Whispersquish
Gwendolyn : Lower Mill Road (US/UK,rec.2002,pub.2007)****
When Gwendolyn stayed in Scotland she worked with ten local folk artists on a recording which only now sees the light of day. Of course there are folk leanings, -especially the harp adds its own gentle flavours-, but it is mostly the child-friendly, happy girl folk personality in them that shapes the songs (it doesn’t mean that there are no songs with a sadder subject). She’s a real nature girl. The folk association is never too traditional, and has at times more something of an Incredible String Band entourage, while using folk elements and all sorts of improvisations and arrangements for it, and being sung by a girl from the woods and the wide open fields, with a happy or at least hopeful message.
Participants : David Crichton (violin, string arrangements), Chris Drever (banjo, mandolin), Graham Flett (upright bass), Brian McAlpine (accordion), John McCusker (whistles, violin), Catriona McKay (clarsach or Scottish harp), Simon McKerrol (whitles, pipes), Brendan McTussel (piano, drums, percussion), Nigel Richards (cittern, manditar) and Tom Richardson (acoustic guitar).
PS. I found it remarkable how the stone against which she was posing looked very much like a local harp. Who knows this stone as well was used as some kind of instrument in the past (as stones in older days were).
