Songs of Separation was a music project created in the aftermath of the
2014 Scottish independence referendum
A referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom was held in Scotland on 18 September 2014. The referendum question was, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No". The "No" side w ...
to explore through the medium of music ideas of separation. It was organised by double-bass player Jenny Hill and brought together ten female folk musicians from Scotland and England for one week in June 2015 on the Isle of
Eigg
Eigg (; gd, Eige; sco, Eigg) is one of the Small Isles in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Isle of Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an a ...
. The resulting album won the "Best Album" category in the 2017
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music, with the aim of raising the profile of folk and acoustic music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British ra ...
.
Project
The idea for Songs of Separation came when double bass player and composer Jenny Hill was living on the Isle of
Eigg
Eigg (; gd, Eige; sco, Eigg) is one of the Small Isles in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It lies to the south of the Isle of Skye and to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Eigg is long from north to south, and east to west. With an a ...
, one of the four
Small Isles
The Small Isles ('' gd, Na h-Eileanan Tarsainn'') are a small archipelago of islands in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. They lie south of Skye and north of Mull and Ardnamurchan – the most westerly point of mainla ...
of the
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides (; Scottish Gaelic: ''Na h-Eileanan a-staigh'', "the inner isles") is an archipelago off the west coast of mainland Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, whic ...
, off the west coast of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. Travelling a lot between her home in Eigg and her work in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, Hill reflected on the different ways that the issues around Scottish independence were presented and received in the two countries. She felt that the adversarial approach caused people to forget the bigger issues that affect everyone. She was also concerned that folk music was less concerned with current affairs and social commentary than it had been in earlier decades.
She decided to create a music project comprising Scottish and English musicians to explore the concept of separation. Her ethos was to treat the musicians fairly and to find the resources to pay them properly. A former charity director, Hill set about securing sponsorship, and gained support from
Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland ( gd, Alba Chruthachail ; sco, Creative Scotlan) is the development body for the arts and creative industries in Scotland. Based in Edinburgh, it is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government.
The o ...
,
Arts Council England
Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...
and Enterprise Music Scotland.
![Loch nam Ban Mòra - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Loch_nam_Ban_M%C3%B2ra_-_geograph.org.uk_-_823590.jpg)
Hill selected a dream team of ten musicians, five from Scotland and five from England, some of the most well-known musicians in the genre including
Karine Polwart
Karine Polwart ( ) (born 23 December 1970) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. She writes and performs music with a strong folk and roots feel, her songs dealing with a variety of issues from alcoholism to genocide. She has been most recognised fo ...
and
Eliza Carthy
Eliza Amy Forbes Carthy, MBE (born 23 August 1975) is an English folk musician known for both singing and playing the fiddle. She is the daughter of English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson.
Life and care ...
, some earlier in their careers, and was able to secure the entire list. They came together on Eigg in June 2015, with three days to create the arrangements and three days for recording. The only prerequisite was for each of the musicians to arrive with three songs from her own tradition exploring the theme of separation in any way she chose.
They stayed together in the island's Glebe Barn hostel, and recorded in the Eigg Studio.
Eigg film-maker Ben Cormack of Picarus created short films of each day's activities.
Andy Bell of Hudson Records,
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
was the recording engineer on Eigg, and co-produced the album with Hill.
The music reflects its creation on the Isle of Eigg, with its turbulent history. The two ''
a capella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
'' tracks were recorded in the island's
Cathedral Cave, used for secret
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
services during the 18th century, which can only be accessed at low tide.
Rowan Rheingans
Lady Maisery are an English folk vocal harmony trio composed of Hannah James (vocals, piano accordion, clogs, foot percussion), Hazel Askew (vocals, melodeon, concertina, harp, bells) and Rowan Rheingans (vocals, fiddle, banjo, bansit ...
' song ''Soil and Soul'' was influenced by the island's legend of the Big Women and a visit to the
Loch nam Ban Mora (''Lake of the Big Women'').
The first two tracks of the ''Songs of Separation'' album, "Echo Mocks the Corncrake" / "It Was A' for Our Rightfu' King" were released as a digital single on 20 November 2015, followed by the full album in January 2016.
The album release was accompanied by a film ''The Making of Songs of Separation''.
Musicians
Sources:.
Album
Credits:
Reception
The ''Songs of Separation'' album was the winner of the "best album" category in the 2017
BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards
The BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards celebrate outstanding achievement during the previous year within the field of folk music, with the aim of raising the profile of folk and acoustic music. The awards have been given annually since 2000 by British ra ...
.
