All in its own time

This will be a short blog.  Better to be short than not at all.

Life is good.  Had a baby.  A beautiful girl who is now called Ella.  Although if she chooses to be known as MD Funk then I'm happy.  Whatever.  She's a lovely lassie with ever changing eyes and an incredibly expressive face.  And a smile to melt your heart.  It wasn't quite the natural birth I was aiming for, but it was an amazing experience I will hold dear for ever.  I'd plan to write to a more up to date blog more of the time, but ha! I thought I had little time when I was just me, but now I'm a mum time is flying by.  All my priorities have changed and it's okay.  All my plans are at the moment on hold, or inching by at a snail's pace and that's okay too.  I still have dreams and I still have plans.  All in its own time.  


I joined facebook recently.  It makes me wonder how it must have been before internet was in every household.  I now rely so much on hearing from pals through the computer, if I didn't have it, would I be seeing people more, or would I be lonely?  Sometimes I become a bit phone-phobic.  Why does that happen?  Emails and messages are easier to deal with - especially when things have to be dealt with at 2am when Ella's asleep.  I'm looking forward to the next couple of gigs with Karine and Annie on Saturday 30th May at Doune and Dunblane Fling and the Edinburgh Folk Club on Wednesday 3rd June.  We're going to get together on Friday for some new song work.  One particular one Karine and I worked on for a Sandy Wright compilation "Fourteen Hands" regarding a story of seven brothers living and loving working the land at Knoydart.  It's a beautiful song which I am sure the three of us will do proud.  And a few other things up our sleeves which should prove a challenge! 


Hope the sun is shining on you.  All the best
Corrina

the joy of waiting

Hello. It is the 12th March. A lovely Thursday. We have moved house, and are now living in a wee place which overlooks fields and trees. It’s a great place, and although takes a lot of getting used to, it’s a good place for us for the moment. Hobbes loves it. He’s been bringing us presents of shrews and mice, most of them alive and well, thankfully. Just wee presents to kick about the place and play with. He’s not really understanding our reactions as yet, the shrieking and commotion as we do whatever we can to remove the wee gift from the house. But I have fashioned a ‘Mouse Removal Kit’ out of a soup carton and some cardboard which has been working well, and I now plan to invent a Mousearena which will be an easy way of stopping the mouse getting anywhere else in the house. At the moment the mousearena consists of two pictures and two mirrors, all flat, which need to be whipped out quickly and positioned around wherever the mouse is, to stop its getaway. And I want to put the pictures up sometime before we move again, so the mousearena is imperative. Hobbes has also met a pheasant, who curtly escorted our cat of ‘his’ field. The pheasant was quite clear in its squawking that Hobbes was not welcome chasing after the bird’s tail. And the bird was bigger than Hobbes! It’s clear that Hobbes is loving his new place.


And the wee md funk who is wriggling about inside me is in no rush to leave. My waters broke on Friday night, Saturday morning last week through the night. Now no-one told me that that would happen… I didn’t know! I woke up on Saturday morning thinking ‘Holy cow, I am soaking with sweat… what a crap night’s sleep!’ So I got up and had a bath, and carried on the day. And as I’m sleeping on a single airbed at the moment (it’s the best way for both of us to get some proper sleep at the moment), with ‘Princess and the Pea’ style layers and layers of duvets and sheets to minimise the reality of sleeping on an airbed (you do what you have to, eh?!) by the time I got back into the airbed that night, I just thought ‘oh dear, this new house is bloody freezing at night. I need more layers on top!’ So I slept badly again, cold and damp, thinking our new house isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Hahaha blaming it on the house! I did this for one more night, and then had to do something about it. Deciding I would change the sheets, change where I was sleeping, fix things somehow, I started to unlayer the bed. One by one I took off layers until I came upon the bottom duvet. Which oddly enough had a HUGE wet stain on it which was blue!!! As blue as the airbed underneath. Which was also wet. Blue? Man oh man, it looked like a great big giant’s panty-liner… you know the ones you see in the adverts. It’s blue to remove any minging thoughts…


Anyway, there we were – not pee, (sorry – life gets very real when you’re very pregnant – there is no need to hide the fact we all have bodily fluids anymore…) and it couldn’t have been anything else really. So if I hadn’t changed the sheets, I would never have known. And would have kept blaming the cold house. Should I have told you this? Hmmm, possibly this story is too much information. Well I can always go back and delete.


