These players are proud of their roots - Catriona plays scottish harp, Chris plays shetland fiddle. They write of their homeland - , the Fair Isle, Shetland, Dundee, Glasgow - and race to work with other players from other countries and traditions - scandanavia, south america, eastern europe, africa, [neilston?]. In a live setting they play with and off each other, sitting face-to-face, a dynamic and stormy rush of sound one minute, a sparce, precise air the next; madness and stillness.
Michaelswood is a thing of beauty. A slow air, written by Chris Stout, it is sombre and stately and tugs at the heart strings. It is yearning, sad, touching. The fiddle takes the lead, the tune plainly stated at first, later elaborated and embroidered, always supported by the harp [although the solo harp at about 4 minutes in is delightful]. It is not complicated - the sheet music is easy to follow, the form and the harmonies are traditional, the chords in the key of D major are straightforward. The beauty is in the writing, in the playing.
This is music that resonates on both musical and emotional levels. It is sincere, it is authentic, it is effective. It has been made a musician remembering a loved individual and that shows. We don't necessary know the person but we "hear" the love, the respect, the loss from the players.
Michaelswood is named after a forest of remembrance planted in Shetland by the family of Michael Ferrie, a founder member of Fiddler's Bid. The tune is also a memorial, a remembrance of a musician, a recognition of the support of his family. When Chris and Catriona play the tune in concert this context is explained. However, for me, the tune tells the story without explanation, without limit.
No comments:
Post a Comment