Hamish Napier’s ‘The Hill’
Hamish Napier’s ‘The Hill’
New Album - including a 1400-word hill folklore booklet
I don’t normally review traditional music, but this new album is a standout. Coming late to traditional Scottish music I wonder why I missed out for so long. Moving from Essex to the Highlands I have discovered a wealth of new music. This is the fourth part of the Strathspey Pentalogy by renowned musician Hamish Napier, the others being The River, The Railway and The Woods. It is outstanding. Apart from the musicianship, each track has an explanatory booklet telling the story behind the composition which makes it more compelling. ‘It is a suite of new airs and melodies inspired by the hills and braes of the river Spey and its tributaries plus an informal sturdy of native Gaelic hill terms peculiar to the region.’ The Artwork is beautiful, along with the other albums, and a fold out depicts the wildlife found on the hills and river plus locating the river as it winds towards the Moray Firth. Each of the twenty tracks embodies its title, for example Water, Crag, Foothills. I would pick out the opening track of ‘Wind’ as a favourite, treating the listener to an example of what’s to come. My choice would also be Peaks. As a former dancer I could imagine joining the snow bunting dancing around. He has seventeen musicians individually on each track and many participate in the closing song, with lyrics by Ewen Henderson. Delightful. They are all given credit as Expedition or Mountain Leaders. A brilliant touch. If you want to experience authentic traditional composition this is the Album for you.
