art, often practicing relatively unknown musical traditions from near and far, either through personal heritage or through a desire to explore or incorporate other musical styles and traditions into their own. Such is the nature of music.
Symphonies of the Sublime is an opportunity to experience some of the most exceptional instances of musical artistry in the UK and many of the performances given for this project are shot in locations chosen by the performer, they are some of the most visually stunning and acoustically beautiful locations anywhere in the country.
The Church of Christ the Consoler, Skelton-on-Ure, was the location for Shooting Vijay Venkat's Breathtaking flue improvisation. An stunning building with a unique history, quietly tucked away in the North Yorkshire Countryside. Its acoustics are mesmerising, and It was blissful to spend a frosty February morning in the confines of this incredibly beautiful building, filming Vijays hypnotic performance. He played to the space, his flute saturating the cavernous yet intimate church with sonic splendour.
The project is also an opportunity for the artists to share with the audience their ideas of what music is and how their lives are shaped by it, and for that we are blessed. You will struggle to find such a mesmeric smorgasbord of profound and mouthwateringly beautiful utterances of the art of music by such incredibly gifted and devoted musicians...
Although this project focuses on musicians based in the UK, we hope It just might appeal to a global audience. It is not about any one country, culture or musical tradition. After all, the central theme of the project is to explore the universal nature of music as one of the oldest of all art forms. Music knows no boarders and it is fundamental to what it means to be human.
We think it valuable for us all to discuss, interact and engage with the many facets of UK culture and music is certainly one of the best ways to do this. The UK has a phenomenal music culture with a legacy that is second to none. It is also remarkably rich and global in its diversity and we believe this project can allow people to appreciate and enjoy music they have almost certainly never come across in their lives, find inspiration to explore new music and even get to a concert and go see some of the artists featured here, in the flesh.
Music has a unique ability to convey emotions, thoughts and ideas in a manner that no other art form can. It is spontansous and innate, fleeting and impermanent, yet It can transcend time and history, passed down through generations both orally and by transcript. It transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries, but can also define them. It shapes identity whilst allowing people from different backgrounds to connect, communicate, and understand each other through shared musical experience. There are surprisingly few traits that are universal to all of humanities cultures and music is one of them, it is an innate characteristic of our species.
