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

heading to Canada

Heading off to the Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton in a few days with a variety of gigs with the girly trio. Also doing an extravaganza of a gig with CARLOS NUNEZ!!! Which means a hell of a lot of learning music for me - jee wiz the small harp and the pedal harp are quite different beasts. So I am adapting some of the padal harp music for Scottish harp. And enjoying the challenge. And cursing him at the same time... looking forward to some studio time with Karine and Annie - we are going into Jamie Foulds studio in Cape Breton to put down the tracks we've been working on over the past year. I'll keep you posted as to how we get on. 

And I never told you about the March incidents where my mum and David's mum and aunt both had big accidents and have been suffering ever since. As it wasn't something I could talk about then. And don't really want to talk about now. I should have gotten myself to the World Harp Congress which was at the end of July this year, but my mum in law went back into hospital for a serious operation to fix what was happening inside her, so I didn't go. there was just too much going on here to take off to Amsterdam. I wish I had gone... but I was glad to be here and glad she was okay in the end. Wow life is so precious. What a year it has been in that respect.

But good news ahead...

All the best, I doubt I'll be in touch til I get back from Cape Breton, so that'll be the end of October. May your leaves hang on til the last minute, and the sun shine on you every day.

corrina X

Just back from the London experience, playing with the lovely Bella Hardy and Chris Sherburn at the Royal Albert Hall, Folk at the Proms day. What a great venue!! They should definitely have more folk music in there. It suits it.

And am planning to write a blog on myspace about the trip to America which will stay in my memory for ever. I met some amazing people, all of whom were exceedingly generous with their time, hospitality, and friendship. It deserves a blog all it's own. But I have to go to the dentist now. SO will endeavour to do it later today. All the best to you.

Corrina x

june extra

*EXCLUSIVE ALBUM TRACKS ON ATLANTA RADIO! Listen to an interview broadcast on 9th June on the radio show Continental Drift Show WREK Altlanta 91.1 FM for the week June 9th - June 16th with the lovely Sahand Noorizadeh interviewing.
LINK: www.continentaldriftshow.com

This was a nice interview, which came totally out of the blue, and I very much appreciate Sahand giving me the opportunity to promote the new album 'Harp I do' to the Atlanta audience. And as I am heading over to the States in a couple of weeks, anything like this helps. You get a chance to hear tracks from the new album, "Amberanna' and "Milligan's Waltz", Kathryn and my album 'the sky didn't fall', 'My Favourite Place' and The Unusual Suspects 'Live in Scotland'. Cheers.

And I've added some new dates to the dates page. Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the girly trio (www.myspace.com/girlytrio)

x C

Accordion I Don't

Well I was never gonna be a regular updater - my days have been taken up with the harp recording, and touring with karine Polwart and Annie Grace. And the Orkney Folk festival which has taken me a heck of a lot longer to recover than I thought it was going to. Got flu. Got a huge hole in my index finger, seemingly from trying to open beer bottles with my bare hands. Which I was able to do, they tell me, but the blood in the beer was an added extra they were quite happy to forgo. Oh well I tried. Bought myself a groovy bottle opener for such times in the future. Don't go mentioning harpists do that - it's not a good thing to be advertising. And anyway, I'll never do it again...

'Harp I do' is the title of the new album. It has a selection of material which i have wanted to record on the small harp for a wee while. And I am glad it will finally be available to the general public soon.

Track listing is:
1. The Berserk/Nana's Walkabout
2. Fourteen years
3. Amberanna
4. Suntrap/Ratman
5. My love I miss her so / Dodging the frogs / The Rizla
6. Milligan's Waltz
7. Ledger's Lines / Bogle's Majority / The Peeler's Jacket
8. Sister's Lament
9. New Voice

The cd is 50.48 mins long and will be released on Big Bash Records

At the moment it will only be available here. October 2008 will be the public launch. And I'll take it to America with me, as I promised I would. 

cheers, Corrina

New harp album. Or is it?

Hi

I am at the moment trying to piece together a harp album to be released for forthcoming harpy events such as teaching weekends, OSAS, and various other places. Should I just have harp? Should I put some songs on too? My aim was to release a Corrina band album for next year, and that would certainly be more song-orientated. But this album has become a strange thing and i can’t quite work out what it will be/do/say.

