Proverbs and Songs

Proverbs and Songs is a live album by the English saxophonist John Surman recorded at Salisbury Cathedral on June 1, 1996 with organist John Taylor and the 75-strong Salisbury Festival Chorus and released on ECM the following year, consisting a suite of choral settings of Old Testament texts.^[1][2]

Proverbs and Songs
Live album by John Surman
Released	1997
Recorded	1 June 1996
Genre	Jazz
Length	49:28
Label	ECM ECM 1639
Producer	Derek Drescher
John Surman chronology
A Biography of the Rev. Absalom Dawe (1995) Proverbs and Songs (1997) Coruscating (1999)

Background

It was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 1998.^[3] Surman performed the suite several times after the 1996 performance.^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[5]

The AllMusic review awarded the album 2.5 stars.^[4] Alyn Shipton wrote that Surman's "unaccompanied choral writing was rich and unusual and elsewhere the sense of jazz rhythm and forward motion came almost exclusively from his saxophone, creating rich ostinatos, or swirling aggressively among the choral parts."^[2]

Track listing

All music by John Surman; all lyrics from the Old Testament

1. "Prelude" - 3:11
2. "The Sons" - 4:55
3. "The Kings" - 6:41
4. "Wisdom" - 7:39
5. "Job" - 4:50
6. "No Twilight" - 7:42
7. "Pride" - 5:00
8. "The Proverbs" - 4:06
9. "Abraham Arise!" - 5:24

Personnel

• John Surman – soprano and baritone saxophones, bass clarinet
• John Taylor – organ
• Howard Moody – conductor
  • Salisbury Festival Chorus