CD Notes

Chasing the Breeze
There is a legend from the Western Isles of Scotland that tells of a harper who, on his travels, would sail into the creeks of the Isles, always at twilight. He would spend the evening at the headland house, where the “makers and hearers” of music would gather. At midnight he would pass the blessing around and put out to sea again, forever “tune-seeking and tune- making” ...

These are tunes that I have gathered on my travels — from countries I have lived in or visited - from many of the wonderful musicians I have had the privilege of meeting along the way. Many thanks to all of you for your inspiration.

I hope those of you who listen will have as much pleasure in hearing as I have had in tune-seeking and tune-making.

Scandinavia
The first two tunes are well known Swedish folk songs with roots going right back to the Middle Ages. In this lustrous summertime is a psalm of high summer, and O bright crystal can trace its history back to the medieval tradition of Maria songs. Denmark has a unique collection of printed music books (nodebøger). That of Rasmus Storm (a clerk and fiddle player from Funen) is from 1760 and is the earliest known of these music books. I couldn’t resist making a sort of Minuet and Trio by coupling one of the Minuets from his collection with the well - known Welsh tune, Merch Megan, which was first published in 1781 by the blind Welsh harpist John Parry in his“British Harmony”. Water spirits — nøkken — are as familiar in Nordic mythology as their counterparts, the kelpies, are in Celtic legend.

Heimo is a Norwegian song telling of the power of fhe water spirit to lure humans to his dwelling on the riverbed. Legend also has it that “spillemænd” (traditional musicians) often learnt their tunes from water spirits, so Heimo is followed by a lovely Swedish Polska (ever so slightly adapted to suit the Irish harp) found in Anders Larsson’s music book of 1810 from Østergotland. The Norwegian song The Mother captures the feeling known to all travellers, when the longing for home is almost unbearable.

Scotland
The Shetland Lullaby is another song whose very ancient roots stem from the pre-Christian ritual of wren hunting on St. Stephens Day (26th December) to ensure the return of the sun. Some of these songs have been transformed into lullabies with a refrain of nonsense syllables to soothe the child, but which are probably also protective spells.

Roslin Castle is a slow air named after a castle in Scotland, which was built around 1304. The chapel of the castle is famous for its architectural beauty. There is also a Welsh version of this tune called Rhos-Y-Llan Castle. The earliest Scottish description of a country dance with music is to be found in the Agnes Hume manuscript of 1704. The tune used is John Anderson my jo — a tune later used by Robert Burns for a song describing the beauty of lovers growing old together.

Wales
These four tunes are all from the rich Welsh harp tradition. Calennig is from Nicholas Bennett’s “Alawon fy Ngwald”(”Songs of my country”) of 1896. It is a word used to describe the custom of a New Years good luck gift of an orange covered in cloves. Miss Croke’s Minuet and Shawbury Park are both from Edward Jones’ “Poetical Relicks of the Welsh Bards” (1784).

Ireland
These four harp airs are all to be found in the Bunting Collections. Fair Gentle Ellie was collected by Bunting from the Irish harper James Duncan and published in his 1809 volume. The poem by Séamus Dali McCuarta describes Ellie as “the pearl of all Ireland”; Eleanor Plunkett and Mrs McDermott Roe (also known as The Princess Royal) were written by the most Famous of the Irish harper composers, Turlough O’Carolan (1670 - 1738). The pretty girl milking her cow is a tune also Found in the Welsh tradition as Y Pwll Glas.

Japan
Two nostalgic songs from a country which holds special memories for me, and which has given me some special friends and harp colleagues...

Red Dragonfly (Kosaku Yamada d.1965) recalls the feelings of the poet (Rofu Miki) when he thinks of his home and of his love for his mother.

A ruined castle in the moonlight (Rentaro Taki d.1903) brings this particular journey to a close in calm and reflection, as the composer sits on the stone wall of a ruined castle playing his shakuhachi — the instrument of Zen meditation which a contemporary poet has described as “strength in the face of the wind” — very essential when Chasing the Breeze...

Credits

Recorded and mastered by Thomas Li at My Room Studio, Copenhagen.

Produced by Thomas Li.

Cover textile by Lesia M. Zuk.
Portrait photo by Svend Withfelt.
Graphic design by Influence, Hannah Karma Mikkelsen.
All tunes played by Helen Davies on an Irish harp by Jan Muyllaert.
All tracks trad/arranged for Irish harp by Helen Davies except tracks 20/21 which are arranged by Helen Davies and Michiko Semba.

Dedicated to the memory of Rikke Gaarde who is now “one of the thousand winds that blow” around us.