I have options - layering harps (acoustic and electric), layering vocals, looping stuff (I have had an amazing box of tricks for a while now, but don’t really know how to work it to greatest benefit as yet...)

And I could always add my new loves - the ukulele and kalimba and cabasa (all presents of new).

But that’s ridiculous. Too many choices, not enough time. Any ideas, preferences, hates, loves, thoughts welcome. Although I really should be practising...

All the best to you, thanks for reading
x C

Tracks for life

12th March -

I have just come back from recording a radio show with Anna Massie and Lauren MacColl. It was for Bruce MacGregor’s Strings and Things show on Radio Scotland, which will be on air tonight (Thursday 13th) 8pm – 10pm. The link is only up for a week so be quick.

The link to hear the show is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/programmes/stringsandthings/

Bruce has had some cracking people on the series – Andy M Stewart, Sandy Brechin, Angus Grant Snr., Rick Taylor. Rick’s show was excellent. I was able to score a few off my list, as he had picked them. The show is about music that inspired us when we were young. Anna, Lauren and I all went to Fortrose Academy in the Black Isle. I was there a DECADE before they were though. Jings. Well, I have to say having 3 of us in the studio as well as Bruce throwing in a few tracks, plus us doing a couple of live things meant that we didn’t really have much time to really delve deep into anything. It was really interesting!! I came away from it feeling like I had said all the wrong things and none of the things I had actually planned to say.

For instance, I wanted to mention the Clarsach Society, without whom, I wouldn’t have been able to continue playing the harp, as we were able to hire a harp from them for a number of years. And they are the charity behind the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, which is in a couple of weeks!! I am doing two classes in Intermediate Scottish music, and stage-managing the concerts. And a Harmony Singing Workshop!! Woohoo – I love them. You should come along.
Go and have a look at

http://www.myspace.com/eihf or EIHF website at http://www.harpfestival.co.uk

Alisdair Martin (husband of Christine Martin, who first introduced me to the harp and gave me the basics of playing) got a hard time only because the harp he BUILT which I used for a while exploded. And I suppose I am glad they continued on their path of music publishing rather than harp building. Taigh na Teud music publishers on the Isle of Skye http://www.scotlandsmusic.com

And our music teacher, Miss Fraser, got a bit of a hard time too. Oh dear. Mainly because it was a nightmare learning music when I was there. The department was crap, with one room and a cupboard. And a portacabin that sat out in the quadrangle, with a window, but no heater. All it had was a chair and a shelf you could use as a table. That was the worst time. And Miss Fraser was a lovely woman, whom I did really like, and felt quite close to, specially in my last year. But lessons were crap. The teachers were all striking at various times during my fourth/fifth years, and when we were sitting exams it got to be a bit difficult. Especially since my dad was also an English teacher in a secondary school a bit further north. And they were also trying to change the system of ’O’ grades into ’Standard’ grades. Which meant neither the pupils nor the teachers had much of a scoobie as to what was going on!! So my memories of school are not so good. Learning music was an escape rather than a pleasure. My happiest memories are of doing the musicals every Christmas. I wanted to act more than anything. Thought I would be an excellent stage actor. I loved being somebody else, as you could be happy in your new persona, and pretend life wasn’t like it actually was. And indeed that is what being on stage is still like. Nothing much changes. I realised that all the music I listened to when I was young is still what I am drawn to, in the harmony, the approach, the instrumentation, stylistically. I am very lucky that my parents had brilliant music sense! And spent money on records. I will always be thankful to them for that. Music can fill emotional voids in your life. It can cushion the worst of times, and highlight the best of times. Although cake works for a bit.

And I had great difficulty putting together a list of 6 tracks (and in the end I think three were played). I mean HOW can you put a list together like that?? I had to cut it down from around 150 tracks. Got it down to 10 only by going for the tracks that directed influenced me when I was just learning to play. I have only learnt to sing harmonies through singing along to all these songs, trying to find more harmony lines that they haven’t used. Another favourite pastime was singing a semitone or a tone out, all the way through, just to see if I could do it, and indeed if I could stand it. And this has served me well in my professional career I must say.

