What Shapes A Soul? A Spiritual Celebration

About

Praised as “absolutely sensational” and “a fabulous evening of music”, What Shapes A Soul? explores spirituality in music and takes the listener on a grand adventure from American gospel and spiritual hymns to their routes in African folk music. The first half of the programme centres around the music of the present day, where Steven Banks’s monumental Come As You Are integrates the religious hymns of gospel with Romantic classical music, alongside gospel bonanza Come Sunday, and songs from revered 50s soul singer Sam Cooke. The second half ventures back to the routes of this music, featuring spirituals from Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, New Orleans jazz and a folk finale – Suite after Abel Selaocoe, exploring Selaocoe’s unique musical voice bringing African traditional music to new audiences. 

What Shapes A Soul? has been kindly supported by collaborative pianists Jo Foote, Richard Pearce, Iain Clarke, Leo Nicholson and Jonathan Musgrave, as well as saxophonists Christian Forshaw and Mick Foster, and is touring across the UK in 2025 and 2026, with saxophonist Samuel Beddard joined by pianist Jo Foote.

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“Confident and daring playing, featuring an edge of growls, multiphonic cracks, more intentional dips and scoops that made for a really exciting and individual sound” – Jack Marley, saxophonist and reviewer for the Clarinet and Saxophone Society of Great Britain magazine (from an article published in March 2026)

“What a tour de force of saxophone playing” – Michael Alexander, compere at St Peter’s Church, St Alban’s

“Absolutely sensational” – Jane Smith, curator of The Sunday Sessions, Cottingham

“Absolutely amazing. Spell-binding; haunting…. I don’t think anyone moved or made a sound through the whole recital” – Phil Johnson, organist at St James the Greater, Leicester

“You’ve soothed our souls and taken us around the world at the same time… our souls have been soothed, awakened, and perhaps we’ve got much to contemplate” – Fr Andrew Hall, vicar at St Catherine’s Church, Burbage

“You make the soprano laugh and cry, and your playing of it is so emotive and wonderful” – Sarah Spurr, educator-arranger

“We were on the edge of our seats throughout in the best possible way” – Michelle Fotherby – assistant curate at St Mary’s Church, Old Amersham

“Spiritual playing reminiscent of Pharaoh Sanders” – Ben Jennings, folk singer-songwriter

“Beautiful soaring tone” – Sue Jackson, violinist & educator

“Executed with great smoothness and calmness” – Stephen Bashforth, chairman of Phoenix Saxophone Orchestra

“You play with every ounce of your soul – the music just oozes out of you” – audience member

“You have such extraordinary empathy for your audience that is displayed beautifully through your story-telling” – audience member

“It was an absolute privilege to be there” – audience member

“A fabulous afternoon of music” – audience member

“It took my breath away” – audience member