Simon Thoumire Make Good Art: Recent Episodes
Simon Thoumire
I am a folk musician who likes my music to bend round corners. If you like my music please support my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
Here's a wee experiment. This tune is featured in my latest vlog which you can watch here.
https://youtu.be/G2iyeKsYeRA
This tune took me 7 years to write and I recorded it with fiddler Adam Sutherland and guitarist Michael Carr! Watch my vlog on how it came about https://youtu.be/MX1dDzJRqfs
If you enjoy this content please support my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
This tune is taken from my vlog - On Being Curious - where I look into tunes with 'Devil' in the title. I found De'il Tak the War in The Caledonian Muse (1790) and then found out about it's history - it was written by Thomas D'Urfey in circa 1696. Thanks to the fabulous David McGuinness for 1. suggesting we perform it on harpsichord and 2. playing the harpsichord!
If you like the content please consider supporting my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
https://youtu.be/nEpaCRpVy88
This is St Mungo's Welcome to Scott Skinner played by me and great guitarist Michael Bryan. It's James Scott Skinner tune and was written for the Celtic Tournament at Glasgow 4th Nov 1889. It appears in his Harp and Claymore Collection of music.
If you like this material and would like to help support my music making please check out my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
This tune - Yes Sir I Can Boogie - was written by Ian Carr and we recorded it in Sundsvall in Sweden! It's a funny tune!
If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon account http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire. Every little bit helps!
Find out more about our music at http://www.thoumirecarr.com
I've started a new podcast on the Anchor.fm platform which means it is time to write a new theme tune! I'm very lucky to know some very talented musicians and piano player Ryan Corbett contributed some fabulous piano to this track. It's the best thing about it! You can listen to the podcast at https://anchor.fm/simon-thoumire
David and I got together to make a few vlogs and one of the outputs was the tune Coilsfield House by Nathaniel Gow. There are two version here - the first take and the second take - both subtly different.
If you would like to find out more about the history behind the tune Coilsfield House watch this vlog https://youtu.be/Dv7n3KpplgM
To watch my interview with David McGuinness click here https://youtu.be/gr-cOKI4Vi8
If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
You can get more information about me ➡️ http://www.simonthoumire.com ➡️ http://www.soundcloud.com/simonthoumire
Twitter @simonthoumire Facebook @simonthoumiremusic Instagram @simonthoumire
Me and Mark went out to film a vlog on filmmaking in the Milngavie hills. We eventually found this log to sit on and record a couple of tunes. The jig is The Waterworks jig and the reel is Music in the Glen.
If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon account http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
Watch the whole vlog https://youtu.be/gKWZ_9CZek4
You can get more information about me ➡️ http://www.simonthoumire.com ➡️ http://www.soundcloud.com/simonthoumire
Twitter @simonthoumire Facebook @simonthoumiremusic Instagram @simonthoumire
This tune is from my latest vlog 'Ask Me A Question'. Thanks for the idea @JosieDuncanSong! In this vlog I'm answering questions sent to me on Twitter and Instagram using #stquestions. Watch the whole video on YouTube here http://bit.ly/2EDcRDQ
I’ve been delving into the tune book The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland and The Isles this week. It’s full of tunes chiefly acquired during the period 1715 to 1745 and it was edited by Captain Simon Fraser. We play two airs from the book - Lady to Her Husband Who Was Killed at the Battle of Culloden and Hard is my fate with the fabulous David McGuinness on harmonium and dulcitone.
Support me on Patreon ➡️ http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
You can download the tunes here ➡️ https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rbFmDUSyXQBPWoQFUYspkwWe_YG-luY7
Listen to Flora McNeil singing the first song - Mo Rùn Geal Òg (also known as Cumha Uilleam Siosalach) on Spotify ➡️ https://open.spotify.com/track/7C1upbfQ32hfpi6UB8q4XN?si=kTutXbkHSES1R5t43Dfi4g
You can get more information about me ➡️ http://www.simonthoumire.com ➡️ http://www.soundcloud.com/simonthoumire
Twitter @simonthoumire Facebook @simonthoumiremusic Instagram @simonthoumire
This is a version of Irish Polka The Rakes of Mallow. it comes from my vlog where I look at how to put together a solo performance that will stand out from the crowd.
