I Am Almost Never Speechless…
Not long after we first recorded The Smile, I decided it could work both as a simple folk song, and as a more vibrant Gospel-style number. So Ali and I talked several times about hiring a church hall, and we put the idea last year to the rest of The Folded Arms who seemed to think it was sound. At that time we envisaged hiring a hall with a bit of character that would not be too expensive to hire, and while we had our eyes on places in both Fallowfield and Sale time just ran away with itself and became clear that it would not happen until this year.
The last few months of 2016 got busier and busier to the point where I had to draw a line at the end of Friday 16th December, deciding that whatever happened I would not work again until January. Incredibly, apart from a couple of small tasks on 19th, I stuck to that. The holiday period passed very quickly and there wasn’t sufficient recovery time before it all kicked off again. It has taken until this week for me to feel human again, so I have had a small taste of what it must be like for people who have long term illnesses which drain their energies to zero. So the meaning of The Smile came alive for me for a few weeks, and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.
Late in the year I sent a copy of Dry The Life to Frank Roper at Local Sound Focus who had kindly agreed to preview the EP. After a few exchanges and a stunning preview (it even exceeded his review of Moorscape last year), Frank asked if I would mind if he recommended me to Todmorden Folk Festival. Naturally I was delighted to be recommended. As things turned out I was too late for this year’s festival but will be considered for next year.
One of the venues for the folk festival is Todmorden Unitarian Church, so I asked if he knew who to contact about hiring the space to shoot the video for The Smile. I honestly thought it was a very long shot, but he found me the right person to contact and after a few emails we spoke on the phone and agreed a fee for a full day video shoot. Having seen the photographs from their website https://todmordenunitarianchurch.org.uk I felt pretty pleased with myself, and set about the task of trying to find a weekend day that everyone would be able to manage.
Well we got there in the end and agreed a date, but with Jad and Duncan unable to attend. Neither of them had played on the original song so while it is a shame they can’t join us on the day, it probably worked out right. Anyway, neither of them can sing notes as high Emma and Kate can! And so I arranged for Ali and I to visit the venue this morning, to check the space and hear how my cittern sounded there.
It was a rare thing indeed to hear no sound coming out of either of us when we walked into that beautiful space. It is absolutely stunning, and one of the few church interiors I have been into where it seems to have retained its architectural integrity. While the pipe organ no longer works (and would be too costly to restore to its former glory), it is still a work of art, and the wood and stone carving is exquisite for a church that isn’t a cathedral. The acoustics in the building added to the choral sound of my cittern, without making it echo too much – it might even be a perfect match.
Then we were given a tour of the bell tower, which incorporates the clock tower. The ingenuity that lies behind the engineering of the bank of eight bells, and the four-sided clock tower is staggering. Most of the main features are original, because they were incredibly well made back in the day, and while I am sure there have been a few hitches along the way everything still seems to work well. So a big thank you to Joanna and Rik from the church for their hospitality, and interest in what we do.
As well as recording the video for The Smile there in a few weeks’ time, we have also arranged to play a gig on Thursday 25th May, when we will be supported by sets from Duncan Reed (yes he is my son, but his Hypnotize album is released in March and I can promise you it is worth waiting for!), and The Lewinskies who are flying over from Nova Scotia to join us. These are exciting and fulfilling times! That week we have organised three different events, with the final one being an experimental Music Showcase at The Fuse on 27th May. More details will be released nearer the time but it will be by invitation only, as a family and friends event that we hope to build into something bigger (but never following the usual commercial model) in the next year or two.
Watch this space!