Standing In Motion
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley November 8, 2022
Artist – Holland Phillips
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Standing in Motion is an intriguing title for the latest release from Holland Phillips, which is both refreshing and absolutely charming, from the first immersion in a musical journey that will take you places in a single moment of time and allow a little delicate romance to colour the day.
Capturing the imagination from the first delicate sound of strings is the title track Standing in Motion which creates a peaceful, gentleness before the sharper notes of the piano form the body of the composition to sweep across the spectrum in a subtle layer of light and dark.
Charming and intriguing is the quirky piece Matters of the Heart which in its sheer contrariness comes with a smile built in, as if the voyager is somewhat confounded by the vagaries of the romantic. Harpsichord, French horn and the deeper tones of the orchestral backing make this a deceptively delightful piece.
But when it comes to refreshingly eloquent in a musical context Hours before Dawn is full of pure magic that entrances, beckons and encourages a brief journey into time, when the night is not yet gone and dawn has not yet arrived. This beautiful piece creates a time of reflection, regeneration and rebirth and in subtle shades, moves the work from new-age to contemporary with effortless grace. Gorgeous.
How can the title Trail of the Pixies fail to capture the imagination; spacey, slightly dark and almost mischievous, as these fey creatures are known to be, Holland Phillips encourages a journey into their world of mischief and dance with this catchy number. How could you refuse?
A captivating piano piece Chasing Daylight, is threaded with soft flute before the deeper underpinning of the orchestra gives a rich body to the melody allowing the movement from soft and gentle to a lighter more up-tempo beat full of energy.
Whimsical and immensely enjoyable Reasons to Dream is enchanting, dainty and forming the perfect background to simply entice the mind and emotions to be in the moment, to dream, to wander, to enjoy.
Drawing a beautiful work to a conclusion is At the Close, once again a piece that encourages a sense of dreaming, a sense of timelessness, of change and peace, asking nothing but giving much.
Throughout the compositions touches of a jazz beat intermingle with the more electronic ‘drone’: dashes of classical formations are discovered, which creates within itself a story to be told. But perhaps more than that, it is music to simply be enjoyed without any attempt to dig further into the meaning within the music other than to offer pleasure and encourage a little timeout.
Standing in Motion is an album which is in its broadest context, helping to change the term ‘new age’, as a generalised form of music to a more contemporary standing as it is a delightful blend of mystical, enchanting, contemporary and so much more.