➡️ Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/6gYJwGxMHA8
➡️ Support my Patreon account: http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
➡️ Play the tune: https://thesession.org/tunes/85 ➡️ Website: http://www.simonthoumire.com
Twitter @simonthoumire Facebook @simonthoumiremusic Instagram @simonthoumire
This is my ensemble Class on the 10th February 2019 as part of the IMBOLC festival in Derry. The tunes are The Raft Race (Hamish Napier) and Stinger Pinger. It was a lovely time with lots of very talented young people. Our trad future is in safe hands! Read more about IMBOLC festival here http://www.imbolcfestival.com
If you like this content please support my Patreon account on http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
I got together with fab cellist Su-a Lee to record this version of Nathaniel Gow's Largo's Fairy Dance that was written in 1802 for the Fife Hunt. The 2nd tune - The Fairy Dance - has turned into a classic of Scottish traditional music and is played across the world. The first section is not so well known and we wanted to play it for you as it is beautiful! If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
This track is the music part of my latest vlog with Mhairi Hall. If you would like to watch the whole thing where Mhairi talks about accompaniment you can watch it here https://youtu.be/TnMggTOddPE
If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire. Every little bit helps!
Here is the hornpipe The Poppy Leaf from my YouTube vlog Easy Concertina Repair - Fix that note! I've played the Poppy Leaf for years now and I still love it! If you live my content please consider supporting my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
I wrote this set of music based on Jim Sutherland's classic reel The Easy Club for the participants of Meitheal Summer School. The brief was to write a piece of music that could be memorised and be fun to play. Needless to say the young people were fabulous and did an amazing job. Check out Meitheal Summer School at https://tradweek.com.
If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
Here's a great reel I learn from the playing of virtuoso fiddle Liz Caroll! If you like this content please consider supporting my Patreon http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
This tune was played on my video about New Years Resolutions watch it here https://youtu.be/6G2R6UzD094
This tune was written in October 2018 in Braemar at a Live Music Now Scotland and St Margaret's Braemar teaching week. I worked with the young people to come up with ideas and we put this tune together. It's great! The musicians performing this recording are myself, Ellie McLaren (fiddle) and Brian McAlpine (piano). We used the tune as the theme tune for the 2018 FRADS Awards.
If you like my content and would like to help me create more please consider supporting my Patreon account http://www.patreon.com/simonthumire
I was revisiting some old tunes the other day and I happened across Margaret's Waltz by Pat Shuldham-Shaw. It's never been one of my favourites (stupid I know) however I read up on the tune and its amazing journey to reach Scotland and it is now one of my favourite tunes! I visited fab pianist Mhairi Hall in Dunblane and we played it with the Pat's companion tune Farewell to Devon.
If you enjoy my videos and music please consider supporting my Patreon on http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
This set is a video where I talk about the tunes. You can watch it here https://youtu.be/-W4xynBWkWA
If you want to try the two tunes - you can find them here https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rYiCGq26KCrs5DIE2CzWBbTjI6AGQagC
You can get more information about me http://www.simonthoumire.com http://www.youtube.com/simonthoumire1 http://www.twitter.com/simonthoumire http://www.facebook.com/simonthoumiremusic http://www.soundcloud.com/simonthoumire http://www.instagram.com/simonthoumire
Hands Up for Trad have a new TV programme on Facebook and YouTube and it needed an intro theme! I wrote this wee tune and recorded it with my son Charlie on bodhran and asked the fabulous Ryan Corbett to contribute a piano part. Here is 11s of music!
Three reels by the late great fiddler Hector MacAndrew. Burnside of Forglen is a small farm near Turiff, Aberdeenshire and belonged to Mr and Mrs George Morrison. Sandy Edmonstone who performed with Hector's dad lived in this cottage in Carradale and Bob Munro was fiddle enthusiast from Thurso.
My version of The Bluebell Polka (written by Frank Stanley) and J. F. Dickies Reel (written by J. Murdoch Henderson) and performed by the Strathspey and Surreal Society on Saturday 4th February 2017 at Celtic Connections.
