What happens when you cross a wizard with a kelpie?...
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.
from
an t’Each Uisge [The Water-Horse] COMPLETE EDITION (All 5 Parts),
released October 5, 2023
From 'Strathspey Stories' by David Francis and Hamish Napier
Stories written by David Francis.
Features pre-recorded music as a soundtrack 'The Shield Tree & The Trembling Tree'
from The Woods, released March 21, 2020
Musicians:
HN: D flutes, whistle, piano, Rhodes
Innes Watson: fiddle
Jarlath Henderson: ulleann pipes
James Lindsay: bass
Steve Byrnes: drums
Aspen tree leaves: vocals
All tracks composed by H Napier PRS/MCPS.
Produced by Andrea Gobbi & H Napier.
Arranged by S Byrnes & H Napier.
Recorded, mixed & mastered by A Gobbi at GloWorm Recordings & Carrier Waves, Glasgow.
Additional recordings by Barry Reid on location in Hamish’s livingroom, Grantown-on-Spey.