kate bush

Paula: The Ambience of Stitching (Interview)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 5 Comments
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Paula

 Paula O’Brien makes music and stitch patterns based on how she sees the world.

Paula O’Brien (better known as just Paula) has impressed friends with her hobbies. Apart from making music, she also stitches on the side earning her a story in one of UK’s top magazines about cross stitch. As of this writing she is working on something-either musical or visual. I was ecstatic when I received the two framed pieces of the Celtic patterns she made for me. They are now resting on my working table and I am always filled with positivity when I look at them. She is primarily and electronic musician but more and more she is exploring Celtic music. She is trying to collaborate with other musicians merging her talent with the keys and a voice that is comparable to  Kate Bush and Eimear Quinn.
I am uncovering another facet of her artistry-creating breathtaking patterns through needle and cotton. She joins me today as this week’s featured artist. This interview was really fun!

Your needle works are amazing. How long did it take you to be an expert in this craft?

Thank you! I wouldn’t really consider myself an expert, there are always new skills to learn and new types of design projects to sew.

You perform and write music on the side. How are these two hobbies related?19050_240553798469_2149301_n

Both are creative and both bring me great pleasure. They each require a great deal of concentration in their own way. Music can be composed very spontaneously at times if the inspiration is flowing, whereas some sewing projects can demand months of your time just to finish one picture. Both music and sewing are a form of creative therapy for me, I get a buzz hearing a finished mixed and mastered track. Likewise, I feel a sense of accomplishment seeing a finished picture framed on a wall.

The Celtic stitches you sent me are gorgeous. How is stitching in cotton different from doing it in wool?

Thanks! Sewing in wool for tapestry (needlepoint) projects is somewhat easier because the picture is printed on the plastic canvas. Cross stitch demands more concentration as the pieces are sewn onto blank aida or evenweave cloth. Therefore, it is important to count the stitches correctly to have the correct spatial layout, especially when sewing samplers (pieces with small picture motifs, text, the alphabet, a border pattern etc) which are often symmetrical in design. Additional info re Q3. Tapestry work is always sewn in one diagonal stitch whereas designs using cotton thread can be in many different stitches.

Are you planning to put up a shop one day to sell your works?

🙂 It would be nice to think that maybe there might be the chance of this in the future. However, if I was to charge for my time, as if it was a job, I think they would be too expensive to buy because of the length of time involved in sewing them.

Your Celtic designs are stunning. Do you plan to make more in the future?

Thanks again! I do intend to sew more Celtic designs and already have ideas for themes, some taken directly from historical sources. However, I won’t divulge any ideas in case some are shipped to The Philippines! 😉
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What particular time of the day you are inspired to sit down to get creative in terms of music and stitching?

Music is my natural passion and just “happens”… it doesn’t follow any particular routine, it’s a spontaneous force so it leads you where and when it wants you to go so to speak. Ideas can arrive quite quickly for new compositions and I start hearing them inside my head. I generally have to be in a calm and relaxed frame of mind though to be inspired, then the ideas can flow very quickly, a song can be written and recorded within a few hours. These are the moments when you lose track of time 🙂 It can be frustrating when this happens if you’re trying to sleep.. Vocally I prefer recording in the evening, you won’t get much of a dawn chorus out of me 😉

Stitching is very enjoyable and I love this form of creative expression. The choice of designs are endless! It is more of a hobby for me which I do as and when I have time, as and when the mood takes me, whatever the time of day.

Visual and sound: which of the two carries more importance to you?

Tough question, an interesting one though! Music is part of who I am, I was born with this connection with music: I play by ear and music is integral to me. I also have a very strong relationship with sound in general in terms of the world around me, where I am, what music is playing in a social setting etc, music affects my mood. I dislike intrusive sounds, I prefer calm and harmony. Visuals matter as well, the ambience created in an environment by the use of design and colour for example. Sound and visual are areas both interconnected : I feel my instinctive “calling” is to music as it has always been there in my life, but I have a strong interest in design and visual forms of creativity as well. As I am not really a visual artist myself in terms of producing something on paper, a canvas, the stitching is a way for me to create a piece that can be framed. 🙂

You joked about this but perhaps you are serious.When are you going to start sewing the Andromeda galaxy?