This category was decided by a popular vote, so it was a significant achievement for a short-term project with a previously unknown name to win against four established performers in the genre. The album was also nominated for the "Best Album" category in the
Scots Trad Music Awards
The Scots Trad Music Awards or Na Trads were founded in 2003 by Simon Thoumire to celebrate Scotland's traditional music in all its forms and create a high profile opportunity to bring the music and music industry into the spotlight of media and ...
2016, and the track "Echo Mocks the Corncrake" for "Best Traditional Song" in the 2017 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
included the album in "The best folk music albums of 2016", saying "the harmonies are gorgeous and the lyrics thought-provoking".
In
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
,
Robin Denselow
Robin Denselow is a British writer, journalist, and broadcaster.
Education
Denselow was educated at Leighton Park School, a boys' Quaker boarding independent school (now co-educational) in Reading, Berkshire, followed by New College, Oxford, wher ...
gave the album four stars and called it "a varied, thoughtful set that stays well clear of political sloganeering."
Daniel Rosenberg of the
Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
described the album as "moving" and included it in his list of the forty best albums worldwide of 2016.
More detailed analysis was offered by the specialist titles. On
Folk Radio UK
Folk Radio UK, is an online Independent Music Journal covering a broad range of Folk music, Global music, Independent music, American Primitive Guitar, Drone Music and other alternative offerings. Established in 2004 by Alex Gallacher. the websi ...
, Helen Gregory's detailed review comments on the marginalisation of women's voices in politics and the particular contribution of each track to the project's theme, concluding that it is a "superlative and essential record".
FATEA Magazine also has a detailed track-by-track analysis, and praises the "brazen and multifarious approach to separation", polished arrangements, and thorough research, calling the album "immensely successful".
Peer reviewers included musicians
Ross Ainslie Ross or ROSS may refer to:
People
* Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan
* Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning
* Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland
Places
* RoSS, the Republic of Sout ...
"ethereal and beguiling, yet terrifying and totally banging! ... this is an extraordinary album!",
Norma Waterson
Norma Christine Waterson (15 August 1939 – 30 January 2022) was an English singer and songwriter, best known as one of the original members of The Watersons, a celebrated English traditional folk group. Other members of the group included h ...
"it is one of the most interesting pieces of music I have heard in a long time... puts me in mind of the
Lewis Psalm singers but also those women singers of Russia and Georgia",
Rachel Sermanni
Rachel Sermanni (born 7 November 1991) is a Scottish folk music, folk musician from Carrbridge in Strathspey, Scotland, Strathspey. She has toured with a number of well-known folk and independent music, indie artists in the United Kingdom. Her f ...
"This album is a work of wild beauty",
Sarah Hayes
"a stunning blend of voice, groove, nature and experience", and
Maddy Prior
Madelaine Edith Prior MBE (born 14 August 1947) is an English folk singer, best known as the lead vocalist of Steeleye Span. She was born in Blackpool and moved to St Albans in her teens. Her father, Allan Prior, was co-creator of the police dr ...
"Created in three days and recorded in three days? F**king hell, you're all too clever by half".
In his musical review of 2016,
Mike Harding
Mike Harding (born 23 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet, broadcaster and multi-instrumentalist. Harding has also been a photographer, traveller, filmmaker and playwright.
Early life and education
Harding's ...
said
One album that had a real major impact on me was Songs of Separation... It is just one of the most amazing albums. Some magic happened on that island when those women were together. The songs are beautifully produced, and there's just something really really 'right' about the album... I don't know how to explain it other than to say that the whole thing is a complete and utter delight.
Live shows
Four live dates in Scotland and England took place in January 2016, including a concert during the
Celtic Connections
The Celtic Connections festival started in 1994 in Glasgow, Scotland, and has since been held every January. Featuring over 300 concerts, ceilidhs, talks, free events, late night sessions and workshops, the festival focuses on the roots of tra ...
festival, which
Colin Irwin described as "joyous, thought-provoking, passionate, stirring, charming and beauteous" and observed that "the empathetic chemistry here was genuine."
The
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is a Scottish radio network owned and operated by BBC Scotland, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of programmes. It replaced the Scottish BBC Radio 4 opt-out service of the same name from 23 November 197 ...
programme ''Travelling Folk'' on 7 February 2016 included a live session from the collective and an interview conducted by
Bruce MacGregor
Bruce MacGregor (born April 26, 1941) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played for the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association (WHA ...
.
A grant from the
PRS Foundation Beyond Borders fund enabled further live performances to take place later in 2016.
Many of these concerts included community participation. At the
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway ( sco, Dumfries an Gallowa; gd, Dùn Phrìs is Gall-Ghaidhealaibh) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland and is located in the western Southern Uplands. It covers the counties of Scotland, historic counties of ...
