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Album
Information:
Eskdale,
track one, is an area of the English Lake District in the north west
county of Cumbria. The music follows a train journey from Ravenglass
on the coast to the village of Boot at the foothills of Scafell,
Englands highest mountain. The scenery is truly breathtaking and is
ever changing along the track. Most of the tune was hummed on the
way up, and scribbled on the way down. It was recorded a week later
after returning home.
The
next track, Purple, was written at the end of one of those magical days when
out with the family doing nothing in particular. It consisted of
walking on a beach, flying kites, eating really bad for you food,
spending far too much money and feeling utterly stodged and sunburnt
by the time you get home. But the feeling of having a wonderful time
with those closest to me was priceless.
Ad
Infinitum was
written very selfishly for myself. I wanted a piece that was
rhythmic, with rich strings to put everything in order at the end of
a hard day at work. I had recently finished composing a work based
on the life of the clockmaker and carpenter, John Harrison, (which
is not on this album, but may appear on the next) and found that
this melody did not fit exactly with him. However, the ticking and
rythym of the clocks was represented by plucked strings, and I found
this relaxing. So I carried on writing this piece as a single
venture until I was happy with it. Roughly translated, Ad Infinitum
is latin for 'Without End' or 'To Infinity', and this I suppose I
could say about any given work day, but I really feel it is the love
within a family. Unspoken, unchanging...just there.
The
fourth track is Ellecks Eye. If said as it is spelt, it will pronounce the roman
numerals L X I. Written for my mother for her birthday, and she will
not thank me for typing this, as she swears that it shoud read as L
I ! She has played the piano most of her life, and I still do not
hear her play enough. She has always been the greatest guide for me
through life, and it was a tiny gesture in giving her this piece
compared to what she has given me.
My
best friend, my lover and my soul mate, as well as my wife is the
focus of track five, Maria. I don't think I need to tell you why I have written it,
besides, it's between her and me...
After
watching a documentary about some of the brave explorers, Admunsen,
Scott, Shackleton etc, I was amazed at how breathtaking and unspoilt
the antarctic continent is. Standing tall above all this is Mt Erebus.
I couldn't help myself, but had to put all thoughts into music. The
sheer madness, bravery and determination to attempt to conquer such
a beautiful, but deadly and hostile terrain is unbeleivable. Beyond
Reach was how I felt the night my son was born. It is the
first and only time I have felt completely helpless, and at the
mercy of a handful of some amazing total strangers, after
complications arose as the night progressed. Left alone to watch the
sunrise with a four hour old infant in my arms, and praying for a
miracle. The miracle came, and I am forever in debt to some
wonderful wonderful people. This is for them. It is not written as a
sad piece, but as a melody for hope. Awful things happen in life,
they have to, otherwise you would never have any gauge as to what
pure happiness is. But to remember when things were so dark, and to
wonder whether you would ever know happiness again, is a way of
realising what is so good in life.
Ok,
your halfway through the album, It's nice that you've read this far,
and I hope that you keep reading. Denebola is the brightest star in the constellation Leo. For the
factual buffs amongst you, it is 36.18 light years from earth and it
can be found at the tip of the Lions tail. It was written for my
brother, firstly as a birthday present, but also as a thank you for
the art work he did for the album cover. He has a very distinctive
style of work, and he is a Leo.
When
my daughter was not getting to sleep very well, she asked if I could
put a little tune together for her. So I created a simple melody of
music boxes, and then over time, developed the piece into something
a little more special that became the Little
Box of Dreams. An
early tune that was written back in 2000 is Reason.
I was experimenting at the time with rhythmic piano melodies, and a
couple of ideas were brought together to make this one tune.
One
of my favourite tracks on the entire album is Seven.
I wrote this when my son was 3 months old. Seven is the date
and month of his birthday and it really is a picture in sound of his
first three months. I love the innocence of this particular track,
the delicate piano building up to the gentle introduction of strings
and bass. The final track of the original twelve piano pieces is Shadows
that was yet another inspiration that came from Cumbria. I
was humming this on a walk along the beach near Bootle. A very rocky
walk as it turned out, but beautiful all the same. It had just
finished raining, and out to sea was glorious sunshine beaming
through the clouds. Behind was the start of the fells and hills of
west cumbria. Three rainbows backed by an angry black cloud on the
retreat. The shadows that were cast across those fells were changing
shape so fast, that it made the hills come alive.
It
was difficult deciding which twelve compositions to use. It was
always my intention to produce an album that was both relaxing and
soothing. I didn't want to create an album of elevator music, or
jingles you would shop to, but instead, a whole collection of
memories and emotions wrapped up into just under one hour of
delicate and memorable melodies.
You
will also notice that there is an imposter at track thirteen. This
is Cumara,
and is one track from a much larger production in progress at the
moment. I decided to let this one appear at the end and brand it a
bonus track, as I feel it is a great way to come round after such a
relaxing album. It is also a chance for you to hear that not all my
music is quiet. Cumara is a progressive piece, with an array of
different instruments introduced during a highly addictive looped
melody. As mentioned earlier, Cumara will eventually appear as a
sole album.
Well
thats about all I have to say on this album so far. I really hope
that you listen to some of the clips, if not all of them, and I
especially hope that you buy the CD, to which you will be rewarded
with 55 minutes of bliss. Go on, you could spend your money on worse
things.............
Jamie
xx
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