Gondwana Records Presents

Gondwana Records Presents is probably our most traditional concert evening, which we curate every year together with our friends from Gondwana Records and to which they invite three of their most captivating artists each time.

For this year's edition, we've put together an evening of rousing and immersive sounds, headlined by one of the longest-standing members of the Gondwana family: saxophonist, flautist and composer Chip Wickham. Also on the bill are the dreamy sounds of Canadian Ambre Ciel, playing a special set with strings, and spiritual jazz from Leeds-based ensemble Ancient Infinity Orchestra.

Chip Wickham casts an impressive shadow over the British jazz scene. Brighton-born Chip Wickham first came to prominence on the UK breakbeat scene when he played with Nightmares On Wax and Graham Massey . He has made a name for himself with a series of beautifully crafted solo albums that are equally influenced by hard swinging spiritual jazz, the classic sounds of 60's British jazz and the more contemporary sounds of artists such as Jazzanova, The Cinematic Orchestra and Nicola Conte. Chip's new album, The Eternal Now, is his most progressive recording to date and a heartfelt ode to dedication to the art and the freedom that comes from letting go. He talks about his journey to making the album a reality.

Ambre Ciel is a composer and vocalist from Montreal, Canada, who creates dreamlike, expansive and spacey music. Her sound is inspired by a variety of contemporary classical, impressionist and minimalist artists. still, there is the sea is Ambre Ciel's debut album, which is at once self-contained, fragile, mysterious, but also open and honest. Here she has created a beautifully refined album that offers space for string arrangements and other acoustic instruments as well as her own voice, which sings in both English and her native French.

The Ancient Infinity Orchestra is a joyful large ensemble at the heart of which is making music together. The overlap between membership and friendship gives Ancient Infinity Orchestra a sound that is at once expansive and intimate, earthy and cosmic, ever-changing yet grounded in a shared purpose. Their new album It's Always About Love blossoms with uplifting improvisational contributions centered around bandleader Ozzy Moysey 's beautiful compositions; generous sonic gifts of healing and restoration.

Gondwana Records is an independent record label founded in Manchester in 2008 by trumpeter, composer and producer Matthew Halsall and his brother, graphic designer and artist Daniel Halsall.

Inspired by their love of deep spiritual jazz and British club culture, Gondwana initially focused on releases by Matthew Halsall and saxophonist Nat Birchall, featuring the crème de la crème of Manchester's jazz scene. In 2012, Gondwana released the debut albums of acoustic-electronic trio GoGo Penguin and folk-jazz minimalists Mammal Hands. In 2018, they heralded the return of the Portico Quartet to the studio, helping to define a current of progressive electronic and jazz-influenced new music that forms one of the label's signature sounds alongside jazz, post-classical and ambient music. As a result, Gondwana became home to pioneering and progressive new artists such as Hania Rani, Svaneborg Kardyb, Vega Trails and Jasmine Myra.

Gondwana Records Presents concerts are produced in collaboration with some of Europe's most renowned venues, from the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg to the Roundhouse and Union Chapel in London and beyond.