So the influencing tracks in my youth were:
Rickie Lee Jones - Chuck E’s in Love (my first single along with XTC – Blame the Weather)
The Roches - Keep on doing - The largest Elizabeth in the world
Tower of Power - Live and in Living Colour - Knock yourself out
The Easy Club - The Train Journey North
Oscar Peterson Trio (with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen) - We Get Requests
1964 - my one and only love
Elvis Costello & the Attractions – Shipbuilding (although I actually preferred Robert Wyatt’s version on the Old Grey Whistle Test, I think it was. I’d wished Chet Baker had joined Wyatt’s version…)
Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G which was the most inspiring piece of music I’d ever heard. That was the first piece of music I could see the relationship between music and art and my emotional response to it.

Harpers who were inspiring were Savourna Stevenson (I learnt Tweed Journey off the cd and relished in its complexity), Alain Stivell (learnt his album by heart too), Deborah Henson-Conant (doing something wacky!), Sileas (I’d never come across a duo of harps before) and Uschi Laar (very inspiring link with music and healing). Later I found Laoise Kelly, Catriona McKay, Park Stickney, Cormac DeBarra, Andreas Vollenweider.

Later I would be utterly inspired when I heard:
Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story – brilliant writing!
Martin Hayes - The Golden Castle from album Martin Hayes (Bachue supported them way back in 1995 or 1996 at the Highland traditional Music Festival in Dingwall. Blew me away. They also completely silenced the Celtic Connections Festival Club one year, which had NEVER been done before. For a whole 45 minutes, Martin and Denis Cahill played seamlessly moving from one tune to another, and the club was transfixed and silent. That was a beautiful 45 minutes I’ll never forget.)
La Bottine Souriante - Le reel des soucoupes volantes from album La Mistrine (this was the moment I knew we could create our own big band, which would not rival Bottines’ as such, but would put Scotland on the big band map musically!)
The Two Duos Quartet - Half as Happy as We - The Shouter (Chris Wood is stunning. I love the duos of Karen Tweed/Ian Carr and Chris Wood/Andy Cutting and this album was a dream. This song makes me sing along in a heavy English accent, which is unusual)
Anything by Chris Wood actually.
And Aidan O’ Rourke and Lau.

And the rest inbetween:
Anything by Rickie Lee Jones, and anything by Joni Mitchell (whole Blue album, whole Mingus album definitely), Carly Simon, Suzanne Vega (first album esp. Small blue thing, Luka, Marlene on the Wall), U2, Radio Luxemburg was an amazing link into music - I heard a lot on that which I would later learn to be things like Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Count Basie and his orchestra. And Mike Westbrook Orchestra with Kate Westbrook, Keith Jarrett (my favourite is Personal Mountains), Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Loudon Wainwright III, Richard Thompson, Frank Zappa, The Cure (!!?), Howard Jones! Kate Bush!, Sandy Denny, Incredible String Band’s ’First Girl I Loved’ and ’Hedgehog Song’, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Miles Davis, Sting’s Dream of the Blue Turtles, Laurie Anderson, Gil Scott-Heron’s Pieces of a Man, Silly Sisters, The Bothy Band, Tom Waits, Gil Evans Orchestra, Eberhard Weber, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Donald Fagen, Steely Dan, Paul Simon’s Me and Julio down by the schoolyard (in fact this whole album was great), Doris Day, David Bowie, Queen, Nirvana, Steve Vai, Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells blew me away at a very early age, John Coltrane, Maria Schneider’s Orchestra, Prince!, Phil Collins, Gerry O’ Connor, Elton John (come on, some of his songs are brilliant!), Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Moving Hearts (toooooo much reverb though…), the Beatles, Marc Almond, The Smiths, Blondie, Bjork, (the Sugercubes then her own solo career), John Martyn, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Bert Jansch, Bonnie Raitt, Led Zepplin, The Silly Sisters (June Tabor and Maddy Prior), The Police,

And then:
David Milligan, Martyn Bennett, Swap, Sweet Honey in the Rock, John Cage, Charles Ives, Tori Amos, Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap, Diana Krall, Lunasa, the Cinematic Orchestra, JPP, Varttina, Vasen, The Wrigley Sisters, Liane Carroll, Cassandra Wilson, Johnny Cunningham, Madeline Eastman, Fionna Duncan, Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Bad Plus Trio, Ray Brown, Gene Harris, Bill Evans, Jan Johanssen, Bella Fleck, Eric Bibb, Misha Alperin and the Moscow Art Trio, Huun Huur Tu, Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares, Take 6, the Brecker Brothers, Jaco Pastorius, Weather Report, Yellowjackets, Roadside Picnic, Trilok Gurtu, Oregon, Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, Aretha Franklin, Brad Mehldau, Liz Carroll, The Brazz Brothers.