Arts Festival the Cairn Chorus, a local community choir, collaborated with the project. In Edinburgh there was a singing workshop for children, who then joined with the band for some numbers on stage at the
Queens Hall
The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. From 1895 until 1941, it ...
. At the
Cambridge Folk Festival
The Cambridge Folk Festival is an annual music festival, established in 1965, held on the site of Cherry Hinton Hall in Cherry Hinton, one of the villages subsumed by the city of Cambridge, England. The festival is known for its eclectic mix of ...
there was a workshop about the ideas behind the project.
The performance at
St David's Hall
St David's Hall (Welsh: ''Neuadd Dewi Sant'') is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff, Wales.
St David's Hall is the National Concert Hall and Conference Centre of Wales. It hosts the annual Welsh Proms and the bienni ...
Cardiff as part of the ''Festival of Voice'' was billed as ''Beyond Borders: Songs of Separation and Songs of Unity''. It incorporated new material in
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
and
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
in addition to the original languages English, Scottish Gaelic and Norn. Guest musicians performing at this event were
Karan Casey
Karan Casey (born 1969) is an Irish folk singer, and a former member of the Irish band Solas. She resides in Cork, Ireland.
Early years
Casey was born in Ballyduff Lower, Kilmeaden, County Waterford, Ireland. Her family encouraged her to sin ...
from Ireland,
Georgia Ruth
Georgia Ruth Williams (born 5 January 1988) is a Welsh singer-songwriter and harpist. She sings in both English and Welsh.
Early life
Williams was born in Llantwit Major in South Wales. At the age of four she moved with her family to Aberys ...
and
Gwyneth Glyn
Gwyneth Glyn (born Gwyneth Glyn Evans, 14 December 1979) is a Welsh language poet and musician.
Biography
Gwyneth Glyn was born in St David's Hospital in Bangor, Gwynedd, and grew up at her family home in Llanarmon. She was educated at Ysgol G ...
from Wales and
Julie Fowlis
Julie Fowlis (born 20 June 1978) is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic.
Early life
Fowlis grew up on North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides, in a Gaelic-speaking community. Her mothe ...
.
The final concert was at
Kings Place
Kings Place is a building in London’s Kings Cross area, providing music and visual arts venues combined with seven floors of office space. It has housed the editorial offices of ''The Guardian'' newspaper since December 2008 and is the for ...
in London.
Legacy
The Songs of Separation project did not explicitly draw attention to being all women, but it was often remarked on by others. For example Jenny Hill recalled a journalist asking them why the participants were all women, and Kate Young responding "Why are Treacherous Orchestra all men?",
drawing attention to the acceptance of the gender imbalance in traditional music to the extent that the 11-member all-male Scottish folk big band
Treacherous Orchestra was unremarkable.
The project did aspire to "benefit women and girls",
[ and some members have taken part in efforts to identify and remove barriers to women's participation in traditional music. In 2017, the year after the album release and live shows, Jenny Hill presented ideas on "Closing the Gender Gap" to the Traditional Music Forum.
The Bit Collective was created in Scotland to "discuss and address equalities issues in the Scottish Traditional Arts", including Jenn Butterworth on its board, and there was a panel discussion as part of the 2017 Celtic Connections festival.
The following year ]Karan Casey
Karan Casey (born 1969) is an Irish folk singer, and a former member of the Irish band Solas. She resides in Cork, Ireland.
Early years
Casey was born in Ballyduff Lower, Kilmeaden, County Waterford, Ireland. Her family encouraged her to sin ...
, who had sung with the project as a guest at its Cardiff concert, created FairPlé, a sister organisation in Ireland.
Individual members of the project have also commented on its contribution to their musical development; for example Rowan Rheingans has credited her subsequent songwriting success to Karine Polwart's encouragement. Jenn Butterworth too has remarked on how the project energised her:To create an album and release it in seven days was extraordinary. I came away from that thinking these things are actually possible. To connect with those people and learn from what they were doing and yet all feel equal was special.
References
External links
*
Album art
at the Cover Art Archive
''Daily Reflections''
Video playlist of short films made during the project week on Eigg, by Picarus Films, 2015. (YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
)
Film: ''The Making of Songs of Separation''
by Picarus Films, 2015. (YouTube)
Film: ''Songs of Separation: The Album and Beyond''
by Picarus Films, 2016. (YouTube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Songs of Separation
English folk musical groups
Scottish folk music groups
Musical groups established in 2015
Folk albums by Scottish artists
Folk albums by English artists
2015 establishments in the United Kingdom