Today is one of those cold, grey wintry days when you feel spring is still a long way off! I’m just drinking a lovely hot cup of tea after writing up some new pieces on Sibelius. It’s not my favourite thing .. sooner be composing! ..but I’m trying to be ‘good’ and more disciplined about doing the boring but important things to help my music reach others. I have several manuscript books full of pieces ready to go, at least enough for 3 plus more CDs. But until they are on Sibelius they are just pencil scribbles in a book!
It is enormously satisfying, though when the effort has been made and you finally have a CD in your hands!
With ‘Found in the Sunlight’ only a few weeks away from its launch I am getting very excited! People often ask me about the process of making an album and I tell them it’s quite simple. Compose the piece, get it on Sibelius, then find the artists you would like to have record them.
Having had the beautifully sensitive playing of pianist John Lenehan on my first album Found in the Rain I had no doubt that I would ask him again for Found in the Sunlight! We’ve played together on and off over the years and I knew that he would be the perfect choice when I first set out to record my music.
I was also delighted when Alexander Baillie, one of my all time favourite ‘cellists, came on board to join John and myself. I’ve always loved his wonderful tone and artistry.
It’s always difficult to know how many and which tracks to put in and which to leave for the next album but I’m really happy with how it’s turned out. It’s a bit like going to an art gallery and feeling that the paintings work in the way they are grouped together.. that they don’t detract from each other but live side by side in contented harmony!
The next album is already taking shape which will continue my theme, namely Found in Winter. I’ve been gradually putting tracks together for this and have found the whole idea of describing such a force of nature with all it’s raw elemental aspects immensely inspiring and thrilling, even humbling. Winter is a season that makes us acknowledge that, clever as we are as humans we must respect the planet that supports us and never take it for granted!
Back to ‘Found in the Sunlight’ I wrote the first track, ‘Floating in the Clouds’, quite soon before my father’s death. I was sitting at my piano in my studio and was thinking of him when something made me look up at the sky. There was a beautiful golden light shining through the clouds. Then the piece began to unfold. It began as a piano piece but then, as with many of my pieces I heard the melody ‘floating’ above!
Baggy point was an improvisation which came to me after camping by the beautiful headland for some days.. I was amazed that this evocative piece had come to me, it felt such a massive privilege!
All the tracks I’ve written have a special place in my heart with a story to tell. As I write my blogs I will try to include two or three which I hope will interest the reader.
Next I will tell you why the recording session nearly didn’t happen…!