Btw, since the bed change – I have had amazing sleep – warm, comfy, and lovely. I had no idea the house was so warm and cosy…


But the hospital want to induce me now. So I’ve been seeing a wonderful woman Susana, for acupuncture to see if we can speed it along naturally. And I have just been told (David just got a text from Colin Steele) ‘a hot bath, a hot curry and hot sex’ is the way to go to move things along. Or there is the unusual technique of jumping up and down on a mini trampoline until labour starts. Hahaha. Md funk is a chilled character, I can tell. Everything in its own time. And I am blessed that this wee character has chosen us as parents. It’s a good choice. I will not be a disappointment.


No concerts for the month, but some lovely ones coming up in April with the Harp Festival in Edinburgh, and some Grace, Hewat, Polwart shows in the coming months. I’m taking it step by step – aiming for a band, a tour, a recording, new songs, writing songs, a new book of harp music, lots and lots. And I have some harp pupils who are exceptional, and I’ve been neglecting them of late. I hope they are working towards our next lessons – I’m looking forward to hearing their progress!


And it will all happen. I’m excited about it all. But first, baby coming. I’ve had two contractions since writing this. We’re close.


All the best to you. Good times ahead!
Corrina

Connections

Hi there
Just back from Coventry! I was teaching and performing at The Herbert – a funky museum worth a visit, if you’re in the area. It is full of wonderful information, visual and aural spaces, touchy-feely bits, extremely moving and poignant spaces (especially the collection of Auschwitz shoes in the cellar). I recommend it to everyone as a great way to spend the day.

http://www.theherbert.org/index.php/image/697/home/whats-on/harpnotize-the-herbert-1-2

The day was organised by Jack Shuttleworth (an ideas man if ever there was one!) who came up with the idea to ‘explore the space’ and work on creating music within the space in response to the surroundings. Harpotunities is the name of the project dedicated to bringing small harps to Coventry. I commend them for their efforts, enthusiasm and energy! It was a great day.
*And a special thanks to Heather and Nick, who put David and I up the night before, and introduced us to their ‘Raclette’ (a talking point which we were individually able to cook our own dinner on while all sitting round the table!!) and their chill-out room with a myriad of gadgets to explore.

http://www.harpotunities.co.uk/harpingon.html

I have just been emailed a link to gather.com where Kerry Dexter, who I met last year at Celtic Connections, has written an article. I hadn’t come across this virtual meeting place before, so am posting the link here.

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977558236

And so now back to working on the Opening Concert for Celtic Connections this year on Thursday 15th January in the Main Auditorium at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall! It’s the Cape Breton Connection, exploring the links between Scotland and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia! And what a line up of artists!

Ashley MacIsaac
Wendy MacIsaac
Mary Jane Lamond
Chris Corrigan
JP Cormier
Darren McMullen
The Barra MacNeils (Lucy, Kyle, Sheumas, Stewart, Boyd, Ryan, plus Jamie Gatti)
Kimberley Fraser
Andrea Boyd
Jerry Holland
Ross Kennedy
Margaret Bennett
Phamie Gow
Norrie MacIver
Sineag MacIntyre
David Milligan
Corrina Hewat


If you can make it, I look forward to seeing you!

The link to the gig is http://www.celticconnections.com/whatson/event/79142

cheers

Corrina x

Mum’s the word

Well here we are in 2009. Life is racing on as usual, with Celtic Connections fast approaching, and all the surprises it brings! And David and I are going to move house too, soon. It's a good move, closer to pals "Head of the Path' and family and gives us a little more usable space to be ourselves in. Which we are sooooo happy about. But it's all going on around Celtic Connections and the Unusual Suspects Luxembourg date, so we will need all the wits we can muster! And I know we will manage just fine.

And finally I feel I can let the world know that I am pregnant! Indeed 7 months pregnant!! Due around the beginning of March. Woohoo who would have imagined? David and I being parents… it's something we had never ever considered. We're just about to celebrate our 18th anniversary together which is amazing in itself – and now to have a wee one on the way, well my head is mince! But we're both so happy. So so happy.

