Blue Calluna

Hilary Burt's

Hilary Burt's Blue Calluna launched their first album, Step Off And Fly, on November 25th 2018 at The Brunswick in Holland Road, Hove, BN3 1JF, East Sussex.

The band is an 8 piece featuring vocals, saxes, flute, piano, bass, drums and percussion. All the music is composed and arranged by Hilary and blends jazz, latin, funk and folk. It has been described as 'thoughtful, innovative and contemporary' as well as "strong, feminine and restorative".

The tunes for the album include three arrangements/reharmonisations of well known tunes - Eleanor Rigby, Big Yellow Taxi and In Dublin's Fair City - plus ten original compositions by Hilary.

Our first gig was an amazing evening at The Brunswick on Sunday September 9th 2018. The audience were warm and supportive and there seemed to be magic in the air! For current shows and more info on the band, visit the Blue Calluna website at blue calluna.com.

"You compose music with such warmth and sunshine.

Restorative is the word that comes to mind."

Hilary writes:

In preparing tunes for the album, I wrote every day before 'the family' got up (hubby and two dogs). The house and area where we live is really quiet at that time. I need silence to work since I am easily distracted and find concentrating with other sounds around almost impossible. For that reason we have just had acoustic windows fitted in our house which beautifully muffles the outside world as well as protects the neighbours from our, at times, noisy household!

I write using Sibelius with a piano close by to check things. I can then layer up the music using exactly the instruments I will have when it is played live. I usually do a mix of the finished composition and then import that audio into Logic. If it is a vocal piece, I will sing the lead myself and then send it across to Lucy Pickering our vocalist to check keys and range.

I am so excited to be writing material for these great musicians.