Wires, Strings & Other Things - Meet James!
James Allsopp plays bass clarinet in Wires, Strings & Other Things. James wanders a labyrinth of sound like an explorer, connecting and disrupting with his bass clarinet as he goes. We asked James to answer some questions about himself and his musical instrument. Read on to find out more!
Q: James, how would you describe the sound of your musical instrument: the bass clarinet?
A: Chocolatey, resonant and woody.
Q: If your instrument was an animal, what would it be?
A: A panther, it’s got a solidity and weight to it but it’s also graceful.
Q: What age were you when you started playing your instrument?
A: I was 8 years old when I started playing the clarinet.
Q: What do you like most about the bass clarinet?
A: I love the sound it makes.
Q: What’s the thing you find most annoying about your instrument?
A: It’s so big!
Q: Do you play any other musical instruments?
A: I play saxophones as well as clarinets
Q: What is your earliest musical memory?
A: Listening to my dad’s jazz records sitting on the carpet in front of the speakers in the living room.
Q: How much time to you spend practising?
A: I try and practice for at least 1 hour every day
Q: Outside of music, name one thing that you are really excellent at and one thing that you are really rubbish at!
A: I’m good at cooking and rubbish at organising my life.
Q: Have you ever performed for anyone really famous?
A: I have performed with the Britpop superstar Jarvis Cocker and with the famous jazz-pop singer Jamie Cullum.
Q: What groups do you perform with and what sort of music do you usually play?
A: I have my own band called The Golden Age of Steam but I also play in lots of different jazz groups.
Q: What’s the coolest place you’ve performed in?
A: I’ve performed in a Roman amphitheatre!
Still curious about the bass clarinet?
Have a look at this video which tells you all about this fascinating, gentle giant:
James will be performing in Wires, Stings & Other Things, The Ark and Music Network’s new music show for ages 6+ composed by Brian Irvine and directed by Wouter Van Looy. Wires, Strings & Other Things will be at The Ark and on tour nationwide from 5 February – 3 April 2022. Click here to find out more and to book.