News
Delighted to announce that I've been nominated in the Composer of the Year category at the Scots Trad Music Awards. It's a real honour to be listed alongside such brilliant musicians. Voting is open now and the ceremony takes place on 5th December in Dundee. The full list of nominees can be found here. Looking forward to our folk scene 'work night out'!
Over on my Facebook page I've been sharing some background information about some of the music from Woven. Here's an update with the two most recent posts...
This set begins with a very well-known song, Deep In Love. The words will be recognisable to lots of you; it shares 'floating verses' with the likes of The Water Is Wide and Waly Waly. Then we go straight into a jig which I've named The Daffodil. The tune is about new beginnings, and the title links with one of my favourite memories of Warkworth, the village I grew up in. Every spring, the hill below the castle is carpeted in these flowers - if anyone I know has any photos of this, feel free to share them here! After that comes an Irish song, Greenwood Laddie, with bits of the jig tune winding through it.
Widely thought to originate in Lancashire, it's a song about extreme poverty and hardship, taking up a similar thread (sorry!) to the Jute Mill Song - hard work for little gain, a daily struggle for basic needs, and anger at the powers that be. I kept the original melody for this one. Thanks also to Max Reinhardt for playing it on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction last week. Catch up here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06j14rp (50'30)
The image on Woven's cover is a piece by Georgie Meadows, taken from her Stitched Drawings series. I discovered it whilst searching for artwork relating to dementia, and thought it was a perfect fit for the music and its overarching theme. I'm very grateful to her for allowing me to use it. Here are Georgie's words about her work:
"I spent many years working as an Occupational Therapist specialising in mental health, and for the last 14 years working with elderly people coping with mental and physical difficulties as well as a diminished role in our society. I was always making and drawing in my spare time but in 2003 I took ten months off work to do an Art Foundation course at Hereford College of Art and Design, where I began experimenting with the translation of pencil drawings of the people I worked with into machine stitch on fabric. I returned to work but two years later retired from Occupational Therapy to concentrate on my art practice.
To offer good compassionate care, indeed to simply care for each other we need to be able to see each person as a unique individual. This is often made difficult by people’s inability to make logical verbal communication. But so much communication is visual rather than verbal. Sight is such a powerful sense: we spend so much time making fast decisions based on what we see. Looking and seeing can make us more informed and more creative in what we do, but it can also mislead – especially when loss of identity and control are involved.
I always felt that the importance of the imagination – how we interpret what we see when caring or just being with people – is neglected. I try to use my images to practise ‘looking’ in a more reflective way, to try to avoid hasty assumptions or categorising. I have also found them useful teaching aids for those working in the caring professions. I hope to encourage empathy and inclusion as well as to celebrate the courage of those older people who find life a struggle.
None of these images is intended as a portrait of a specific individual."
Hello from my brand new site! I think it looks really swish. You'll find information about Woven, news, gigs and much more. Head over to the contact page to get in touch, and feel free to subscribe to the mailing list for (infrequent) email updates.
I have been ably assisted by the marvellous Heather Almond Design and many, many web support forums.
Very pleased to unveil a full album stream of Woven here:
To hear it as a playlist of separate tracks, please visit my soundcloud page.
Thank you also to Folk Radio UK for featuring Jute Mill Song as their Song of the Day. The words were written by Mary Brooksbank. She was born in Aberdeen, and worked in the jute mills of Dundee from a young age. Hers is a fascinating story; here she is talking to Hamish Henderson about her early family life. Lots more to be explored in the related links, too.
This is my first solo album! It'll be released on my own label, Night Vad, on 20th November. More information and a brand new website coming your way very soon...
I had a brilliant time being part of this concert last Sunday in Aberdeen. Here's everybody gathered together, post-finale! Thanks to Roddy Hart and the Lonesome Fire for organising it and being such a top house band. L-R: Andy (RHLF), Scott (RHLF), Roddy, Tommy Reilly, Scott (RHLF), Justin Currie, Rab Noakes, Eddi Reader, Louis Abbott, me, Emma Pollock, Blue Rose Code, Withered Hand, Zervas and Pepper, John (RHLF) and Gordon (RHLF). A privilege to share the stage with them all.
Photo (c) Andy Thorn
The debut album from Wildings is out now! Currently available in digital format from bandcamp and iTunes. We'll be able to bring you news of a CD release in the not too distant future, too...
To celebrate, we're playing a couple of launch shows in October:
1st - White Room, Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham - tickets 13th - The Hug and Pint (with Jenn Butterworth & Laura-Beth Salter), Glasgow - tickets
It's been a long time in the making, and we're really excited to be able to share it with you all.
A couple of weeks ago I made my first visit to the Tinto Summer School - in the lovely surroundings of Wiston Lodge - teaching flute and whistle, and mixed instrument group alongside Dave Milligan. It was a totally brilliant week: a funny, inspirational and generous group of young people, great team of staff and tutors, fancy dress ceilidh, the infamous Room Tidy, sessions, assorted confectionery... We finished on the Friday with a sharing concert; you can listen to performances from all the groups here. Thanks to Hands Up For Trad and everyone involved for a great week! I've also been tutoring on the inaugural Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Popular Music Short Course over the past few days, with Phil and Louis from AF and Graeme Smillie (of Olympic Swimmers and The Vaselines fame). We've been working on cover versions and brand new original songs, arrangement and accompaniment, delving into the songwriting process, plus plenty of discussion on career options, life as a musician, recording, show production and the wider music industry. Tomorrow I'm doing a vocal workshop which will hopefully cover some diverse ground and get everyone singing (and I'm going to sneak a Joe Heaney recording in too...)
Then in August it's back to join the team on the Folkworks Junior Summer School. This'll be my third year in a row and it's always a joy. My fellow tutors this year are Jim Molyneux, Ruth Ball, David Wood and Miranda Rutter. There are still places left at the Youth Summer School: do not delay!
Over the past few months I've been spending a bit more time in Northumberland, rehearsing with a brand new band, Alistair Anderson & Northlands. Sophy Ball, Ian Stephenson, Alistair and I have been really enjoying putting together some songs and tunes with a North East of England flavour, and we're playing our first ever concert this Thursday 16th July in Allendale Village Hall. We'll also be appearing at Whitby Folk Week on Friday 28th August - more info on that one soon.
