The Winterland, by Steve Gray and the Ultra-Ray Violets

The Winterland

by Steve Gray and the Ultra-Ray Violets

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1.	Sweet Love Good Night 04:00	info	buy track
2.	Wayfaring Stranger 05:20	info	buy track
3.	The Linden Tree 03:28	info	buy track
4.	Frozen Ground 02:55	info	buy track
5.	Three Ravens 04:06	info	buy track
6.	The Raven 03:47	info	buy track
7.	Will O'The Wisp 01:55	info	buy track
8.	Heart Is 04:56	info	buy track
9.	Rest 03:29	info	buy track
10.	Dream Of Spring 02:03	info	buy track
11.	Old Man's Head 00:58	info	buy track
12.	Slow Burn Sunday 02:36	info	buy track
13.	Mendelssohn's Gone Crazy / Salterello 05:26	info	buy track

about

This is my cycle of songs for the winter season. Inspired by Schubert's "Winterreise" and Ian Bostridge's musings on Schubert's winter journey, most of the songs have been written on the mountain dulcimer.

As captured in James Howie’s cover design, the themes which reoccur through the songs are of death, lost love, frozen leaves and ravens. Many are closely modelled on Schubert’s songs, which in turn were based on the poems of Wilhelm Muller. One exception is “Slow Burn Sunday” where I have gone directly to one of Roger McGough’s poems from “Summer with Monika” for inspiration.

And what of “Mendelssohn’s Gone Crazy”? Schubert ended “Winterreise” with a song about a hurdy-gurdy man. I do the same, but I have called my hurdy-gurdy player Mendelssohn, as revenge for that composer’s take on folk music: “May ten thousand devils take all folklore! ….so-called folk melodies...dreadful, out-of-tune trash...it’s enough to drive one crazy”. This one’s for you Felix!

The actual hurdy-gurdy player, on his own composition “Salterello”, is Damian Clarke. I am joined on backing vocals and assorted noises on “The Linden Tree” and “Will O‘The Wisp” by Penny Grennan and Jan Croot.

credits

released March 17, 2020

Songs composed, sung and played by Steve Gray - mainly on mountain dulcimer - with the following exceptions. Poor Wayfaring Stranger and Three Ravens are trad/arr Steve Gray. Damian Clarke wrote and played hurdy-gurdy on Salterello. Jan Croot and Penny Grennan joined me on backing vocals on The Linden Tree and Will O'The Wisp.

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Steve Gray Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

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