2024 Remix and Remaster version to bring it up to the standard of the later album tracks for full album release in 2025.
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"A furore Normannorum libera nos, Domine - From the fury of the Northmen deliver us, O Lord"

This track is now part of "The Pilgrims Way Project" exploring the history and natural world of Lindisfarne

Project Playlist

soundcloud.com/mrbouzouki/sets/the-pilgrims-way-project

Project Website

www.pilgrims-way.co.uk

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Instrumentation
The Vikings! instrumental features rolled timpani, strings, electric guitar and a choir ending. Various sound FX from that are classed as Public Domain are used to add colour to the track from www.freesound.org

creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

"Flock of Seagulls" by juskiddink (5th June 2010) licensed under creative commons attribution licence via www.freesound.org

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Background
Simeon of Durham recorded the grim events of the Viking attack on Lindisfarne in 793 AD

"And they came to the church of Lindisfarne, laid everything waste with grievous plundering, trampled the holy places with polluted feet, dug up the altars and seized all the treasures of the holy church. They killed some of the brothers; some they took away with them in fetters; many they drove out, naked and loaded with insults; and some they drowned in the sea" .
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'The Vikings' was in direct contrast to the dreamy first piece of the album. I came across a Latin Phrase spoken by priests as a prayer of protection from the scourge of Viking raids. It helped me get into the mindset required for this piece. I chanced upon some 'Foley' material of some actual Viking re-enactors from freesound and used this to create a very short, brooding piece that explodes into an electric guitar solo before just being suddenly left with a voiceover of me chanting the Latin phrase against the backdrop of the sound of the sea.

Often Viking raids were short and bloody and I wanted to try and capture how an attack like this could change everything for the vulnerable monks. Faith was their shield but could it really protect them from these savages from the sea ?

The Vikings - 2024 Remix and Remaster

2024 Remix and Remaster version to bring it up to the standard of the later album tracks for full album release in 2025.
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Lindisfarne has always held a special fascination for my wife and I, so it is no surprise to me that I would eventually create some music about it. Hopefully you can be swept away by the music but not the tide ;-)

This track is now the first track of the "The Pilgrims Way Project" exploring the history and natural world of Lindisfarne

Project Playlist

soundcloud.com/mrbouzouki/sets/the-pilgrims-way-project

Project Website

www.pilgrims-way.co.uk

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Instrumentation
The Pilgrims Way Instrumental features Low Whistle, coupled with the sound of strings waves and the wheeling of seagulls overhead. It also features Shevvanai Voice of the Elves VST. (Lara Ausensi)

"Flock of Seagulls by juskiddink (5th June 2010) licensed under creative commons attribution licence via freesound.org

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Thanks to Redmando, Leonard Scaper and the Songwriters in the Kitchen Forum for the spark
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Background
Ever since 635, when King Oswald gave the Holy Island of Lindisfarne to St Aidan to establish his monastery, the island has been a place of pilgrimage. The road was not constructed until 1954 and until then the vertical poles were the only indicators of the safe route between the mainland and island. The sight of the poles stretching across the sand and mud is one of the most iconic views in Northumberland and to walk the route away from the road and follow in the footsteps of our medieval ancestors is a wonderful experience.

With 'The Pilgrims Way', there was actually very little research involved. Lindisfarne was a place both my wife and I loved and it was really created from a simple low whistle melody. I also included 'Foley' sounds to help in the immersion for the listener. Having got some initial positive feedback from some musical friends, I decided to try and create a series of pieces based around Lindisfarne. Given it's history and unique natural setting, there seemed plenty of material to go at.

The Pilgrims Way - 2024 Remix and Remaster

2024 Remix and Remaster version to bring it up to the standard of the later album tracks for full album release in 2025.

This track also need a bit of a rewrite too as some elements of the original just didn't work. A change of VST instrumentation including the use of Dicky Degan's Uilleann Pipes and some work on understanding pipe ornaments has brought it up to a standard I am now happy with.  
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An Irish-tinged tune about the Lindisfarne Gospels to reflect the Irish foundations of the community despite the later Romanisation of the Celtic church.

The track title comes from me thinking about it being a beacon of civilisation, a rallying point, during the Early Middle Ages whilst a far chunk of the UK was under Viking rule and Christianity had again been pushed to the margins of the UK.