Currently listening to my cat, purring on my knee

C

february 08

18th Feb - Last Friday. Over the last few weeks I've been thinking on how short life is, and how fast it goes. Dear old Mr Pye died on Friday. He was a very special cat and had a big presence in our family. And now he's gone and the hole he leaves is large and at the moment gaping wide. But it will get smaller, and we all get used to him not being around. He had a long lovely safe and satisfying life, and a peaceful death in the arms of Jade. Can't ask for more than that.

You know Annie Grace was hit by a car on Friday, She was waiting to cross the road, standing beside parked cars, and someone reversed into her. The driver didn't see her, and only stopped when they heard the shouts from onlookers. Thank god for onlookers! All those people watching the world go by in snapshot moments. Would have been quite a story round a few kitchen tables that night! I think that feeling of fear, as a driver, that you could have just killed someone must be all-consuming. Well, Annie's hurt, but recovering well. Maybe you could send her a wee massage? Haha I meant a message. But hey - if you can send a massage through the postal service, or by email, then yes please send it. Wouldn't that be a beautiful brilliant present to receive? Wow. I am sure she will blog about it at some point, but at the moment needs rest to recover. She was a lucky girl to sustain only the injuries she has. Jings - what would we do without Annie eh??

17th Feb - It is Martyn Bennett's birthday today. Go and look at the Martyn Bennett sitehere. He was such a lovely man and the work that the Martyn Bennett Trust are involved with is worth supporting. There is a fund raising concert on 1st March at George Watsons on Colinton Road Edinburgh. There will be a concert showcasing some of Scotland's best young traditional musicians, followed by a ceilidh (with the 'Off Centre Ceilidh Band'). It will last from 7:30pm to 11:30pm, doors open 7:00pm.
To book a ticket please send an email to kirstylaw@hotmail.co.uk or call 01875-835-229 They are also available from CODA MUSIC, Bank Street on the Mound, Edinburgh. Admittance is FREE with donations to the Martyn Bennett Trust gratefully recieved on the night. Children are welcome! Please go along if you can - this is an important event.

2nd Feb - I run Harmony Singing workshops. They are much fun. This year for the CC Festival I had 103 singing in a 'Come and Try' Harmony Singing, and a much more modest 40 singers in the 'Already Harmony'. And from that, now comes EXTREME HARMONY!!! Taking to the edge, and jumping off with it! Harmonising up to the max. My workshops will never be the same again...

I am blethering too much so I will go.

Corrina

january 08

CELTIC CONNECTIONS! Woohoo! What a lovely festival it was too. Was involved in organising "HARP HEAVEN" a twelve strong harp show. "Welcome to heaven, here's your harp! Welcome to hell, here's your accordion!" (Box night was on the night after.) Mary Macmaster, Patsy Seddon, Catriona McKay, Laoise Kelly, Cormac DeBarra, Jochen Vogel, Ailie Robertson, Fraya Thomsen, Gillian Fleetwood, Rachel Hair and Maeve Gilchrist. And me. I was a bossy cow that weekend but in the nicest possible way. And they responded beautifully, all doing their thing, but with an ear and eye out for everyone else. It was not an orchestra of harps (not really my thing) but a group of very individual players, all related to me somehow in performing buddies, or past pupils, or from meeting them at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival (particularly Cormac and Jochen). I want to take this to other festivals!!! All the harp festivals in the world should hear this! I have two minidiscs of music recorded from it, but no time just yet to get it transferred. Soon I promise.