I have lots of projects to do for family and friends which will keep me busy for a long time. Eventually I will sew some for my own walls! 🙂 I need to find chart or have a photo created into a chart, then I can begin to sew this beautiful galaxy! The universe amazes me, I was serious! 🙂

The following are her needle works and studio pictures.

The Celtic Patterns

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Studio pics

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Tapestries:

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Cross Stitch

Paula: Some Celtic pieces stitched for my friend Jose Rommel Labatos who lives in The Philippines. Jose writes a Celtic music blog so the Celtic theme was ideal. He chose the bookmark aida fabric from a choice of colours, it's the first time I've created a home-made bookmark. The card shows a Celtic bird.He received them yesterday. — at UK before being posted to The Philippines. More when you click on the picture

Paula: Some Celtic pieces stitched for my friend Jose Rommel Labatos who lives in The Philippines. Jose writes a Celtic music blog so the Celtic theme was ideal. He chose the bookmark aida fabric from a choice of colours, it’s the first time I’ve created a home-made bookmark. The card shows a Celtic bird.He received them yesterday. — at UK before being posted to The Philippines.

Music:

This is referred to as a carol although it contains no reference to the Nativity….the predominant interpretation of the lyrics (below), which were found in a manuscript c.1504, is that they refer to Arthurian legend / holy grail quest.
The track was recorded with this historical interpretation in mind and the theme is reflected in the slideshow paintings. The melody is a traditional melody,not the Benjamin Britten arrangement.-Paula

Please see the link for further info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Christi_Carol

Lulley, lully, lulley, lully,
The faucon hath born my mak away.

He bare hym up, he bare hym down,
He bare hym into an orchard brown.

In that orchard ther was an hall,
That was hanged with purpill and pall.

And in that hall ther was a bede,
Hit was hangid with gold so rede.

And yn that bed ther lythe a knyght,
His wowndes bledyng day and nyght.

By that bedes side ther kneleth a may,
And she wepeth both nyght and day.

And by that bedes side ther stondith a ston,
“Corpus Christi” wretyn theron.

Glossary:
faucon: falcon
mak: mate, love
bare: bore, carried
purpill: purple (the royal color)
pall: a funeral pall, a cloth spread over a coffin
bede: bed
rede: red
lythe: lieth, lies
wowndes: wounds
bledyng: bleeding
kneleth: kneeleth, kneels
may: maid, maiden
wepeth: weepeth, weeps
stondith: standeth, stands
ston: stone
Corpus Christi: body of Christ (Latin)
wretyn: written

Celtic Twist-Twist in the Tale (album review)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 4 Comments

 

 

I was so excited when the mailman gave this to me, that I stopped all chores and put this in my CD player. Celtic Twist is a duo that will win more followers with their brand of Celtic music.

There’s a lot of artistic polishing done to the recording of  Twist in the Tale by  the duo Celtic Twist (Phil Holland and Dave Palmley). Only an arrogant listener with the heart of ice will fail to appreciate these enchanting pieces. The first track, Maids of Mourne (based on Sally Gardens) opens with the sound of seagulls by the shore. Then, we have the guitar and harp by Phil and Dave. The song soon builds up into an Enyaesque piece complete with vocal layering that sounds like church choir.

There are lively tracks like The Raggle Taggle Gypsies/The King of The Faeries, Ye Jacobites, Gerdundula, Toss the Feathers/Scotch Sally and Whiskey You’re the Devil that will sweet you up your feet with their refreshing and energetic styles. These are all wrapped in jigs and reels.

The remaining half of the album are tracks that convey relaxation and reflection. These are elegantly crafted compositions. One song called Looking For Moss(third track), is already familiar because Phil already uploaded this track on youtube for friends to hear. Hearing it compiled here is a treat! I also need to commend her rendition of She Moved Through the Fair. In this traditional song, Phil puts aside  her classical singing style, to make way for the lighter, airy spirit of Irish music-more like Kate Bush meets Moya Brennan.