And I realise just how good our friends are, that we have supporting us and sharing in the madness that is life. And how amazing our families are and what they've gone through to get this far in life and still smiling broadly. Jeezo, I am excited and scared and tired a lot, and a blithering wreck quite a bit of the time, and loving David more and more each day. And loving Hobbes as he pads my bump for the umpteenth time today.

And here's to you all too! May this year be a very special one, full of hope, harmony and happiness, love and peace, parties and long chats with good friends, songs and music which inspire you and smiles from strangers which light up a wee moment.

All the best
Corrina

Spiral Earth

Hello! I just wanted to let you know of a lovely site full of information on folk, festivals, live and album reviews and all sorts. It's http://www.spiralearth.co.uk/

Please go and check it out, as they have a very good attitude towards all things folk. And of course, let them know of any news you think should be up on their website - communication is key!

And I really wanted to let you know about a lovely review I received from Mike Wilson in relation to Harp I Do. I should have done this months ago, but of course I let other things get in the way. Mike's review is on the Folking.com website - link is
http://www.folking.com/reviews/reviews/997.shtml

His review is also below:
"This is a remarkably crisp and sharp-sounding album of solo harp music. The recording is absolutely first class, capturing not just the melodies themselves, but the palpable tension as each string is firmly plucked and the enduring, humming resonance that follows. Try listening to this with headphones on at a decent volume -- this is music you can feel, it shivers your nerves and shudders your bones, it's like having your ear pressed up against the soundboard of the harp. This may be an album of solo harp, but it's played with a vigour that an ensemble would struggle to match.

The album starts out with a somewhat manic-sounding tune, "The Beserk," written by Hewat following a difficult personal period and one can detect a tangible sense of frenzied despair in the frantic melody, before Hewat segues into the more hopeful-sounding Johnny Cunningham tune, "Nana's Walkabout." I was immediately struck by the intricacy and fervour with which Hewat plays, building to dramatic crescendos and then falling away to a delicate whimper.

Tunes like Ian Carr's "Amberanna," Hewat's own "Dodging The Frogs" or Charlie McKerron's "The Rizla" skip along gleefully, with complex and captivating melodies, played with a pace and precision that almost beggars belief!

Hewat saves the most reserved moments for the end of the album, tenderly playing her way through the traditional tune, "Sister's Lament" before finishing off with her own composition, the mournful "New Voice." In the sleeve notes Hewat recounts her original performance of "New Voice," played with musicians that included the late Martyn Bennett and Johnny Cunningham -- her performance here is a telling and moving tribute to these exceptional talents, played with utmost grace and dignity.

Harp I Do makes for an intense listen, from the pluck of the very first string, right to the dying hum of the last note. It's an extraordinarily intimate and often moving album, played with an unerring commitment that will likely set a high benchmark to which many musicians can only aspire."

I like it!

And if you'd like to virtually visit Mike, here he is!
http://www.myspace.com/mpwilson

All the best
Corrina

31st October 2008

What a night. Old Hallow's Eve. I've just looked out the window and seen three witches and a warlock getting into a 4x4 carrying a huge amount of alcohol and a large broom. I wonder where they are going? To sit on some hilltop somewhere and sing ghoulish songs to each other and cook up pots of broth? I doubt it. The weather isn't conducive to outdoor pursuits such as this.

