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LAMMAS: Gavin Marwick & Ruth Morris
1: Lammastide/ Hats and Ribbons
2: Those Who Seek The High Places/ The Love of The Land
3: Earth’s Sorrowing in Autumn/ Time of Plenty
4: Lammas Towers/ The Tannel/ Juniper Smoke
5: St Fillan’s Spring/ The Lammas Market/ Lùnastal
6: August Breeze
All tracks composed by Gavin Marwick
‘LAMMAS is the third of four QUARTERDAYS Eps Scottish fiddler Gavin Marwick is set to release in 2023. Each of the set is a series of instrumental duets, for LAMMAS Marwick is joined by nyckelharpa player and fellow member of Firelight Trio Ruth Morris. Thematically the six tunes are a continuation of Marwick’s exploration of the history and lore of the old Scots Quarterdays
The nyckelharpa is a bowed real hairs on the back of the neck instrument, that paired with the fiddle produces an atmospheric and visceral sound. “Lammastide/Hats and Ribbons” winds the two instruments together in a slow graceful dance with an incredible connection between the two players. “Those Who Seek The High Places / The Love Of The Land” has the fiddle soaring with a high melody against Ruth’s lower notes, before the nyckelharpa picks up the evocative tune. These are all new Marwick tunes but this sounds as old as the earth and landscape this set celebrates. This pair of tunes definitely is a must hear. There is a definite melancholy to the first tune in “Earth’s Sorrowing In Autumn/ Time Of Plenty”. The playing is impeccably recorded and the resonance and burr of the notes vibrates through you. The second tune has hints of hope and light with another evocative fiddle melody. “Lammas Towers/The Tannel /Juniper Smoke" are a dance set with an infectious rhythm, some fire in the edgy second tune and the sense of curling smoke in the final one. One of the stand outs for me with its sense of pastoral space is “St Fillan’s Spring/ The Lammas Market/Lunastal”. Again the playing and the tunes tap into ancient traditions and evoke such pictures. The opening of “August Breeze” with the deeper resonant nyckelharpa and darting fiddle is a perfect example of two instruments playing together. The playing is slow and considered, more minimalism than folk and you can lose yourself in every shimmering note. Simply delightful instrumental music with moment to be lost in or moments to be swept away in.’ - FATEA
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