Takes Forever expresses that hopeful longing for someone. The melody just breaks your heart. The Far Away Child is a vocal track with harp and guitar. Once again, I noticed the lighter and sweeter voice of Phil. Heart of Ice sounds like a song about heartbreak or loss.   Cold wind, Cold heart, Still life, Torn apart, Walls of ice, Carpets of snow, Cannot stay, And cannot go….

The album ends with Climbing Pendle. Have you heard how a harp sounds like through an effects pedal? This will tell you how. I thought it was a didgeridoo or something. It used used during the intro and the last part of the track. Climbing Pendle is one of the most memorable instrumentals I have heard in quite a while. If you like the music of Loreena McKennitt, Enya, Clannad, Chieftains and even Kate Bush then you will appreciate Twist in the Tale.

Order of tracks: 1: The Maids of Mourne Shore 2: The Raggle Taggle ypsies/The King of The Faeries 3: Looking For Moss 4: She Moved Through the Fair 5: Ye Jacobites 6: Takes Forever 7: Gerdundula 8: The far Away Child 9: Toss the Feathers/Scotch Sally 10: The Wild Geese 11: Heart of Ice 12: Whiskey You’re the Devil 13: Climbing Pendle

http://hollandandpalmley.blogspot.com/

To purchase the album, contact: lmcrecords2011@gmail.com

About Dave and Phil

The exciting and dynamic fusion of two such versatile musicians creates a sound that is as varied as it is unique. Rooted in Celtic music but drawing from their diversified musical backgrounds, Dave Palmley and Phil Holland bring to this musical communion all their decades of experience and insatiable passion for making music. Their contrasting yet harmonious vocal styles give added depth and texture to an already fascinating weave of instrumental sounds. Their repertoire consists of many traditional Irish and Scottish classics and lesser-known songs, jigs and reels, but Dave and Phil have also combined their song writing and compositional skills to create their own inimitable sound. Dave Palmley: Guitars(acoustic and electric),mandolin, bass, bodhran and vocals. Phil Holland: Celtic Harp and Electric Harp, violin, keys, bass and vocals.

Remembering Seán Ó Riada’s (1931-1971) Timeless Song (With Lyrics and Translation)

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 9 Comments

Seán Ó Riada (1 August 1931 – 3 October 1971) composed this timeless piece “Women of Ireland“, or “Mná na h-Éireann.


by Kate Bush

By Sinead O’Connor

Ta bean in Eirinn a phronnfadh sead damh is mo shaith le n-o
‘S ta beann in Erinn is sa binne leithe mo rafla ceoil no seinm thead
Ata bean in Eirinn is niorbh fhearr le beo
Mise ag leimnigh no leagtha ! gcre is mo tharr faoi fhod

Ta bean in Eirinn a bheadh ag ead, liom mur bhfaighinn ach pog
0 bihean ar aonach, nach ait an sceala, is mo dhaimh fein leo
Ta bean ab fhearr lom no cath is cead dhiobh nach bhfagham go de
Is ta cailin speiruil ag fear gan bhearla, dubghranna croin

Ta bean a dearfaidh da siulainn leithe go bhfaighinn an t-or
Is ta bean ‘na leine is is fearr a mein no na tainte bo
Le bean a bhuairfeadh baile an mhaoir agus clar thin eoghaln
Is ni fhaicim leigheas ar mo ghalar fein ach scaird a dh’ol

There is a woman in Ireland who would give me jewels an my fill to drink, a woman
Who would think my simple singing swelter than the music of strings, a woman
Who would prefer me dead…
There is a woman in Ireland who would be jealous if I got one kiss from elseone…
There is a woman… and I see no cure except the flowing of drink.





The elfin enchantment of Julie Fowlis

/ mrbaxteria2008 / 2 Comments

  Scotland has another pride and that’s through this elfin singer Julie Fowlis. She has the kind of voice that any Kate Bush and Bjork fans would love.She was featured in  BBC as  artist of the year.

 

  The music is laid back and stripped with all the clutter that marks most studio productions. This way it gives you a glimpse of the soul inside. Visit her official site. You can also check her out in MySpace.