WHAT does a memory sound like? How do you share it with someone else? A new collection of Highland-inspired tunes aims to answer these questions.
Composer Hilary de Vries describes her 70-tune compendium as “love songs to the Black Isle”, which she’s called home for 20 years.
Despite playing music before her move from Leith, de Vries only began composing after relocating for husband Martin’s work. Since then, she’s been using harp, bagpipe and more to interpret the landscape and her experiences there through waltzes, marches and jigs. Her new Black Isle Collection is filled with pieces that tell the story of the area’s waterways, churches, places and people.
It’s the latest of six books of music she’s delivered and, she says, she wants listeners to get a sense of spaces and experiences she’s had. “A song starts like a tickle in the back of my head,” she says. “I’ll get an urge to pick up an instrument and the song will start to emerge. You can have all the atmosphere. It’s like you’re translating everything you’ve seen into the music.
“I really hope people will get a sense of my memories from it. I’m really proud of this new book and to finally be able to share the music that the Black Isle has inspired over so many years.”
Fiddler Duncan Chisholm has backed the collection, saying the pieces “give affirmation to a deep love of the landscape and nature of the Highlands”.
He added: “These tunes in particular emphasise a love for the Black Isle and the people that live there.”
While the individual tunes date back over two decades, de Vries says this collection may have taken far longer to put together if not for lockdown.
Enforced time at home gave her the time needed to prepare the works for the page and the result is now available via hilarydevries.bandcamp.com and a range of retailers from Avoch to Ullapool.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here