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ANNA-WENDY STEVENSON - My Edinburgh; ANNA-WENDY STEVENSON - My Edinburgh
Topic Started: Sep 2 2011, 09:27 AM (433 Views)
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ANNA-WENDY STEVENSON
My Edinburgh

self released 2011

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Well I hud tae, really. C'mon, it's called "My Edinburgh", the toon where I was born, and have lived most of my life. Of course, unlike some, I huvnae flitted tae Uist. Although, tae be fair, Embra has turned intae a right toilet over the last ten years.

Anyway, this suite of music by Anna-Wendy Stevenson was originally commissioned by and first performed at Glesgae's 2006 Celtic Connections Festival. Something that is just wrong. Intended to be a series of musical postcards of her hometown, Ms Stevenson said "I was brought up in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, and while writing this piece, lived in a little nest of a flat, high up, right next to the castle. I have drawn inspiration from various locations, architectures, festivals, but most of all from people I’ve met through my musical life in pubs, such as Edinburgh's famous Sandy Bell's". We'll let that one slide, what with my barring an' all, but here it is on a shiny CD.

Rather nicely, this is actually two discs in one, as the music is presented in both instrumental and vocal form, so ye can either start at Track 1 to hear the vocal versions, or Track 11 for the instrumental ones. Me, I'm no much for the heuchter tweuchter folky stuff, so was much happier in the first half. However, I can well understand if the purists oot there go for the second half. It's no just fiddling fae Ms Stevenson, as she's put a fair amount o' thought intae the arrangements, so you'll find volias, cellos, saxophone, mandolin and that most traditional of Scotch instruments, the bouzouki, putting in an appearance.

Once you get past the opening jig, and it's a good one, some of the music veers away from the trad, with wee bits of jazz and classical influences sneaking intae tunes like 'Grove Street' and 'Embra Nights'. My favourite, by far, was 'Newhaven Sunset', an evocative number that took me back to ma youth, huvin a swallay in Starbank Park. 'Audrey's Jig' was also a reel foot-tapper (hah!), and I found the whole record to be a rerr wee treat.

http://www.anna-wendy.com
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