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Release - Album (album)

Release started life as a live commission for Glasgow based international music festival Celtic Connections in 2017. Scottish harper and singer Fraya Thomsen composed the music in a basement in East London, channeling a plethora of idealist themes into three movements. At the time, the piece was titled Community and Stardust – a reflection on our individual human scale and the importance of interconnectivity. In response to practicalities,

Release was recorded in musicians' homes and studios across the UK in 2020 during the pandemic. The musicians, who had originally devised and performed the piece, have generously contributed their diverse spread of musical backgrounds and flare to the identity of the album. Sarah Allen's punchy rhythmic alto flute, Shanti Jayasinha's soaring flugelhorn, and Colett O'Leary's lilting accordion are all a part of Fraya's teenage musical landscape, a formative time when she realised that she must keep making music.

Louise McMonagle (cello), James Maddren (Drums/percussion) and Cameron Maxwell (bass) have brought a wealth of passion and musicality to the album. Artist Lucy Cash has written the lyrics to one of the songs on the album and has been an inspiring sounding board along the way.

Details

Instruments:
Harp
Tune Types:
Air, Dance tunes, Listening tune, Reel
Occasions:
Ceilidh, Hogmanay, St Andrew's Night, Weddings
Origin:
Scottish
Articulations:
Staff notation
Arrangers:
Fraya Thomsen
Performers:
Fraya Thomsen
Level:
Advanced
Composers:
Fraya Thomsen
Date:
2020
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Table of contents

  • KInd Sad Girl
  • Bob Burt's / For the love of Shoogles
  • Connected
  • Save the World
  • Electrons
  • Tiger
  • For the Water Protectors
  • Not for This
  • Just This Skye Line
  • Marie Louise Napier's
  • Release
  • Kind Sad Girl
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Reviews

"a performance full of energy and emotion"

Alex Monaghan

'soundtracks for otherworld movies' Andrew Darlington - RnR 'a captivating album’s worth of skilful, atmospheric and powerful harp pieces' Marc Higgins - FATEA

Mark Higgins FATEA

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