Spontaneous music and art celebrate St Giles’ special anniversary

Saxophonist Tommy Smith joins internationally acclaimed artist Maria Rud to celebrate the 900th anniversary of St. Giles Cathedral from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 August.

Smith and Rud will perform Luminescence, which unfolds spontaneously in front of the audience as Rud responds to Smith’s saxophone improvisations and his paintings are projected onto the East Wall inside the Cathedral. The Scotsman described last year’s show as “one of the most spectacular experiences of the Fringe”.

“We start each performance with no preconceptions about the direction the show will take,” says Rud, who has collaborated with percussion virtuoso Dame Evelyn Glennie and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and recently worked with the RIAS Kammerchor in Berlin. “Tommy starts playing and the music he creates in the moment triggers images in my mind that I translate visually.”

In keeping with the idea of ​​performance as a conversation, Rud is aware that the rhythm of his brushstrokes can also influence what Smith plays.

“It’s fascinating to work in this way,” says Rud. “There are images from the legend of St Giles himself, after whom the Cathedral is named, that can lend themselves to creating a narrative through art. For example, the story of St Giles saving a white stag by stopping an arrow fired by the king with his hand is a very strong inspiration. But while that image may figure at some point in this special 900th anniversary version of Luminescence, it’s really just something that will sit in the back of my mind and not be included as a set piece.”

In collaborating with Smith, Rud is delighted to join a long line of outstanding jazz musicians and poets who have fuelled the Edinburgh-born saxophonist’s imagination over a forty-year international career. Both Smith and Rud, however, feel that St Giles’ own sound is as much a part of Luminescence as the two artists themselves.

“For us, just being inside the Cathedral and being aware of its wonderful architecture and inspiring stillness is special,” says Rud. “Of course, there’s a sense of danger as we’re creating the entire show without a pre-written script, but that’s part of the thrill of the performance. It’s like a conversation that could go anywhere, although there are certain factors we can guarantee – the magnificent sound of Tommy’s saxophone playing and the unique atmosphere inside St Giles’.”

Related articles