This is my fiddle concerto based on Alexander Troup's tune Cluny Castle. I wrote it for our Strathspey and Surreal Society project and it was performed by Patsy Reid at Celtic Connections 2017. Patsy Reid is an amazing fiddler and demonstrate's her virtuosity and skill in this piece.
Here's a special track recorded in memory of musician Alasdair Slessor who sadly passed away last week at the young age of 29. These tunes were written in Tollcross Primary School for our Wednesday Feis Class. This was part of our tune writing phase probably on the way to pizza Hut. In the class room was a Blue Radiator that we admired and also a Peters Projection map with really loooong countries that we used to chat about. I'm sure Alasdair came up with the first phrase of Peters Projection! Oh these were the days :-)
Three reels from the pen of Robert Macintosh. What an amazing composer. His tunes are very varied, challenging and beautiful!
Lady's Baird's New Reel / Honbl. Mr Fraiser (of Lovat's) Reel / Miss Farquharson (of Invercauld's)Reel
A couple of delights and a fancie! Here are 3 jigs from the same book as last weeks tunes - The Malcolm McDonald Collection (performed with my son Charlie). Mrs Muir's tune was written by Mr Sharp of Hoddom. I think this might be Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe of Hoddom Castle (Dumfries and Galloway) born May 1781. He wrote songs that were featured in Sir Walter Scott's 'Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders' A relative of his, Miss Sharpe was 'a patron and friend of Niel Gow and contributed a few pieces to one or more of his collections'. (From Baptie).
Miss Graham's Delight / Mrs Muir McKenzies Fancie / Mrs Muir Mackenzie's Delight
Two strathspeys from the Malcolm McDonald Collection (first published in 1788) and one from Twitter! The Twitter tune (The Falls of Divach) was actually written by J. Scott Skinner's daughter - Jeanie (aged 12) so always worth a play!
Miss Drummond Megginsh's Strathspey was written by John Bowie who was originally from Perth and 'a famous teacher of the violin, and a composer of dance tunes'. He published a set of reels, etc in 1786 which this one might have featured in. I must find the book! This info about Bowie came from David Baptie's late 19th century opus.
I found this little tune at the back of J. Scott Skinner's The Logie Collection. It's a pretty wee tune but on playing it I recognised Paul McCartney's interest in the Scots fiddle tradition. There is no other way that The Beatles would recorded a similar type tune on their White Album without hearing this first. Well done Paul! I've also tried to emulate McCartney's singing on this track as well.
Here are two reels from the pen of 18th century fiddler and composer Robert Mackintosh (c 1745-1807). Known as "Red Rob", he was born in Tulliemet, Perthshire and has long been recognised as one of our foremost composers of Scottish dance music. There are 4 collections of his music containing 350 tunes. You can play them all in the amazing Highland Music Trust book 'The Mackintosh Collections' http://www.heallan.com/mackintosh.html
When I was learning these tunes I was amazed at the dexterity needed to play them especially Miss Jessy Dalrymple's Reel. I think I might be playing them at a more modern reel speed (!) but all the same they're difficult! Concerto Caledonia made a lovely album of Macintosh music in 2013 entitled Robert Mackintosh - Airs, Minuets, Gavotts and Reels which is well worth a listen. http://www.concal.org/albums/9-albums/7-robert-mackintosh-airs-minuets-gavotts-reels
This I have learnt two William Marshall minuets from volumes 1 and 2 of his collections. The first minuet is called Mr Hoy - Gordon Castle and the second is Chapel Keithack. Mr Hoy (born 1747) is mentioned in Dr Currie's memoir of poet Robert Burns where he says that "Mr James Hoy was librarian to his Grace The Duke of Gordon at Gordon Castle. He was in many respects a singular and original character... with goodness in heart, and simplicity of manners."
My project for this week was to make a set of music written by female composers in the 18/19th century. As you can imagine society and fiddle playing was quite male dominated and there is not too much music written by lady composers around. I did manage to find out about Lucy Johnston of Hilton who was included in Niel Gow's and the Scottish Musical Museum collections. Also Miss Magdelina Stirling has a collection c1812. The strathspey Lady Lucy Ramsay in the set was written by 'A Female Amateur'!
