This is a landmark recording from Josephine Davies, writing for her biggest and most ambitious ensemble yet. It’s an eight-part loosely programmatic suite that uses the modern neo-pagan concept of the Wheel Of The Year as a framework to explore the different seasons. On the opening ‘Eos (Midsummer)’ Davies handles the large ensemble with confidence and aplomb, with the different sections moving slowly against each other like clouds over a summer wheatfield, never crowding each other, allowing the leader’s own light-toned but satisfyingly acidic saxophone through like shafts of sunlight. ‘Mabon’ brings a stealthy funk groove under breathy whooshes of woodwind, ‘Samhain’ evokes the otherworldliness of Halloween with skirling sax over dramatic chords, ‘Ostrara’ builds to a powerful climax over Shaney Forbes’ drums.

Davies is a dab hand at using the low brass to sustain drama and movement while allowing plenty of light and air into the arrangements – the outstanding ensemble interpret the writing beautifully and contribute some outstanding improvisations. There’s a unity of mood that tends towards the sombre and stately, but there’s enough light and shade to ensure that things never feel oppressive. The evocation of the natural world is very effective, with always enough bite to the writing to prevent a slide into Vaughan Williams pastiche pastoralism: this is a captivating album of occasionally unsettling but always very listenable music. Outstanding.