I've recovered from the Festival Club Flu. It took a while. Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia is a festival and a half – but the flu which gets passed around is a scunner. At least it's on its way out now. I had a great time with the concerts – Carlos Nunez' and his band, with the addition of the Cuban pipers and the Blue Engine String Quartet in a huge hall/ice rink in Port Hawkesbury. What an opening night though! He is such a showman – it's hard not to be caught up in his majestic flamboyance. With the girly trio (Karine Polwart and Annie Grace) we played in Sydney's Big Fiddle, Membertou (Celtic Comedy with Bette MacDonald and Maynard Morrison – whose acts were exceptional, especially her Mary Morrison!), and Cheticamp (the windiest place on Cape Breton I am sure). All fine concerts, run in close-knit communities with their attention to detail and their desire to make sure all the visitors have as good a time as possible. You just can't fault it – it's a dream to meet everyone, and get to know even just a little about the place and the people. I would recommend this festival to everyone. And the colours on the trees, just turning as we were there. Joella and Max, the Festival Directors, have such great vision, and that's what powers the vibrancy of the festival. I love it.
And that's just a small part of the festival. There is also the drivers and their humour, energy, constant smiles, attention to detail, tablet in the office, and their stamina! I love them all too. Hmmm, this blog is becoming sycophantic and I don't mean it to be. It's a bloody good time, that's it.
I had a lovely Sunday. It started with me going to see a gig! You can read all about it in Karine's blog. The Coming Home show with a host of singer-songwriters, having been living together for a week, creating a beautiful selection of new songs, all deeply moving in their own way, all sung with heart (and probably some fear due to them being so new) and an incredibly moving experience to behold. I then went on to Louisbourg Fortress on the East of the island, to help create a show with the Quebecois band Genticorum (ah what a superb band!), and Cape Breton's own Mary-Jane Lamond, Wendy MacIsaac and Patrick Gilles. I don't know – maybe it was where I had just been that put me in such a good place, but I had a lovely, lovely time here. Okay it was cold (mittens on in between numbers…) and there is no electricity (it having been built in the 1600's), so no light, but the candles and the atmosphere in the chapel made for a magical event. I have done this a few times in past visits to the festival, my first being where I met the inimitable Laoise Kelly, (which I'll never forget), and one where Maggie McInnes broke her arm through not seeing too well in the darkness (again, I'll never forget – mainly because I fretted about her all night and had to go to bed through worrying, and when I woke the next day it turned out she had been dosing up on whisky, and had conga-ed her way through the club all night…). Ha! Good times.

I spent a lot of time with Annie Grace – we had French Onion soup in Baddeck which surprisingly had half a pound of cheese in the bottom of it, which proved a tad difficult to eat! But they did a perfect soya latte which I adore (having only found out recently I am allergic to dairy I'm still finding out what and how to manage to eat when on tour). And we bought shoes in the Outdoor Shop, which proved easy, with a couple of visits! And we spent time at the Festival Club, which again proved easy with a bit of energy (helped by breakfasts at 4am with Cuban pipers playing in the pancakes…) And had a tune with Liam O Maonlai one night, but was so spaced out with the flu by then, I can hardly remember what went on. Good craic though. And on the last Sunday, I was driving precious cargo consisting of Lori and Innes Watson, John Somerville and Annie to a Thanksgiving Dinner and nearly running out of petrol while getting lost driving around Bouladerie, but being saved by Jim's lawnmower. Man, that was a tad worrying. But no need. The dinner was superb, the pumpkin pie was magical, and the company too. We had to go then, to head for the airport. Ach, none of us wanted to leave.

Oh yeah, and the trio did some recording at Sound Park Studios – with Jamie Foulds engineering. And it will be hard to go anywhere else again after that. He is magic, doing edits which are done while you are still breathing in to tell him about. So we may have something for you in the future. It was a learning experience as all recording is. I enjoyed it – we created some beautiful music. And I think we will do more. But no promises as to when it is out. It'll take a bit more time. But worth the wait I think.

Hope your Halloween is a good one. Have fun. I'm off to watch a scary film now.

Travels in America

June and July 2008

Travelled to Ohio this year to teach at the Ohio Scottish Arts School, which is held in Oberlin every year. Fiddle from Mike Vass and Ed Pearlman, Highland Dancing from a troop of amazing women, all of whom I met slightly but not really, Pipe Band Drumming and Highland Pipes, and Harp led by Sue Richards. We had Ann Heymann doing the wire harp, Sharon Knowles, Sue R, Kelly Stewart, and myself teaching harp, all kinds of technical levels and all kinds of approaches to playing, learning, creating, and general harptastic stuff. The sessions are always the oddest things about the course, as there is no 'one place' to meet. And the courses are split into different halls, so you have to go and wander to find other instrument players. I have never been a full on session player, preferring to join with whoever is there, rather than desperately needing to get one started. But I know it was an amazing thing to be involved in when I was growing up, and I relished every second of playing with other people, so I try to make sure everyone gets a chance to feel that and participate.

And the whole thing is a total hoot, with good times from beginning to end, and support from good friends. I recommend this course highly to anyone in USA! It's a wonderful experience.