Miss L. Johnston's Complements to Niel Gow (Lucy Johnston of Hilton), Lady Lucy Ramsay (A Female Amateur), Lord Torphican's Strathspey, Perthshire Hunt (both Miss Magdelina Stirling)
Here are 2 jigs and a reel. The two jigs - The Duke of York's Camp / Mrs Roy of Nenthorn's Favourite are sourced in Hardie's 'A Fiddler's Book of Scottish Jigs' and 'The Reel of Tyrie' came from the Highland Music Trust's 'Highland Collections'.
I recently purchased a copy of David Baptie's Musical Scotland, Past and Present: Being A Dictionary of Scottish Musicians From About 1400 Till The Present Time. Present time is 1894!!!
Using the book I found out that John Clark who wrote The Duke of York's Camp was born circa 1740 and published a collection called Flores Musicae in 1773. Robert Mackintosh wrote Mrs Roy of Nenthorn's Favourite. He was also known as 'Red Rob' and was born in circa 1745. He published four collections of music - the first in 1792. The Reel of Tyrie was written by dancing master, violinist and composer William Christie. He was born in 1778 and he published a collection of seventy-one pieces - sixty eight which were his own!!
This beautiful tune was written by fiddler Alexander Troup from Ballater, Aberdeenshire. Troup was a contemporary of J Scott Skinner (he played in a band with Skinner's brother). He judged violin competitions at Grantown-upon-Spey with Charles Grant (student of Marshall) in 1880s and was David Baptie's source for a lot of info about fiddlers in the book Musical Scotland, Past and Present: Being a Dictionary of Scottish Musicians, from about 1400 Till the Present Time (1894). Thanks for all this precious information Ronnie Gibson (@scat4230), Dr Karen McAuley (@karenmca) and Stuart Eydmann (@EydmannHeritage).
Cluny Castle, situated in the tranquil undulating farmland of Aberdeenshire known as Gordon Country, is hidden from view by over two hundred acres of landscaped policies. Dating back to 14th century it continues to be a much loved home of the Gordons of Cluny. Between 1820 and 1870 a smaller castle was transformed into the magnificent crenellated mansion that exists today. The name “Cluny” originates from the Gaelic word for ‘meadow’, and at Cluny Castle superb exuberant architecture and beautiful grounds of a great Scottish castle combine perfectly to create a secluded and romantic pastoral retreat.
Here are three strathspeys from the pen of legendary fiddler Angus Fitchet (1910-1998). The tune are Miss Jessie Moreen, Allan Gibb, Strong Tea (for Norrie Whitelaw). I learnt them from the National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs publication 'The Music of Angus Fitchet Volume 2). If you would like to read more about Angus follow the link below.
https://projects.handsupfortrad.scot/hall-of-fame/angus-fitchet-1910-1998/
This is three reels from the fabulous Scottish tune book - The Athole Collection. Its compiler, James Stewart Robertson of Edradynate, Perthshire, was a founding member of The Edinburgh Highland Reel and Strathspey Society and its president from 1881. He published his collection of 870 strathspeys, reels, jigs, hornpipes and country dances in 1884.
The collection was reprinted in 1961, but for many years was out of print, and although scholars and players were aware of the book, it was difficult to obtain direct access to it. It was later reprinted in 1996 by Inverness's Balnain House and reprinted again by Highland Music Trust where you can still buy it here! http://www.heallan.com/athole.html
The reels are: The Yetts of Muckart, John Angus and Mrs Duncan.
I'm back for more weekly music and I think I'm going to stick to Scottish traditional tunes for a while. These two tunes from Book 3 of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society. They are St Patrick's Day (Gow) and The Rock And The Wee Pickle Tow. It says in the book that they were both originally sourced from Allan's Ballroom Guide from 1905. You can read about that here! http://copac.jisc.ac.uk/search?title=Allan%27s+Ballroom+Guide#.V7sdojb2HVE.twitter
I'm very lucky to be joined by my son Charlie on bodhran for this set.
On Friday night me, Rua MacMillan and Mark Maguire were very lucky to be invited down the Lapraik Poetry Festival in Muirkirk. We had a great night of poetry, song and music in the village. This is a strathspey and two jigs we performed on the night. Read about our visit here https://projects.handsupfortrad.scot/handsupfortrad/lapraik-festival-muirkirk/
I set myself a goal of recording / writing something new every week and sometimes Thursday arrives and I have no new ideas. I still make myself sit down and work something out and this is it!! I got out my marimba and came up with a little tune. I then (hopefully) complement it with another little tune on the concertina backed by my mellotron.
