Back in 2018, a post on a social media feed of the Peatbog Faeries alerted me to another Skye band, Niteworks. Melding Gaelic song forms with techno and house beats, Niteworks gave the celtic fusion dial a different spin, which to these ears sounded a little like Kraftwerk meets Clannad.
After the upheavals of 2020, when Megan and I began to blend our musical influences and CD collections, Niteworks was not on our horizon, but streaming service Spotify had other ideas. In amongst tunes by Martyn Bennett, Peatbog Faeries, Shooglenifty, Talisk and Valtos, we were fed the occasional Niteworks track. The celtic fusion scene features a lot of collaborative work, and the band's modus operandi of having sung or spoken Gaelic in most tracks has introduced us to even more music artists, like Sian and Beth Malcolm.
Niteworks were now our go-to mix and we realised that we ought to try to see them live, but with one thing and another, the opportunity just did not come along. Unfortunately, earlier this year, we had not seen the announcement that the band were calling time on their music in 2024, so we had missed the chance to get tickets to any of the venues on the final tour. Disaster!
However, in August, when an additional date was added to the tour, I was given strict instructions to take the morning off work and be online as soon as tickets went on sale. Phew!
Tonight, after 17 years, Niteworks are performing their final gig. Whilst we can't make it to Glasgow for what is bound to be a very emotional show, we did manage to catch them on Thursday night at their penultimate gig in Aberdeen.
As this is Nature Notes, the lyrics of the track I have chosen are full of wildlife.
GLOOMY WINTER('S NOW AWA')
The composition of the melody is attributed to Alexander Campbell (1764-1824), who was supposed to have composed it about 1783 under the title "Strathspey, Rev. Mr. Macdonald of Kilmore." The lyrics were written in 1807 by the famous Scots weaver poet Robert Tannahill.
In the 1990s, the song was made more famous by singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean and it was also used by the English composer Michael Nyman as the theme for the movie The Piano.
This version by Niteworks features Hannah Rarity on vocals and 60% of the Kinnaris Quintet on strings.
Gloomy winter's now awaSoft the westlin' breezes blaw'Mang the birks o' Stanley shawThe mavis sings fu' cheerie O
Sweet the crawflowr's early bellDecks Glenifer's dewy dellBloomin' like yer bonnie sel'My young my artless dearie O
Come my lassie let us strayO'er Glenkilloch's sunny braeAnd blythely spend the gowden day'Midst joy thats never wearie O
Tow'ring o'er the Newton woodsLav'rocks fan the snow-white cloudsSiller saughs wi' downy budsAdorn the banks saw briery O
Round the sylvan fairy nooksFeath'ry breckans fringe the rocks'Neath the brae the burnie jouksAnd ilka thing is cheerie O
Trees may bud and birds may singFlowers may bloom and verdue springBut joy to me they canna bringUnless wi' ye my dearie O
Trees may bud and birds may singFlowers may bloom and verdue springBut joy to me they canna bringUnless wi' ye my dearie O
That keyboard bridge would not be out of place in a progressive rock track.
Thank you, Niteworks, long may your tunes grace our speakers.
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