Album Launch: On A Wing and a Prayer – Reflections on Deeside’s Changing Habitat

A very Happy New Year to all our supporters as we start the year at Nordic Viola with the launch of our brand new digital album, On a Wing and a Prayer – Reflections on Deeside’s changing habitat. The album will be launched on 6th February with preorders from 9th January and features brand new music for viola and electronics by myself and Pete and Joe Stollery incorporating field recordings from Glen Quoich.

Follow Nordic Viola here on Bandcamp to be notified the minute the album is released!

There will also be launch events in Aberdeen on 6th February and Stirling on 8th February.

Glen Quoich January 2024

Appropriately enough, this episode of On a Wing and a Prayer started its life almost exactly a year ago with a residency with Pete and Joe that I’ll never forget in Braemar. We were there to focus on the climate impact of the floods from Storm Frank in 2015, but instead we were faced with the most stunning snowy scenes and pastel colours in the clear January light.

This was still of relevance as we centred our work around the new and old bridges over the River Quoich because we were also interested in the redevelopment of nature following the floods. We are so grateful to the staff at NTS Mar Lodge who gave generously of their time to answer our many questions and whose love and enthusiasm for the area and their work came across so strongly.

Following our residency, Pete, Joe and I wrote and improvised a new body of work that traced the changes in the River Quoich as it meets the Dee from the frozen beauty that we’d witnessed ourselves, through the terrifying Muckle Spate, in which the solo viola is overwhelmed by the floodwaters, to Alluvial Fan where birdlife returns to the valley. We premiered the work at The Barn, Banchory in March 2024 and this has formed the basis of our recording.

Launch Events – Aberdeen

The album officially launches on 6th February at The Anatomy Rooms in Aberdeen at 5:30pm with the support of sound Scotland, where you’ll be able to share a celebratory drink with Pete, Joe and I whilst learning more about the stories behind the album and hearing some of the music performed live. We really hope to see lots of our friends from the North-East of Scotland there for the perfect wind-down after work. More information here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2041773602935251

Day of events – Stirling

On 8th February we’ll celebrate our launch closer to my home and in reach of the Central Belt with a whole day of events in conjunction with the Art Collection at the University of Stirling, which is going to be a whole lot of fun.

This time, Pete, Joe and I will be joined by artist Orla Stevens who, once again, has designed all our album graphics. Orla shares our interest in the environment and climate change and often links the idea of sound in nature with her work.

Sound and Art Workshops

We will explore the university campus collecting sounds and making marks on paper in response to the environment around us. On return to the Pathfoot Building, we’ll listen and reflect on what we’ve heard and seen and also reflect on our changing habitats in the light of human agency and our changing weather patterns. There will also be a chance to view the University’s current exhibition, “This Fragile Earth” in the Crush Hall.

The workshops are suitable for all ages and abilities. Book a single workshop or stay for the day! All workshops are free to access with a suggested donation of £10 per workshop.

Album Performance

The day will finish with a performance at 18:00 of Nordic Viola’s brand new album with Pete and Joe Stollery, “On A Wing and A Prayer – Reflections on Deeside’s Changing Habitat.” There will be an opportunity to meet with the musicians and ask questions about the project after the performance. 

Entry to the performance is free with a suggested donation towards musicians’ fees of £10-15.

Full details of each of the workshops and the performance along with links to book the events can be found here: https://www.stir.ac.uk/events/2024-25/art-collection/on-a-wing-and-a-prayer/

-the new forest- premieres in Iceland

Also featured on our album is a specially commissioned piece from Charles Ross entitled -the new forest-. If you’ve been following the On A Wing and A Prayer project, you’ll know that each time we’ve featured a complementary piece by a Nordic composer. Charles is a Scot living in East Iceland and I asked him to write me a solo viola piece based on the forests around Egilsstaðir. These special places reminded me of the Cairngorm woodlands when I was staying in Iceland and so the new piece fitted our Deeside instalment perfectly.

This beautiful piece is written with semi-graphic notation and, in its design, mirrors the tangled forest networks.

Having also performed it in Arctic Edgelands at Nordic Music Days in November, I’m so excited to finally perform it at “home” in Slátarhúsið, Egilsstaðir on 23rd January in a concert of improvised new music for 2 violas with Charles Ross himself! We’re very grateful to the East Iceland Development Fund for supporting our performance and to Mairi McCabe for assisting us.

Bonnie Glen Quoich

The penultimate piece on our album is Bonnie Glen Quoich by Tarland fiddler Paul Anderson. Before you buy our album, have a listen (and buy!) the original, beautifully performed by Paul himself. https://paulandersonscottishfiddler.bandcamp.com/track/bonnie-glen-quoich

We’ll send you a link to On A Wing and A Prayer – Reflections on the changing habitats of Deeside as soon it’s published and we look forward to celebrating with you at one of our launch events. Be sure to spread the word and enjoy our exciting programme of launch events with friends and family.

https://nordicviola.bandcamp.com/

The album On A Wing and A Prayer – Reflections on Deeside’s changing habitat and our launch events are supported by: