Jess Gillam, the trailblazing soprano saxophonist, has added another first to her list of achievements: she is the first saxophonist ever signed by the world-renowned record label Decca Classics. At 28, she is bringing classical music to a new generation.
Gillam has long been a queen of firsts. At 16, she was the youngest soloist ever to perform at the Last Night of the Proms. In 2016, she became the first saxophonist to reach the finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition.
From tea room to concert halls
Her success, however, did not come from a privileged background. Gillam credits her phenomenal drive to working in her parents' cafe as a child. The Cumbrian-born musician says: "My mum and dad run a traditional tea shop and grocers in Ulverston. I got my first saxophone when I was 10 and they said they'd put in half the money to buy it. From then on I had to find ways to save up money for an instrument - birthday cash, doing stuff around the house and then later working in the family tearoom."
She adds: "It helped me realise the value of everything from really early on and that music wasn't something you automatically just got into. It's not always cheap and it's not always accessible. It also meant that when it came to putting the practice in on the saxophone, I had a bit of a work ethic. I couldn't have had a better start."
A celebration of 900 years of music
That approach has paid off. Her new album, Shine, is a celebration of 900 years of music, encompassing everything from folk, classical and jazz through to the music of Bowie, Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush.
Now living in London, Gillam says the ambition of the project was to make people smile. She explains: "I don't think music has the power to fully fix everything, but it can make someone's day that bit better. It has the power to change somebody's mind, somebody's outlook, show someone a different perspective; it can heal and bring people together. I like to think of music as bringing little pockets of joy; that's so important at the moment."
Her journey began when she was seven years old, going with her dad, who plays the drums, to take part in preparations for the Ulverston Carnival. The community celebration, whose origins date back to 1900, features floats, marching bands and dance troupes each year.
Overcoming doubts and barriers
Gillam recalls: "I chose the saxophone to try as I was absolutely rubbish at everything else. There was dancing, stilt walking, costume making or drumming but I had no rhythm at all and couldn't dance. But from that weird mixture of metal tubes and pipes that makes up the saxophone, I found I could make a sound and I just fell in love with it. I remember thinking 'yep, that's the one.'"
She honed her talent in group lessons with the Carnival Band and then with a private teacher. By 13, she was taking the early train to Manchester each week to attend the Royal Northern College of Music. She later dropped out of her degree course there to pursue her career, and completed a Master's Degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
Despite her success, she has faced comments about her northern background: "I've definitely had comments from some the gist of which has been 'how could she possibly know anything about classical music with that accent?' That used to get to me and I'd think, 'oh, maybe this isn't a space for me. Maybe I'm not the right person to be involved with this part of the industry because I don't have this particular background or I'm not from this particular area.' But music is this incredible, amazing thing that everybody should have a chance to experience; it shouldn't be kept for certain areas or specific groups of people, and everyone has the right to find a way in it."
Bringing people together
That passion was evident when Gillam set up a virtual orchestra during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The mass participation digital music project invited everyone from beginners to advanced instrumentalists around the world to record and submit their parts from home. In 2021, more than 2,000 people from 30 countries, aged from two to 94, joined together to play tracks by Bowie and The Beatles.
Gillam received her MBE for services to music later that year: "I nearly deleted the email because I thought it must be spam. I was in shock - and still am - because I'm just doing what I love."
While her most memorable moment was stepping onto the stage at the Royal Albert Hall for the first time, her proudest came closer to home. She laughs: "Your home crowds are the hardest crowds and every year I go back and play in Cumbria at least once. I had never had a standing ovation. I absolutely love where I come from, the community is amazing, but you can get a feeling they're thinking: 'ok, show us what you've got then'. And then a year or so ago I did a show and the whole room stood up at the end. And I thought - 'there we go!' The Sydney Opera House was great but that was amazing."
Shine is out now on Decca Classics.
