Magnificent! Evocative and emotional with shades of The Blue Nile. I lived as a kid on West Blackhall Street, Greenock and one of my favourite haunts was under Gourock pier. This is wonderful as an instrumental but when the singing comes in I am overwhelmed. Those words go to straight the heart. A brave and beautiful song.

quite a story and set up for this very thoughtful piece of music. The luminiscent plankton is one of the ever amazing wonders on this planet. To combine it with music and the memory of your father is something to behold.

a shimmering, luminous tribute. a genuinely moving piece of art.

Wow, how peaceful. Wonderfully peaceful! Thank you very much ; )

Lovely, calm and calming song. The two pieces fit together perfectly.

Just read your accompanying text. Beautiful and moving tribute to your Dad.

Proud to present my collaboration with Mark J Bennett (@markjbennett for more lovely music). 

Thanks so much Mark for creating such wonderful melodies and lyrics which describe the hardships of being in a long distance relationship in these crazy times. I am super happy with what we've created here.

I'd like to dedicate this song to my lovely Annie, I am so happy we are to be reunited soon! I love you.

Lyrics:
Nothing comes close to being close to you.

Suffering from this hunger,
Can’t go on much longer.
Hearing us on the same song,
Helps me stay sane and strong.

Nothing comes close to being close to you.

So far and yet so close,
But our love always shows.
Even though we are apart,
I can feel your heart.

Nothing comes close to being close to you.

A long distance affair,
How I wish I was there.
Distance lends enchantment,
Out of this confinement.

Nothing comes close to being close to you.

Photograph courtesy of Douglas Corrance - Suilven from River Kirkaig, Sutherland, Scotland.

Nothing Comes Close (Wane of Summer & Mark J Bennett)

www.continental-collision.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1LFVzIhgQnch7fzilyVxMH
https://continentalcollision.bandcamp.com/track/black-water
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW2DxHINknA&list=OLAK5uy_koSmP2f8WuZm1qA5QpP_pZpg-OD4rHyf4

It gives me great pleasure to present this new collaboration with Rodolfo under the new name of 'Continental Collision'. I was given a melody, a title and the premise of a toxic relationship, so you’ll be pleased to know that this is a work of fiction as far as I’m concerned. Lyrically, once I found myself ‘down by the river,’ everything fell into place and the river also offered the hero of our song a chance of rebirth. We experimented with different vocal arrangements and it was agreed that Rodolfo would find some other collaborators to help us complete the song. A huge thank you to Cecilia and Gonzalo for those great harmonies and that cool funky guitar. As ever, I am indebted to Rodolfo for the great opportunity to work with his skills and imagination.

Composition, instrumentation, arrangement and production: https://soundcloud.com/rplanes
Lyrics and vocals: https://soundcloud.com/markjbennett
Backing vocals: Cecilia Mastropasqua: https://soundcloud.com/cemastro
Rhythm guitar and backing vocals: Gonzalo J. Ares: https://soundcloud.com/gonzalo-julian-ares
Image of Anthony Gormley’s sculpture, ‘Six Times’ at Stockbridge, Edinburgh used with the kind permission of Douglas Corrance.

Take me to the brink down by the river. 
Take me there to drink the black water.
Take me there to sink, right down in the mire. 
Take me down into Hellfire. 
Take me all the way.

Make me feel the pain down by the river. 
Make me swallow down the black water. 
Make me feel each ache, each tremble and shake. 
Make my heart ready to break. 
Make it go away.

I gotta lead my life the way that I choose. 
I have got nothing left to lose. 
I need to start my life anew. 
I need my new life to breakthrough.
It’s just beginning and overdue.

Seek to be redeemed down by the river.
Seek to reflect in the black water.
Seek to find the meaning, straight out of the past. 
Seek release from all that’s passed.
Seek to find some peace.

Want some kinda future far from the river.
Want a future free from black water.
Want a life to live, free to take or give.
Want to learn how to forgive.
Want the pain to cease.

I gotta lead my life the way that I choose. 
I’ve got nothing left to lose. 
I need to start my life anew. 
I need my new life to breakthrough.
It’s just beginning and overdue.

Black Water - Continental Collision - on Spotify & Bandcamp

Chris: Lyrics & melody arrangement/vocals/Brauchli lapslide/audio engineering
Martin: Bass, rhythm, main guitars, shruti, instrumental arrangement & recording.
Another collaboration re-imagining the tradition, with Martin Kirwan…we’ve made this one a free download if you enjoy it. Martin has composed and played the instrumental on layered guitar tracks and shruti, and I've re-arranged the lyrics and vocal melody. As always, I'm blown away by his beautiful playing and imaginative blending of cultural sounds. https://soundcloud.com/tradladsaughrim

This gem can be found in Buntings Ancient Music of Ireland, and the "literal  translation from the original Irish" was undertaken by a Miss Mary Balfour, (there is a slightly different  translation in my 1897 book The Minstrelsy of Ireland). 
The original Irish song was believed to have been collected by an agent of Bunting's associates the McCrackens - a man called Patrick Lynch...who collected over 200 songs from singers around the Mayo area in the early 1800's but this man was never acknowledged in the publication. 
The original tune was believed to have been first published as "Ye Trugh" by Neal in 1724, but Bunting got it from Charles Byrne at a harpist's gathering around the 1790's.

