Emma Rawicz

With a saxophone and a talented band, Emma Rawicz blessed the Octagon Chapel with fantastic jazz melodies.

There’s nothing like a symphony of jazz Melodies and astounding talent to end your day. With the sun dusking the horizon readying the dark sky, Emma Rawicz prepared us for a night of various shades of jazz. Unforgetting and beautifully arranged.

At the age of 23, Emma Rawicz is an award winning rising star with a plethora of ensembles and musicality to back it up. Paired with a band of other incredible musicians, I had the pleasure of witnessing her perform a set of exclusive, experimental and euphonious songs for BBC radio 3’s New Generation Artist Scheme.

Knowing Emma prepared these songs especially for this concert gave a more personal connection to the audience, it was an appreciation that spoke volumes on her craft. The first song was the perfect introduction. It started off slow, building upon itself and the beautiful acoustics of the Octagon Unitarian Chapel. Jonny Mansfield on the vibraphone provided a whimsical and gentle addition to the atmosphere, one so pleasant you couldn’t help but get lost in it. On double bass you had Freddie Jensen contributing a deep and bouncy tone next to Marc Michel who, on the drums, played passionately with a deep resonance. It was a combination that uniquely appealed to all senses. Being right at the front, I could feel - not just hear - what each instrument was emitting, an unexpected yet delightful addition to my experience.

It would be insulting if I didn’t mention one other musician. On vocals, Immy Churchill used the instrument of her voice to blend and work in tandem with Emma’s saxophone - almost as if they were made for one another. It was a smooth combination of scatting - instrumental melodies used to mimic the rich ebbs and flows of Emma’s saxophone. Her voice completed the band perfectly, complimenting all the tones, rhythms and melodies that filled the space. She had such a smooth pitch that I couldn’t help but get chills.

Each and every song filled up the Octarian church with acoustics that appealed to all senses. All instruments created a crescendo of harmonious tempos, expressive chords, and sounds. It surrounded me in the small space that we were in, but I wasn’t mad at it, no. It was delightful to be surrounded by the warmth the music created.

And so, it could not be more apparent how Emma became the rising prodigious composer and performer that she is. Drawing from thoughts and moments in her life, she created a set list that allowed her to convey emotions, stories and experiences wonderfully. Her saxophone provided a powerful, deep and pleasantly gritty sound to the music. These live renditions could not compare to what little of her I listened to beforehand. It’s different when you can physically feelthe vibrations of her saxophone and the rhythmic splendor of her performance. I was simply put, enamoured.

The one hour performance was over far too soon, but fortunately, Emma had another global performance to get to, hopefully spreading those bluesy, bright and rich rhythms across the globe.