I was planning a track to record this week when the The East Neuk of Fife sprang to mind from J. Scott Skinner's 'The Harp and Claymore' Collection. I was just going though the variations when I noticed the tempo - 136bpm! It is ridiculous. I actually think it is too fast - I preferred 130bpm but in homage to the great man and composer here it is at 136 :-)
A couple of weeks back I was lucky enough to be teaching at Feis Rois Adult School. What a great bunch of people. Anyway in our morning groupwork class we were learning an old tune of mine - starjump and whilst we were talking about arrangement I came up with this little bridge. It has now become its own entity and I hope you enjoy it!
Last Sunday I played with my son Charlie at the All Scottish Fleadh where lots of young people (and some older) compete to win through to the All British Fleadh. This is one of the tunes we played in the bodhran competition. All players in the competition were great but I was chuffed to see Charlie win!
This is a wee noodle of a tune that came to me very quickly! It's a wee conversation between myself and the concertina. Sometimes I know what to say sometimes I don't!
This is a version of an air from my piece The Merry Lads of Ayr which is being premiered tomorrow night (Friday 8th April) in Stirling Tolbooth as part of the Distil Showcase. I put this together for last Saturday's concert in Ennis, Ireland. If you would like to come along and hear this and many other new pieces performed by Mr McFall's Chamber you can get the details here http://tolbooth.stirling.gov.uk/tolbooth/whatson/april2016-3/distil16.htm
As I practice for my Saturday concert and workshop at CONSAIRTÍN (http://consairtin.ie) in Ennis this weekend I thought I might play Atom Blaster. It's an old tune by jazz guitarist Barney Kessel and I recorded it on YouTube a few years back. Not that I was thinking it at the time but with today's announcement by UK Govt that they are planning on sailing 700kg of Nuclear Waste from Dounreay across the Atlantic Ocean without heed to any of the dangers a spillage could cause - Atom Blaster is probably quite a fitting tune.
After a week of writing my string quintet for Mr McFall's Chamber (to be performed at Distil Showcase on 8th April, Stirling) I still felt I should make something different and totally rockin... So here it is - 32 seconds of pure rock. At last here is something to compete with the 140k streams of Dave Milligan and my's Freedom Come All Ye Track.
This is an idea for a new piece I'm writing based on reel The Merry Lads of Ayr from the Athole Collection. If you listen carefully you will hear the alarm telling me to turn the chicken...
This is a track I wrote last year in a caravan in Pitlochry. Ian Carr and I have been playing it on our tour this week. I really like it - he's not so sure... More music at www.simonthoumire.com
Here are a couple of reels from Neil Gow's book. Can't beat a bit of Bb and F in reels. I can't see a concertina in this picture - it must be outside the picture.
It's good to find things that are sore! This definitely was - better spruce up my technique :-)
Want to hear something beautiful? Listen to Dave Milligan's wonderful rendition of Freedom Come All Ye! Dave and I recorded this on the beautiful Steinway Grand at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall last week before we performed with Altan at the Hillhead Bookclub for BBC ALBA. If you enjoy this content please consider supporting my Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/simonthoumire
On Saturday 23rd January we performed our suite of new music - Strathspey and Surreal Society. There were four composers - Jenn Austin, Aidan O'Rourke, Shona Mooney and myself. This is my piece of music. It's called Deil Amang the Fiddlers and it was performed by 21 amazing fiddlers. The music is based on a famous set of reels - Mrs Macleod's / Fairy Dance / Deil Amang the Tailors. Most of the ideas come from the first three notes of Deil Amang the Tailors from which I wrote everything. If you want to try it you can read the score here http://musichub.scot/musicsheets/deil-amang-the-fiddlers/
This is my first make good art of 2016 and my goodness it was difficult! I made the decision to not worry about it too much and make some noise! More of my less noisy music at www.simonthoumire.com
My final track of 2015 is a... Christmas carol. Seems fitting! Originally written in Latin as Adeste Fideles, Oh Come, All Ye Faithful is a Christmas carol which has been attributed to various authors, including John Francis Wade (1711–1786), with the earliest copies of the hymn all bearing his signature, John Reading (1645–1692) and King John IV of Portugal (1604–1656). Thankyou Wikipedia!!
