David Ross

Hymn: Silence, Then Birds

by John Sharpe
February 19, 2020

Under the moniker Hymn, the British threesome of trumpeter Chris Dowding, violinist Sylvia Hallett and electronicist David Ross present extemporized slices of understated minimalism distinguished by aching melodies emerging from a granular scratchy undertow. They maintain a taut balance between repetition, movement and noise on three tracks recorded live in London and Norwich, with outcomes variously hypnotic, soothing and spacious. The title cut begins with the sort of hiss which could be distant traffic or waves breaking on ...