Thanks to Karen O'Mahony (MonnoDB) for her (harp playing) advice - check out her stuff here:- @monnodb

This track is now part of "The Pilgrims Way Project" exploring the history and natural world of Lindisfarne

Project Playlist

soundcloud.com/mrbouzouki/sets/the-pilgrims-way-project

Project Website

www.pilgrims-way.co.uk

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Instrumentation
A Light in the Darkness instrumental features strings, high C whistle, harp, violin, Uilleann pipes, bodhrán (Irish frame drum) and a choir backing.

The sound of 'Eadfrith' doing his writing is a sound FX that is classed as Public Domain and used to add colour to the track, It can be found on www.freesound.org

creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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Background
The Lindisfarne Gospels is an illuminated manuscript gospel book probably produced around the years 715-720 in the monastery at Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumberland, which is now in the British Library in London. The manuscript is one of the finest works in the unique style of Hiberno-Saxon or Insular art, combining Mediterranean, Anglo-Saxon and Celtic elements.

The Lindisfarne Gospels are presumed to be the work of a monk named Eadfrith, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne in 698 and died in 721 AD.

Thinking Irish music lead to the inclusion of harp, bodhrán, uilleann pipes and a bit of whistle, all over a bed of strings and choir. The Foley sound of somebody writing with a quill pen set the scene and once I had the basic melody I was away. I took advice from a harpist on how they play chords and read up on Uilleann pipe drones and playing ornamentation too.

A Light In The Darkness - 2024 Rewrite Remix and Remaster

2024 Remix and Remaster version to bring it up to the standard of the later album tracks for full album release in 2025.
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This track is dedicated to the memory of Chris A and the time that was 'Elidor'. "I hope you are flying somewhere with that big grin on your face"

This track was very much a collision of ideas. I wanted to follow on from The North Shore and actually take the listener into the air to experience the feeling and freedom of flying like a bird. Additionally the track title "Flight of Fancy" was the title of an original instrumental played by a band I was in in the early 80's. The keyboard player in that band is sadly no longer with us, so I decided to try and reinvent the spirit of that time as a musical tribute to Chris.

Enjoy your Flight of Fancy :-)

This track is now part of "The Pilgrims Way Project" exploring the history and natural world of Lindisfarne.

Project Playlist

soundcloud.com/mrbouzouki/sets/the-pilgrims-way-project

Project Website

www.pilgrims-way.co.uk

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Instrumentation

(i) Sunrise (0:00 - 0:58)
Part One of the track features strings, brass from my new orchestral library Albion One by Spitfire Audio and timpani. It also includes an additional brass VST from Halion Sonic (Cubase).

(ii) The Shoreline At Dawn (0:59 - 2:28)
Part Two features Albion One Strings (muted - con sordini) and Woodwinds, Synthesizer and Electric Guitar

(iii) Into The Air (2:29 - 6:42)
Part Three has Strings (Longs and Ostinato), Synthesizer, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums (Simon Phillips Studio Drums in Groove Agent) and a Choir Backing.

Various seabird sound FX that is classed as Public Domain are used to add colour to this part of the track from www.freesound.org

creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

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Background

This track seemed to naturally evolve into three discrete sections with a different musical flavour to each part.

(i) Sunrise (0:00 - 0:58)
As the title suggests, it is my musical imagining of sunrise on the beach with all the grandeur of a new day dawning. A big orchestral sound and timpani seemed the way to go.

(ii) The Shoreline At Dawn (0:59 - 2:28)
Part Two has a much more muted sound as nature begins to stir with the dawn and musically this part acts as a linking section between parts one and three.

(iii) Into The Air (2:29 - 6:42)
Finally we are into the air and I wanted to give a feeling of flying by the use of rising chords sequences and a string ostinato (a recurring rhythmic or melodic pattern). I also wanted to give a nod to the original Flight of Fancy so it has a variation of the main guitar riff I played back in the early 80's, some interwoven guitar and keyboard parts and harmony with underlying jazzy drum and bass parts.

Flight Of Fancy - 2024 Remix and Remaster

A collection of songs, instrumentals and orchestral pieces charting my adventures in home studio recording and production.  All original compositions using voice, acoustic and electric guitar (sometimes using altered tunings), bouzouki, low and high whistles and MIDI instrumentation. 

I'm also using VST instrumentation to create classical compositions and integrating orchestral sounds into my songs and instrumentals.

Links to various instrumental projects and other Social Media links are available below.

The current collaborative YouTube channel with Dee Zee is here:-

https://www.youtube.com/@DeeZeeandMrB

New tracks tagged #The Pilgrims Way