And it was also the launch of the EIHF brochure for this year's festival. I have been on the committee since 2002 as an artistic 'advisor' to Isobel Mieras as Artistic Director, with a group of wonderful women all taking on roles to fulfill a good festival, in order to raise funds for the charity The Clarsach Society. This years festival is a splendid one! Have a look! Edinburgh International Harp Festival

Then the Unusual Suspects played. Two new members Ewan Robertson and Peter Tickell. And Iain Copeland on his first full gig. twas a lovely thing. We have some possibilities to visit Luxembourg and Norway in the coming year. Visit the website. Go on, you know you want to. The Unusual Suspects

Then Grace Hewat Polwart. We do make a nice sound. And we got an emailed phwhooarr from a wonderful voilin player. That makes it all worthwhile. Ha! We had such fun. the Celtic Connections staff, artist reps, marketing staff, and Donald and Jade who put it together are SO GOOD at what they do. What a legacy Colin Hynd has left behind him. It's an amazing thing he has created. And I thought that was the best one yet. I certainly felt more at ease with myself and the projects i was involved with. S'pose that's because I am off the pills now. Ha. We then went on to have a small part in a most wonderous show Voices of the World. I ended up coordinating it, which was an utter joy. And quite an undertaking. Of course though, all these women, from Italy's rice fields, to Bulgarians to Lewis Gaelic singing, to us. It was a wild variety of women and backgrounds, and yet we all had a common bond. They were a joy to work with and hear. I loved it. Read Karine's beautiful blog on it here There's no need to say any more really. She has a way with words eh? Makes me feel quite lacking on occasion.

And we had a surprise invitation to join Kirsty McGee on her Hobopop gig. It was a beautiful event, although putting Kirsty in front of Capercaillie I thought was a strange mix. The Capers are very much an 'electric' band at the moment, although still incorporating the acoustic instruments of Charlie McKerron on fiddle, Anna Massie on mandolin and Donald on accordion. Oh yeah and Manus Lunny. But I couldn't really hear him too well. We were right below the speakers at the front though, so that will have been a factor. Ewen Vernal was on electric and double bass - he is a great player - and there was a lot of room for him to solo which was excellent. But it's all getting very 70's retro just now. But still Capertastic.
Kirsty, Mat Martin and her band were very acoustic, rockabilly, rootsy, jazz tinged, 'hobopop'. Great songwriter. Go and visit her here.

Reflecting in winter

The Scots Trad Music Awards started the month off well. The Unusual Suspects opened the proceedings with a set starting with Pressed for Time written by Gordon Duncan.  What a great tune that is.  We had Iain Copeland on drums this time round.  Sorry Alyn Cosker wasn’t able to make it, and he can’t do Celtic Connections either.  But Iain is a great substitute, very different, but great.  All the dignitaries and high heid yins were there.  And everyone has there own agendas.  And many a judement is made. It's a strange thing, but a very wonderful thing to be able to celebrate our culture and our music. We're all here for the right reasons. We're all trying our best. To survive, and thrive, and make some good come out of our being here. And give back what we have been given. Playing an instrument is a gift. Being able to sing is a gift. Being able to share it is a gift too. The Trad Awards are magnificent for bringing all the facets of the traditional scene together. Less judgements, more celebrating I say!

Flu – that’s what happens when a heap of musicians get together – all that snogging each others faces off in humble recognition that you are all still well, alive and coping.  So we all got flu. Wasn't it a hideous one this time round? Blaargh. *cough splutter

Did a lovely gig on my birthday for a couple getting married near Peebles in a beautiful place called 'Cringletie House'. Aw what a lovely place. The couple asked that I play a song they were fond of. And thus I was introduced to Lou Rhodes! Beloved One was the main one, although I ended up learning Save Me as well. What a low and mellow voice. I really enjoyed learning it. It was a beautiful wedding. I know Jodieanne and Marcus will have lots of happiness in their lives together.

Christmas - good times – singing with mum and jade.  Loads of carols, then onto “Our favourite songs” Needless to say we were quaffing back the champagne which made it all the more fun.  Although I couldn’t make it to the end.  Had to stagger to bed around 4am hearing Jade and mums voices fading as I tiptoed up the stairs.  It was fantastic to hang out with the two of them without work being at the root of it. 

And I am now the proud owner of a ukulele. And what utter joy it has brought me. I love it. Aaaahhhhh. I really do. I need a case for it. That's my excuse for not taking it out...

David’s granny turned 100!  How amazing is that?  Brought up in Dundee, and then went on to live in Burnt island, Fife, and the Borders.  She gave up after she hit the big century, and sadly died on New Year’s Eve.  Very long life, a beautiful daughter (David's mum) and a wonderful husband who was the station master.  Never watched television, hardly listened to music, rarely listened to the radio.  A very closed life, yet long and happy.  It was sad to see her go.

Corrina