As the UK parliament voted for more air strikes on yet more innocent civilians (the terrorists never really suffer) I was practicing my concertina and I came up with this little recurring theme. It's recurring in the way that we start bombing yet again and nothing really changes. This piece starts off with a simple theme that gets confused and doesn't end up where you think it will. I probably didn't have an end plan before I started it.
This is the very first notes I played this morning on my concertina! It's a busy time at the moment with planning for this years MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards (www.scotstradmusicawards.com) and I wasn't sure if I was going to manage this week with a new piece of music. And then I pressed record...
Scotland lost a great person on Monday - radio producer Stewart Cruickshank. Stewart was amazing to me as a young musician and amongst many things he booked my orchestra to perform 'Music for a Scottish Parliament' in 1999. I loved the gig and it gave me so much confidence to compose. I thought I would write a wee air for Stewart and here it is! You can read about Stewart here http://projects.handsupfortrad.scot/hall-of-fame/stewart-cruikshank-radio-producer/
This is a little track. Not much more to say about it! As I'm trying to write my Strathspey and Surreal piece of music I'm also continuing my weekly music!
In January 2016 Aidan O'Rourke, me, Shona Mooney and Jenn Austin will be writing for a 21 strong fiddle orchestra featuring many of Scotland's top players. The idea is to write new music for the traditional Strathspey and Reel orchestra but with a difference. The ensemble will be called Strathspey and Surreal and this track is something I'm working on for it. It's just ideas and they've already changed after I've experimented with the form! I thought would put it up anyway! You can buy tickets here - it's on Saturday 23rd January in the afternoon in Glasgow Concert Hall Main Auditorium. http://events.glasgowlife.org.uk/event/1/strathspey-and-surreal
Flutter (written by Simon Thoumire) performed by the undergraduates of the music BA at Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. This was performed live at the Concert Hall on 29th October 2015.
I'm sitting at Hands Up for Trad's Distil project (www.distil.scot) listening to drummer Mark Sanders talking about free improvising and how we should try finding a new sound on our instrument. Well I'm at a loss so I tried finding a new sound on my lips and combining it with my concertina. Here it is...
It's been a nice few days spending time with the family. Quite hard to find time to practice though! This is a relaxed air that hopefully describes the good times we had!
I've been thinking a lot about the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame this last couple of weeks (halloffame.scot)so I thought I would do a (stupid) version of GS McLennan's classic Mrs A. MacPherson of Inveran. Possibly brought up to date or more like consigning it to the graveyard of great tunes performed badly!
Here's a wee tune written on the African thumb piano. It's the first time I've used it since Dave Milligan and I bought it in Australia way back in 2002!
Here are 3 tunes. The first jig is called An Gille dubh sugach which translates (from Scottish Gaelic) as The Merry Black Lad. I found this in the William Gunn Collection of Pipe Music. The Battlefield band sang a version of this on their last album as a Strathspey I think! I follow it with two difficult reels by fiddler William Morrison (1780 - 1825). The first tune is Viscount Mandeville and I've changed the ending because it can't be correct in the book. The second tune is Mr Duncan Forbes Duff of Muirtown's Reel. Both are in the brilliant Highland Collection published by Highland Music Trust. I love this book - definitely one of my favourites.
I saw this sign on a recent visit to Stockholm in a gallery and I decided it was a neat concept for some music. I've flirted with negative and positive connotations of this statement and in the end I've kept it positive! So go on - dream on :-)
I wrote this riff on the concertina and brought together the cosmo and drums to finish it off. I can't wait to play it live.
Here is an outside recording I made of Saul Rose and Sam Sweeney's 2015 Folkworks ensemble. It's a bit windy but fantastic all the same. All the ensemble seemed to be having a great time playing lovely tunes and arrangement.
