Jethro Tull Announce New Album “The String Quartets”
Music News | Dec 12th, 2016
Jethro Tull have announced a new album that will be released on March 24th 2017. It will be a classical compilation of their hits called The String Quartets but recorded with John O’Hara and the Carducci Quartet. You can pre-order now on PledgeMusic. As a huge Tull fan myself, I can’t wait for this!
their PledgeMusic page said this about the new album:
The String Quartets is a new album by Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson and the Carducci Quartet featuring the classic songs of Jethro Tull, arranged and orchestrated by John O’Hara. Ian plays flute on most of the tracks and even sings a few lines here and there to provide his trademark sounds in the context of classical music traditions. Living In The Past, Aqualung, Locomotive Breath and Bungle In The Jungle are amongst the album track listing but appear, along with their fellow musical travelers, under more cryptic titles to differentiate them from the original recordings and arrangements.
Recorded in the crypt of Worcester Cathedral, UK and in St Kenelm’s Church, Sapperton, Gloucestershire, UK, Ian says that this album is “Perfect for lazy, long sunny afternoons, crisp winter nights, weddings and funerals.” He forgot to add, perfect also after a night of wild, abandoned sex or to celebrate the win of your favourite football team. Essentially, anytime music for sophisticated lovers of Classic Rock too afraid to wear their Tull T-shirt at the village barbecue.
Ian Anderson commented about the album:
“I felt that there were some songs rather special to me which featured the string quartet such as “A Christmas Song,” “Reasons For Waiting” and “Wond’ring Aloud.” These were my first experiences of working with a quartet. John [O’Hara] came up with a few suggestions of his own which presented challenges. All had an intimacy and presence which I looked forward to recapturing….”
About his approach to the orchestration, O’Hara explains:
“There seemed little point in transcribing the band parts and distributing them to the players. I felt a responsibility to delve deeper and offer a new imagining of each piece. An orchestrator’s job is to arrange and compose a new version of an existing work. However, I also felt a responsibility to the Jethro Tull listeners who cherish this material and may not welcome a radical rendition of a beloved song. My ambition was to create a thought-provoking album that remains true to Ian’s compositions.”
