Hong Kong to Sligo | Orchestra Macaroon
Track Details
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- Song for Brian (3:34)
- Damson Day* (3:02)
- Patterdale Cross* (3:34)
- Bee in the Bonnet (3:02)
- Escape to Mayo (3:05)
- Crossing the Strands (3:43)
- The Huts in Peaton Wood (4:52)
- Come On, Why Not?** (3:37)
- Nanny Water (3:53)
- The Ruby Tango (3:11)
- Tom nan Casdaich (3:21)
- Red Screes (5:45)
All tracks composed by Colin Blakey except * by Philippa Bull and ** by Colin Blakey & Philippa Bull
All pieces arranged and produced by Colin Blakey & Philippa Bull
All artwork by Fiona Blakey
1. Song For Brian (Colin Blakey)
This is an ‘Afro’-style tune dedicated to the memory of Brian Conyngham, who made many groovy things happen in Drogheda, Ireland. Brian, who was from Zimbabwe, co-founded the Drogheda Samba Festival, and greatly encouraged the development of The Drogheda Samba School. He had a love of music from Southern Africa, and introduced lots of people to Kwela, South African jazz, and many of the great musicians from that part of the world. Brian passed away in 2020 and will be much missed by all who knew him.
Alto Sax: Cath Sewell | Accordion: Ben Farmer | Piano: Pete French | Hand pan: Max Gore | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Drums: James Mackintosh
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2. Damson Day (Philippa Bull)
Named after a springtime festival in Cumbria’s Lyth Valley which is famous for its Damson harvest. The festival is a small local event with live music, food, and lots of stalls of damson products and local crafts. It’s a daytime event timed for when the damson blossom is out and has a really celebratory atmosphere. The 3/2 timing of the piece is typical of some dance tunes that are local to North West England.
Accordions: Ben Farmer, Philippa Bull | Marimba: Sam Nicholls | Guitar, tin whistle, tenor banjo: Colin Blakey | Piano: Pete French | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Drums: James Mackintosh | Wood blocks, claves: Philippa Bull
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3. Patterdale Cross (Philippa Bull)
Two tunes written in Cumbria: the first is named after Phil and Colin’s first dog Laddie, and it’s also the name of crossroads near Ullswater; the second is called ‘Swing on The Bough’, which celebrates climbing trees in childhood. The whole piece is intended to sound like a traditional music session with players dropping in and out as it goes along.
Violins: Carolyn Francis | Accordion: Ben Farmer | Tin whistle, tenor banjo: Colin Blakey | Alto sax: Cath Sewell | Guitar: Rab Woods | Piano, timbale: Pete French | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Drums: James Mackintosh
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4. Bee In The Bonnet (Colin Blakey)
This is a kind of Celtic punk boogaloo made up of two contrasting tunes (‘Bee in the Bonnet’, and ‘Cat Among the Pigeons’). The timing – 7 fast beats in the bar – is unusual, and best danced to if you have one leg shorter than the other.
Marimba: Sam Nicholls | Accordion: Ben Farmer | Tin whistle, tenor banjo | Colin Blakey | Piano: Pete French | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Drums: James Mackintosh | Hand claps: Philippa Bull, Colin Blakey
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5. Escape To Mayo (Colin Blakey)
County Mayo is in the West of Ireland and is a very beautiful and peaceful place. This Americana-style old-time waltz was written on the eve of a trip to Mayo.
Violin: Steve Wickham | Accordion: Ben Farmer | Tin whistle, banjo: Colin Blakey | Acoustic guitar, dobro: Rab Woods | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson
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6. Crossing The Strands (Colin Blakey)
This piece weaves together a few different musical threads: a march with hint of Breton music leads into a slow air that features the tin whistle. This was first performed as a part of a larger work called ‘Interlace’ at The Edinburgh Mela Festival, commissioned by Alan Tweedie.
Alto sax: Cath Sewell | Accordion, pizzicato violins and violas: Philippa Bull | Tin whistle: Colin Blakey | Cello: Kimho Ip | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson
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7. The Huts In Peaton Wood (Colin Blakey)
This is a peace march for all the hardy people whose vigils have drawn attention to the presence of American nuclear-armed submarines on the west coast of Scotland. Peaton Wood overlooks Coulport on Loch Long on the West Coast of Scotland where these submarines are stationed and serviced. In the wood there were huts providing shelter for the protestors who hold a vigil 365 days a year.
Violins: Carolyn Francis, Colin Blakey | Accordions: Ben Farmer | Octave mandola: Rab Woods | Tin whistle, smallpipes: Colin Blakey | Border pipes: Stephen McNally | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Drums: James Mackintosh
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8. Come On, Why Not? (Colin Blakey & Philippa Bull)
This piece blends Afro rhythms with a Kwela-style melody, and a Celtic jig. The main melody was written during a visit to Galicia, where our host’s mother frequently asked us, “Come on, why not?” when encouraging us to follow her various suggestions as to what to see and do locally.
Accordions: Sharon Shannon | Tin Whistles, guitar, tenor banjo: Colin Blakey | Piano: Pete French | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Drums, udu: James Mackintosh
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9. Nanny Water(Colin Blakey)
A small and peaceful river, The Nanny flows into the Irish Sea in Laytown, County Meath where it finally merges with the tidal currents in the estuary there.
Accordion: Ben Farmer | Violin: Steve Wickham | Cellos: Kimho Ip | Tin Whistle, guitars, Galician pipes: Colin Blakey | Piano: Pete French | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Bass drum, cymbals: James Mackintosh
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10. The Ruby Tango (Colin Blakey)
Written for the occasion of Colin’s parents Ron & Wendy Blakey’s 40th wedding anniversary.
Alto sax: Cath Sewell | Guitar: Colin Blakey | Accordion: Ben Farmer | Piano: Pete French | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Drums: James Mackintosh | Cowbell: Philippa Bull
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11. Tom Nan Casdaich (Colin Blakey)
The dub-reggae effects portray the fragmented nature of the weather often encountered on a small birch-covered hill near Taynuilt in Argyll, from the summit of which are fine views of local landmarks Loch Etive and Ben Cruachan.
Tin whistle, banjo: Colin Blakey | Violin: Carolyn Francis | Accordion: Ben Farmer | Border pipes: Stephen McNally | Acoustic guitar: Rab Woods | Organ: Pete French | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Drums: James Mackintosh
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12. Red Screes (Colin Blakey)
The majestic Red Screes sits above the Kirkstone Pass in Cumbria, and climbing the fell gives a spectacular view of the landscape in all directions. There are two main tunes in this piece that work together in the first section. This gives way to an extended outro sequence in which the melody instruments rise up through the chord changes, leaving the listener floating high above the sonic landscape that came before. The piece features some exotic instruments: Kimho plays yang qin, a Chinese hammered dulcimer, and Colin plays a swarmadal tanbura, which is an Indian instrument that is often used to accompany classical Indian singing. It simultaneously plays a drone and also provides a cascade of notes, like a harp. James plays an udu and a madringam. An udu is an African clay pot drum, and a madringam is a double-headed barrel-shaped hand drum used in Indian traditional music.
Accordion: Ben Farmer | Violin: Steve Wickham | Yang qin, cello: Kimho Ip | Tin whistle, wooden flute, guitars, swarmadal tanbura: Colin Blakey | Double bass: Trevor Hutchinson | Madringam, udu, bells: James Mackintosh
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