I then went on to stay in Gettysburg with the most splendid of hosts Sharon and John Knowles. And their amazing cat Felix. He, in comparison to Hobbes, is a HUGE cat and is happy enough when the house is full of people and he is able to pick a lap to crash out on. Sharon is Scottish, so I immediately could understand her (not that I couldn't understand anyone else, but her tone was a Scottish tone compared to an American tone, which is entirely different. She has a soft lilting voice, and her husband John has also, which I adored.) I did a house concert at Stone Jug, and loved every minute of my time there. The audience were really receptive, and I was surprised to have sold out the place, considering having never been there before. I think the Scottish temperament and craic is much loved, and I was proud to be playing and singing from my tradition – it felt really good. I also got to sit out on the porch swinging on a beautiful old wooden bench. I got to sit drinking beer on a beautiful wooden rocking chair and watch the lightning bugs doing their thing across the field in front of the house. And got to meet some lovely players who came for lessons, in singing and harp. I was taken to Dan's house for the 4th July celebrations, sitting outside in front of the pool, watching the neighbours (and family) fireworks. It rained the whole time, and was incredibly misty. I felt very at home. And I was taken to West Virginia to a pipers session, which was full of old Highland tunes I hadn't played since the sessions in Balnain House all those years ago. It was also a retirement do, which was very memorable. Came away with lots of tunes, hats, homemade creams and potions and lots of new pals). And met a hammer dulcimer player or two (totally new to me in a a session!), and generally had a lovely time. And a rest. And a visit round the Gettysburg battle fields with John, who was a great guide and friend. It all started to make sense. Although war never makes sense. But when you are standing on the battlefield and can see the size of the terrain, like standing on Culloden fields, it makes it a bit more real, and takes it out of the text books simplicity. And I didn't want to leave. I really didn't want to go. I have never felt that "pleeeease …. Let me staaaaaaay here …." feeling before when travelling. Usually I'm happy to move on, always wanting to experience something new. But not this time. I would have moved in….

So onwards, via a few days in Rockville to sample homemade soups and catch up on some Swedish tunes with Sue Richards, to Washington DC and the Somerset Folk Harp Festival, organised by Gerry Serviente. This was her last year as producer, handing over to Kathy DeAngelo for the forthcoming years. Kathy has a beautiful old Camac Aziliz harp (with very old strings which I hear she has changed since I made such a fuss about!) which she lent me for workshops and performances. Although I also borrowed a lovely Larry Fisher harp for the craic – its such a bright wee thing. Anyway, it's an extravaganza of harpers from all over America, showing off their harps, their music, their love of the instrument. I was blown away by the intensity of it all, and felt a little out of my depth – I mean, it's just a harp. But wow. The amercians do conferences best. There was constant music, classes, workshops, sessions, vendors selling everything harp related, and general good times. I met a zillion lovely people. I went to a party on the 25th floor with homemade beer. I had my aura read. I met a few people who I'd met when I was at the Lyon and Healy Pop and Jazz Harpfest all those years ago. I had a massage. I met a huge hair colouring conference which was going on next door (haha I have pink hair just now, so they all keep steering me into their room for discussions, when I was heading for the harpers rooms!)

And all was a good time. The hospitality was overwhelming, the chat and friendship was immense, and I have fond, fond memories of my time there. I recommend all harpers to go and get involved in these things. Sharing your passion, however early you are into it, is worth its weight in gold. Playing with others can open your mind to new things, new sounds, and will forever make you a better player. One who can listen, as well as play. One who can share their music, not keep it to themselves. That's what it's all about.

And I haven't mentioned the Millenium Pond, or the baby ducks that decided they weren't going to learn to swim. Or the cats (apart from Felix) who I met on the way. Or the spongy toilet seat… Or the 9 hour drive through the Appalachian mountains (and then back again…) with Jen the wonderwoman. Or the time all the students dyed their hair pink, and tied pink ribbons through it, for the big sing under the giant Weeping Birch tree. (which I will never forget – that was a moving experience forever in my heart). Or the million dollar note which freaked me out, as it turns out I am going to hell, not heaven! …well if I believed in that… it was wasted on me I'm sorry to say. And…and ..it's too much.

Well I'm still sitting in my jammies. I need to get dressed. But I had promised this blog so many months ago, I had to do it when the energy hit me!

It took me a fair while to get over it I must say. And that is a whole different story. Which I will tell you about at some point soon.

Corrina