"Arise from thy slumbers, oh fairest of maids!
With me wilt thou wander to Truigha's green shades,
Where sorrel and bright rowan berries abound,
And nuts in rich clusters the branches have crowned.

A bed of fresh ivy to rest thee I'll bring,
The blackbirds and thrushes around us shall sing,
And there with unceasing attachment I'll prove,
How soothing the cares of affection and love.

In my contemporary arrangement I've made the English lyrics flow a bit better. 

Photo by Chris Okunbor

An Seann Triuca

An Seann Triuća (The Old Truigha) Trad. arr. Okunbor & Kirwan. Free download if you like it

This is not me playing. This is an old friend of mine called Derek Smith who died a few days ago. He was a wonderful comedian with the stage name "The Amazing Mr Smith" but was also a fine guitarist. His guitar only albums were amongst my most played CDs over the last 10 years. Here is his beautiful arrangement of Peter Maxwell-Davies' "Farewell to Stromness". The mood here completely captures the way many of us feel about his passing. 

(The picture incidentally shows Derek playing his condom harp at one of our charity concerts a few years ago…you get the idea ;) )

Farewell To Stromness, The Amazing Mr Smith. PLEASE read the description

An edited free piano improv. An intermezzo between something that was and something that might have been, if only.

Once Upon A Forgotten Time

Hearty Boys Of Ballymote

This is another track composed for my "Clutha Project" and is actually two tracks in one. The first part is an instrumental and the second a song, but both were inspired by the glittering reflections one often sees on the River Clyde at night.

I was always in awe of this view and was lucky enough for a while to live in a house that looked out over the Clyde towards Greenock and Port Glasgow and would spend hours just staring out of the window late at night. I was also lucky enough to go sailing on the Clyde and our crew even won a prize. We travelled over to Gourock in a small motor launch for the prize-giving and after a heavy night of partying we came back again in the launch in the wee small hours across a river that was smooth as a pond. The water was full of bio-luminescent plankton that glowed greeny-blue when disturbed and we left a soft luminous trail behind us as we crossed. Probably one of the most magical journeys I have ever made. 

In 1997 we learned that my father was dying from a previously mis-diagnosed cancer. I would frequent the shoreline at night to vent my helpless fury by lifting the biggest rocks I could manage and fling them into the water whilst shouting obscenities at Fate and Life in general. Shortly before my father died, there had been an attempt to blow up the mighty Goliath crane across the water in Port Glasgow to make way for redevelopment. The operation failed, however, and it only partially slumped to the ground, like a huge wounded metal beast, and lay there in limbo for several weeks, waiting for the inevitable end. To me, this seemed like a metaphor for my father. He outlasted the crane, but not by much.

Once the fury had passed though, there was always the beauty of the twinkling reflections as consolation.


This track contains a field recording of Eider Ducks made by David M and published on the Xeno-Canto Website, used with his kind permission. XC343114 - Common Eider - Somateria mollissima
==============================

Reflections at Midnight

It's midnight at the riverside.
The stars are all so clear.
I'm hurling rocks at water
To hide my rage and fear.

The ripples break reflections
Of the twinkling lights ahead
But the reflections all reform again
And their beauty cools my head.

Gentle as old ladies,
The Eider ducks they call;
Cooing in the darkness
Saying "Nothing's wrong at all".

Far off on the other shoreline,
Lights move as cars go by.
The Titan Crane stands silent
And does not ask me why

I'm crying by the water
In the middle of the night,
Throwing rocks into the river
As ripples break the lights.

He's been there for a long time.
He's seen it all before
And lost count of all the hopeless rocks
Folk have thrown in from that shore.

He knows his time is passing.
They're coming for him soon.
No more we'll share the rocks here
Below the silver moon.

Still the lights they twinkle
Across the gentle Clyde
And the Eider ducks are calling
As they drift off on the tide.

(c) enlimila July 2018

(Clutha Project) Reflections at Midnight

(Clutha Project) Reflections At Midnight

slow down

Gallopede Sept 18

https://youtu.be/2bh5B0MGWfg

Such a lovely little town, it deserves its own love song.

Banjo, lapslide & vocals Chris O
Audio Chris O

Salt River Town        (c)Chris Okunbor, October 2020

Springing rains are here again, ground is soaking down.
Rolling clouds come darkening, chasing folks from town.

Front porch singing, banjo ringing.
Front porch ringing, banjo singing.

Gonna get me a line, get me a pole, go fishing in a crayfish hole.

Rollin rains are here again.
Springing clouds come a-darkening,
Around, Salt River Town.

Rollin rains are here again,
springing clouds come a-sparkling,
the waters round Salt River Town.

Sister's Creek's got a crayfish creep, but they're running like the devil from me.
Flathead hiding at the Bend in the River, now its hurry on home for tea.

Front porch ringing, banjo singing.
The front porch ringing, banjo singing,
wise-up, about what’s enough.

Darkening clouds are here again.
And the rolling rain comes a-blowing in,
Whoa, Salt River Town.

Hear the ringing, hear the singing.
Front porch ringing, banjo singing,
learning, the meaning of enough.

Oh you know we love, 
the waters around Salt River Town.

Salt River Town

Salt River Town  (a love song for my little town) ~  Chris Okunbor

Easy (w.i.p)

This is my spill-over page for newer stuff. The older material is at https://soundcloud.com/enlimila.

Thanks for looking. :-)

(Clutha Project) Reflections At Midnight

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