The Mountaineering Club Orchestra - A Start On Such A Night Is Full Of Promise

Concept albums nearly as a rule can either go breathtakingly right, Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon and Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral for example, or can go hideously wrong, think Pete Townshends Psychoderelict and Styx Kilroy Was Here. So, A Start On Such A Night Is Full Of Promise the debut album by The Mountaineering Club Orchestra takes a brave leap into this arena with its icy tale of 17^th century Norwegian explorers.

The solo project of Tom Adams, multi instrumentalist with avant garde rockers The Mountaineering Club, A Start On Such A Night Is Full Of Promise is a collection of pieces inspired by the first crossing of Greenland in 1888. Using an ensemble of twelve musicians the album tracks the journey of Fridtjof Nansen and his crew from their start in Norway to their heroes return in 1889.

Admittedly hesitant before listening, I was instantly drawn into Nansens epic quest by the albums graceful opener The Voyage. A sumptuous, intoxicating mélange of piano and string, The Voyage perfectly sets the stage for the sweeping expedition that has to come. By the albums mid point The Interior with its beautiful icy violins and fragile almost distant pianos you can almost feel the Arctic winds that envelop our brave explorers as they trudge what seems endlessly toward their goal. This goal is then gloriously met by the records end also The Voyage, a joyous uplifting chorus of electric guitars, heavenly horns and drums, taking Nansen and his crew on that hero’s triumphant journey toward home.

If any fault can be found with A Start On Such A Night Is Full Of Promise it may be with the overuse of narrated passages from ‘The First Crossing of Greenland’ the book which inspired Adams. While only a minor detail, I found it more distracting than good at certain times on the album and alas took slightly away from the full enjoyment of the epic quest.

This aside, The Mountaineering Club Orchestra deserve a massive standing ovation for this unique, remarkable and brave record. And while unfair to compare it to any of the aforementioned concept albums it is an exceedingly pleasant way to spend thirty five minutes or so crossing Greenland.

Listen to the album here