Murmurations Debut Album Launch - Norwich Arts Centre 31st July 2025

Murmurations at Norwich Arts Centre

Where 'The Land Meets The Sky' Album Launch 

There are other meanings of ‘murmuration.’  The association with birds is the most common, but I found this alternative to the flocking of birds most commonly understood as its sense, when looking into the etymology of the term.

Murmuration (Noun): The act of rising out of a fluid, or coming forth from envelopment or concealment, or of rising into view; appearance. 

Top Starling: Abi Harold.  Photo copyright: Gordon Woolcock 

Which struck me as apt, when I reflected on the launch gig of Murmurations debut album, Where the Land Meets Sky.  Two years from the first conversations about forming a band, Abi Harold’s progress from artist and solo performer into the neoteric of a band of classically educated musicians, finally took identifiable shape on stage at Norwich Arts Centre.

Eva Wright: Cello, Guitar, Vocals

Ticket sales had been promising and the Arts Centre was buzzing with anticipation of a happy event, a bit like pre-match to a wedding.  There were excited greetings from band members for friends and family. There was the unassuming attendance of members of the city’s rich and varied music community and the keen presence of music loving local people who had heard that Murmurations were a bit different, a bit special. 

Beautifully simply stageset at NAC.

As if so often the case at Norwich Arts Centre, the opening acts get a good audience.  Tonight the opening acts were solo chanteuse, Taryn Everdeen, followed by Aphra accompanied by Imogen Bourne on saxophone and Nancy Dunnell singing harmonies. 

All friends and associates of Murmurations, both opening acts were genuinely thrilled to have been invited to contribute to the evening’s entertainment.  Everdeen, was so thrilled that Murmurations had released their debut album that morning, she admitted to tears of joy when hearing it. It was that kind of evening.  Full of genuine love and appreciation of all participants.  It is almost impossible to write about this evening without smiling at the memory. 

Taryn Everdeen with auto-harp, gives her class 'the eyes'.
Photo copyright Gordon Woolcock

 

Taryn displayed the confidence of an enthusiastic primary school teacher who has her favourite class in the palm of her hand, whether they want to be or not.  Any possibility of reluctance to engage with teacher is batted away with a cheery smile and a pretty song and sweet melody.  Her set, although necessarily brief, incorporated a delightful song in French for which the class audience were taught the chorus.  Taryn Everdeen is unphased by a large audience, which gives her a great platform to share her songs.  All her numbers, from the openers Drenched and Petals, to the concluding Harmonisons are thought-provoking, poetic, reflective numbers about how people interrelate, could have related, might in future relate better.  Besides introducing us to the delicate sounds of an auto-harp (one she bought on E-Bay, restored and learnt during the pandemic), Taryn drew the audience together with the hopeful message of Harmonisons,  ‘Harmonisons / Équilibrons / Vivons / Donnons’ (Let us harmonise / Balance /  Live / Give).  

Taryn Everdeen is well worth catching and she will be performing at the Forncett Festival, (a new musical gathering hosted at the Forncett Steam Museum and headlined by Murmurations) from 8^th to 10^th August 2025.  It is a pay what you can event. 

  

Next on stage were the jazzy trio led by Aphra, with Nancy Dunnell riding shotgun stage-left on accompanying vocals and Imogen Bourne playing saxophone stage-right.  Aphra’s set went down a treat with the audience now filling the broad nave of the ancient church.  

Aphra (Photo Copyright: Gordon Woolcock)

Bourne’s saxophone was particularly soulful in this setting.  Aphra delivered a variety of delightful songs and tunes, which neatly complemented what had gone before and what was to follow.

 

I have seen and reviewed Murmurations before and it is nigh impossible to add to my first impressions of this outstanding band of musicians. 

 

We were treated to eleven songs, the ten from the album and an encore called Dancing. The Norwich Arts Centre crowd, already in excitable mood, were near ecstatic as each song concluded.  Abigail Harold starts the set with a harmonium introduction to the mournful Window. 

 

For Double Vision the band have to move the harmonium back and shuffle around a little, during which movement, the mic falls over the guard rails at the front of the stage into the steady hands of photographer Gordon Woolcock, who is suitably acknowledged for his intervention. With this gently humourous incident, the band's mood on stage lifts from staged theatrical to human and warm, with natural, conversational interaction with the audience.

 

Double Vision was released as a single this year and is an excellent example of the poetic nature of Murmurations lyrical content.  Written in the first person, this is a song about open-mindedness and humility in a world that defies clear definition.  I’ve got one hand on the steering wheel, the other hand over my eyes the band sing, crystallising the confusion caused by our data-overloaded society.  This song also brilliantly illustrates how using folk instrumentation and arrangements can be used to communicate what life feels like in the 21^stCentury.  Burdened as we are with information, what sense can an individual make of it all?  The more we find out, the less we can be sure of knowing.

 

Lucy May McKinlay with Mandolin
Photo Copyright: Gordon Woolcock

The precious nature of time and its passing are constant threads through the songs.  Satisfy and Distant Horses consider this in different ways, before the latest single Rhubarb, which examines how some people experience growth when forced into darkness.  It is a feisty, hopeful survival song, but one that comes from pain. 

 

The show moves through each song with the audience enrapt.  A church is a great space for this show.  The clarity and subtlety of each instrument and the lyrics are all easily heard.  Whether the bouzouki of Abigail Harold, Eva Wright’s cello, Anna Wyeth’s flute or the delightful fluttering of Lucy May McKenzie’s mandolin, each note and each word resonates. I cannot remember being in a standing audience who have been so totally enchanted by a band.  The roar and applause at the end of each song is testimony to the attention the crowd has applied to their listening.  It is as if they have been holding their collective breath for the entirety of each song, needing to roar to clear the mist from their eyes before the next number is served up.

On The Line, again exploring notions of time and changing seasons, was performed with the backing of a choir, who merrily lined the back of the stage for the finale.  Dressed in shimmering white, as were the band, this was indicative of Abi Harold's inclusive leadership. Among the choir, the opening two acts and some of the people who helped crowd fund the album.          

 

After a brief pause and the stage clear of choir, the show ended with Dancing, which sent everyone home happy.  Dancing begins with a slow harmonium led melody, the song builds into a swinging, upbeat round, before settling to a peaceful conclusion.   Something to hum on the way home, I found. 

This was a special night and I can assure you that the album is quite beautiful.  The one man involved in the whole project, Odhran Linsey is credited with recording, mixing, mastering and producing the album. The album faithfully captures the beauty of Murmurations performances, with the addition of drums from Sara Zuluaga Correa and bodhran and bass by Linsey.   Murmurations is a collaborative project which is intended to fly like the starlings, with the proposition of a changing line-up who will continue to  explore new musical and lyrical possibilities.  It will be fascinating to see what comes next from this unique combination of talents.   

 

At present you can get the album directly by messaging the band via Instagram, or on Apple Music.  Wider availability will follow their current tour.  All copies of the album taken to the Arts Centre were sold! 

Words by Spencer Ide

4^th August 2025