tlee61
Warm and valedictory all at once, a tune that captures the power of a river to change lives.
Favorite track: Riverness, feat. Duncan Chisholm & Su-a Lee (music).
This is the FIFTH and final part of the digital release An t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse]. Only available on Bandcamp. It's called 'STRENGTH'' and focusses on the strength of the rivers and the humans that work to harness that power. Part 1 was 'CHILD', Part 2 'LAND', Parts 3 'LOVE' and Part 4 'SPIRIT'.
In a nutshell 'Part 5 - STRENGTH' is half an hour long, and consists of:
6 pieces of music
1 poem
3 folk stories
3 field recordings
After the 2020/2021 pandemic lockdowns, I compiled a new 5-part collection of bonus material for my first solo album The River called An t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse]. This is the name given to the kelpie, the wicked (but awesome) river spirit of Scottish folklore.
Edinburgh singer, guitarist and Storyteller David Francis is hugely knowledgeable and experienced in the Scottish folk tradition. He and I have collaborated on various projects over the years, including the ‘Ceol Mor’ youth folk big band at Aberdeen International Youth Festival 2012-2016, and the ‘Dufftown Stories’ for the People’s Parish project in 2022. ‘Strathspey Stories’ was series of self-filmed local heritage stories on YouTube for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival Online in 2020. David researched and wrote the stories - they are brilliant. We went out on location to farms, cottages and firesides in my local area to record the stories and tunes associated with each place. We are very proud of the 8 short films - they have a very homemade feel (we didn’t have pro videography gear, just our iPhones)! You can find them on my YouTube channel. Have a pot of tea and a packet of biscuits at the ready.
The river Spey has its very own rare variety of kelpie known as 'An t-Each Ban' (the White Horse), according to James Alan Rennie's book 'Romantic Strathspey'. This notorious water horse sprit would appear on the riverbank, its "saddle, bridle and stirrups of gleaming silver were encrusted with precious stones, white reigns and saddle-cloth of crimson velvet edged with gold." The passer-by would excitedly climb onto its back. Suddenly with a hideous scream, the horse would bolt into the river. As the rider held on for dear life, by some evil magic the skin of their hands would grow over the reigns and the spirit would drag them to their doom in the murky depths.
credits
released June 3, 2023
Full Album Credits for An t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse]: All Parts 1 - 5.
It’s basically just a whole load of bonus tracks for my first album 'The River. In the end it turned out to be an hour and 45 minutes worth of new compositions, remixed older music, trad tunes, field recordings, storytelling, narration and poetry recitations, in 5 parts:
Part 1 Child - Featuring Kenneth Steven, Jim Macintosh & Innes Watson.
Part 2 Land - Featuring Merryn Glover, Innes Watson & Marie-Louise Napier.
Part 3 Love - Featuring Su-a Lee, Karen Hodgson Pryce, Peter Stronach, Duncan Chisholm, Innes Watson and Jarlath Henderson
Part 4 Spirit - Featuring Andrea Gobbi and David Francis
Part 5 STRENGTH - Featuring Duncan Chisholm, Fraser Stone, David Francis, Marie-Louise Napier, Will Boyd-Wallis, Innes Watson, Steve Byrnes and Su-a Lee.
Your contribution to this release is greatly appreciated!
So, who’s actually featured on An t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse] EP?...
Karen Hodgson-Price - poet and recitation
Jim Mackintosh - poet and recitation
Kenneth Steven - poet and recitation
David Francis - writer and storytelling
Merryn Glover - writer and narration
Marie-Lousie Napier - clarsach and narration
Jarlath Henderson - uilleann pipes
Steve Byrnes - acoustic guitar & snare drum
Innes Watson - acoustic guitar, tenor guitar & fiddle
Duncan Chisholm - fiddle
Will Boyd-Wallis - acoustic guitar
Fraser Stone - drums
Su-a lee - cello and field recordings
Peter Stronach - field recordings
Fergus Napier - fly fishing rod
Hamish Napier - field recordings, wooden flutes, whistles, piano, keyboards, programming, percussion and poems
Musicians who originally performed on the selected and remixed tracks from my albums 'The River' and 'The Woods’:
Sarah Hayes - alto flute
Martin O'Neill - bodhran
James Lindsay - double bass
Steve Byrnes - guitar and drums
Recorded by Hamish Napier & Andrea Gobbi
All tracks arranged by Hamish Napier with invaluable contributions from Andrea Gobbi
All tracks composed by Hamish Napier PRS/MCPS, except 'The Power of the River’ composed by Hamish Napier & Duncan Chisholm, and 'Music of Spey' and 'Spey in Spate’ by James Scott Skinner.
Poems by Hamish Napier, Jim Macintosh, Karen Hodgson-Pryce and Kenneth Steven.
Writers: David Francis, Merryn Glover and Elizabeth Grant (1797-1885).
Edited, mixed & Mastered by Andres Gobbi at Carrier Waves and GloWorm Recording, Glasgow.
Photos, artwork and design by Somhairle Macdonald. with some design by Hamish Napier.
Scottish mega piper Ross Ainslie. awesome self-penned tunes, banging arrangements and all-round dynamite production! Ross and I have been collaborating for years on each other's gigs and albums! Hamish Napier
supported by 11 fans who also own “An t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse] Part 5 - STRENGTH”
My father was born in Glasgow, yet somehow I have never visited Scotland. This lovely music sounds like my ticket of return to the country of his birth. Philip Graham
supported by 7 fans who also own “An t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse] Part 5 - STRENGTH”
Great Scottish band! The addition of guests like Duncan Chisholm-fiddler extraordinaire- and Julie Fowlis-an authentic voice of Scotland- make it perfect. dardar1126
supported by 7 fans who also own “An t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse] Part 5 - STRENGTH”
Just the most fun. Every set is one I want to sit down and learn, and they play with so much ENERGY and STYLE. Crunchy, tangible sound. I'll never get tired of listening to Kinnaris Quintet play. andpersand
A dreamy improv-folk collage from Toronto multi-instrumentalist Clara Engel, who plays cigar box guitar, talharpa, melodica, and many more. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 20, 2022
Old-fashioned fiddles harmonize with rippling synths on the Scottish singer-songwriter's latest collection of original folk songs. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2022
