Hilary Jeffery

The music on “Green Prism” is rooted in the last of the many commissions Keith Tippett wrote in the latter part of his career. The original compositions featured on this album are arrangements drawn from a suite composed by Tippett entitled "Winter's Welcome" in 2018 for the brass ensemble Zinc & Copper, which premiered in Berlin on 17th February 2019. Due to ill health Keith was unable to attend the final rehearsals, which meant the project was never finished as originally envisioned. After Keith passed away in 2020, Jeffery resolved to record everything anew, for multi-track brass - exploring Keith's music from different angles, like the "prism" of the title, diving into the rich harmonies which often sound like distant bells and a far-out brass ensemble. These recordings formed a frame and springboard for improvisations and songs by Julie Tippetts, Paul Dunmall, Tobias Delius, Hilary Jeffery and Eleni Poulou, recorded between August 2024 and August 2025 in Bristol and Berlin.

It is quintessentially ‘Keith music’. And it is equally an extension of the unique series of recordings Keith made with his wife Julie, from their earliest days in the 1970s as Ovary Lodge to the four “Couple in Spirit” albums. Julie’s words and vocal performance are central to the powerfully evocative music presented here. “Julie’s voice to me is like an instrument with many different tonal colours and amazing range. Her intonation is fantastic.” Those are the words of Paul Dunmall, another long-time collaborator with Keith and also a key contributor to this album.

The creative force behind "Green Prism" is Hilary Jeffery. Like many others across the years, Hilary was inspired by attending Keith’s jazz workshops while he was studying at Dartington College of Arts. He had already met and played with Paul Dunmall. He describes these experiences as “Unforgettable and life changing. Keith, Julie and Paul were very encouraging to me as I was starting out to live and work in the musical multiverse. They were role models for how to live musically in an uncompromising and authentic way which was deeply inspiring and motivating.” This album is at once a tribute to a master of composition in his maturity and a sensitive re-imagining by someone from a new generation, discovering a way to celebrate the spirit of Keith Tippett. 

“Green Prism” is a recording that will not only engross anyone already familiar with Keith Tippett’s music; it will hopefully bring him to the attention of a new generation of those with mind’s open enough to appreciate the best of contemporary composition. - Martin Phillips