I had a great time at FolkWorks Youth Summer School with our mixed instrument group. Here are three recording we made over the week. If you would like to attend this brilliant summer school visit their website at http://www.sagegateshead.com/tour-dates/folkworks-summer-schools-2015
I had a great time at FolkWorks Youth Summer School with our mixed instrument group. Here are three recording we made over the week. If you would like to attend this brilliant summer school visit their website at http://www.sagegateshead.com/tour-dates/folkworks-summer-schools-2015
In our FolkWorks Ensemble class hosted by myself and Andrew Cadie we worked with a great group of young people. We performed and learned a few numbers and here is one of them! It is Keep Hauling by Andrew Cadie (http://www.broombezzums.com/biography/andrew-cadie/)
If you love learning and sharing music why not attend FolkWorks in Durham. You can find out more here. http://www.sagegateshead.com/tour-dates/folkworks-summer-schools-2015
We made this track together in our mixed instrument group at FolkWorks 2015 in Durham. If you love learning and sharing music why not attend FolkWorks. Find out more here http://www.sagegateshead.com/tour-dates/folkworks-summer-schools-2015
I'm teaching at the brilliant FolkWorks Youth summer school this week and I'm working with a group of brill students. We've made lots of amazing music together and today we recorded a version of my Bounce track. This makes me laugh!!
This track was recorded in our B&B in Parthenay by me and Ian Carr. There's a video to come but I thought I would upload this in advance! More music at www.simonthoumire.com
Many people travelling on the train in France will recognise this sound of the announcement speaker. I really liked it and made a track. I'm sure I'm not the first!
This is an ambient track featuring a shaking concertina. Definitely time for a martini.
It has been so rainy in Scotland of late I thought I would commemorate it with a composition duet with a windscreen wiper. It could be a trio if you include the two windscreen wipers... I think I've had this chromatic little air in my head for a while.
I'm currently at Hands Up for Trad's Tinto Summer School in South Lanarkshire. It's an amazing week with brilliant young people and fabulous tutors. There is not a lot of time to think about anything so here is a wee jig to dance to!
I wrote and recorded this little tune in Loch Tummel caravan park just outside Pitlochry. It is a little tune but swings along!
I was sitting on the train home last week when I heard this amazing train noise. I immediately thought train techno and got my phone out and recorded it! I'm also hearing a bit of The Beatles' Day in the Life naturally occurring in this train sound! Feel free to take this to no 1 in the charts...
I was very lucky to receive fiddler Marie Fielding's new tune book the other day full of fabulous new tunes in a traditional vein. This particular air jumped out at me and I decided to write a string quartet to accompany it. If anyone would like a copy of the arrangement to play please contact me.
ps my son wanted to call this piece 'slow down' after last weeks 'hurry up' but it was too predictable even though is definitely slower...
A quick track I wrote for a possible commission. I'm in a rush today so not going to say too much.
This track show's the pearls of not listening. I recorded this track whilst listening to really loud music and I couldn't hear myself playing at all. I haven't gone for beauty here. I wouldn't recommend this as a style of recording.
Have you ever danced on your own with no one looking? Well I've written this music for you to dance to. There is no form, you can go as crazy as you like and it's only two minutes long. So it's a quick stupid dance and you will feel better for it. (I'm sure I'll get some spam with this title...)
I thought I would head in a traditional vein this week. 3 reels from one of Scotland's top fiddle composers William Marshall (nineteenth century). There are 3 tunes:
Mr Alexander Laing's Hornpipe (E Major) Master Frank Romily (F Major) Mr John Angus' Reel (E Major)
I think the final reel may have been played as a strathspey due to the 2nd part but it's too late to worry about that...
I wrote this track on election day. It features all the madness that goes in the run up to the election. It's noisy and primitive as all elections are especially this one (in 2015). This is also my second string quartet which I'll arrange in the next few weeks.
I found this picture on Twitter the other day. I had never seen it before but it turns out it is by William Blake. It is called "I want! I want!" and it's from his book for children "The Gates of Paradise".
I looked at this picture and I thought that it might be about greed however I now think it is about someone wanting the moon so much - nothing is going to stop them getting it. It's a picture about finding away to solve problems and achieving a goal. Amazing wee drawing. Here's a link to the drawing http://simonthoumire.com/i-want-i-want/