“SIGHTS TO SEE BUT NOT TO SPEAK OF…NOW”

I love walking on the moorlands of Britain, whether the Peak District, North Yorkshire, Northumbria, or wherever. There is a honesty about their bleakness, and the feeling of being alone with the elements is something special. But they haven’t always been like that. A few hundred years ago I would have been walking though forest. Centuries of felling trees for construction, shipbuilding and charcoal burning have removed the forest cover to leave us with the open heather moorland and heathland that we see today. Much of its area is now out of bounds, either because it is in private ownership or because it has been acquired by the military for training or as firing ranges. The irony is that these ‘out of bounds’ British moorlands have become a refuge for numerous endangered birds, animals, insects and plant life. If ‘the public’ had been allowed access over the years, it is likely that these pristine habitats would be less well preserved. Moorscape™ is a comment on all of these issues, and delves further into the social and political history of this fascinating landscape, from the enclosure acts through to the industrial revolution, and the impact of each on the fabric of this changing landscape. A landscape that looks like it does because of years of abuse. The album loosely follows the life of a drover until his death on the very tracks that he has walked for many years. It is a mix of folk songs, atmospheric tunes, stories, political commentary, and the life and love of the drover himself. The songs have been completed in their basic form and some have been recorded, but there is much to add in order that we can replicate some of the sights, sounds and atmospheres that you can experience walking the moors. If you haven’t done so, please do so at least once. These are beautiful wildernesses. There is fascination in the moors for everyone.