top of page
Nick’s Track Guide for Havens
Ancestral Dreams
The opening track of the album is also the first that had a demo created in 2021. I’d only written 2 verses and guitar bridge, so it was unfinished, and also untitled. Hearing the first orchestrated demo, with accompanying string samples added to the verses and realistic percussion with cymbal swells, was the first time my jaw hit the floor.
A 2nd guitar bridge, drumming section, and final verse with epic string lines was added. I always felt my main melody had a celtic vibe to it, and the track title “Emerald Dreams” with reference to Ireland came to me. However as more people heard the demo, there was a split of opinion - several said it felt more Asian than Celtic. This eventually led to “Ancestral”, so that the listener can travel whereever feels natural for them. In either case, the journey is back to a time of storms and great fortresses, which is reflected in the painting.
In the build up to recording I realised the song could benefit from a proper opening - a ‘dawning of time’ moment - rather than launching straight into the up tempo verses. This became one of my newly composed passages on the album, and I feel it’s a perfect opening not just for the track, but also for the album itself. It will surely kick off the Havens concert too! The art and my own photos used as a guide for Amy, representing the mood of the piece for me:
A 2nd guitar bridge, drumming section, and final verse with epic string lines was added. I always felt my main melody had a celtic vibe to it, and the track title “Emerald Dreams” with reference to Ireland came to me. However as more people heard the demo, there was a split of opinion - several said it felt more Asian than Celtic. This eventually led to “Ancestral”, so that the listener can travel whereever feels natural for them. In either case, the journey is back to a time of storms and great fortresses, which is reflected in the painting.
In the build up to recording I realised the song could benefit from a proper opening - a ‘dawning of time’ moment - rather than launching straight into the up tempo verses. This became one of my newly composed passages on the album, and I feel it’s a perfect opening not just for the track, but also for the album itself. It will surely kick off the Havens concert too! The art and my own photos used as a guide for Amy, representing the mood of the piece for me:
Forgotten Glade
This was another track I’d composed half of, and in 2021, as work on Havens got underway, it still needed a second half (though I did have the title). The joyous strings that come in at 01:50 in the track were added by Alex, and represent the moment, after quietly exploring the forest, magical in its own right, that you behold the beautiful glade and its golden light.
Similar to the addition of the lilting piccolo in Ancestral Dreams, Forgotten Glade is another track that benefitted from Anne Allen’s suggestion to experiment hearing the melodies played on her piccolo and alto flute. This recording session took place near Anne’s home in the quaint coastal town of Combe Martin, a trip that also included some of my most memorable exploits collecting field recordings for the album. On this track there are a few bars where Anne has layers of all 3 types of flute at the same time.
Similar to the addition of the lilting piccolo in Ancestral Dreams, Forgotten Glade is another track that benefitted from Anne Allen’s suggestion to experiment hearing the melodies played on her piccolo and alto flute. This recording session took place near Anne’s home in the quaint coastal town of Combe Martin, a trip that also included some of my most memorable exploits collecting field recordings for the album. On this track there are a few bars where Anne has layers of all 3 types of flute at the same time.
The Grey Havens
Out of all my compositions this piece is the most meaningful for me. It was the first track I felt genuinely proud of at the time I completed the first incarnation using Anvil studio in the 2000s. If there was one piece I could one day have picked to hear played by an orchestra, this was it. While still being relatively simple, given my lack of formal training, I felt very proud of the counter melodies on the lower strings, and the harp arpeggio. When paired with the imagery of the final farewells at the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, to me the music heightened the sadness and poignancy.
When orchestrating the pieces in 2021/22, The Grey Havens retained my original structure more than any of the others and required the fewest additions. I did however revisit it myself and added several new elements that made me even more satisfied with the final incarnation; a part for the french horn, additional flute motifs, and extending the choral section. On the finished track, I find Rebecca Hepplewhite’s lead cello and Anne Allen’s flute to be particularly beautiful performances that encapsulate the emotion of the track.
When orchestrating the pieces in 2021/22, The Grey Havens retained my original structure more than any of the others and required the fewest additions. I did however revisit it myself and added several new elements that made me even more satisfied with the final incarnation; a part for the french horn, additional flute motifs, and extending the choral section. On the finished track, I find Rebecca Hepplewhite’s lead cello and Anne Allen’s flute to be particularly beautiful performances that encapsulate the emotion of the track.
Snow Ballad
Snow Ballad was the first of my compositions that clearly seemed to lend itself to having lyrics and being sung by a female character. I’d always enjoyed creative writing, and had tried my hand at poetry on multiple occasions, so felt telling a story through lyrics was a natural evolution. Though it’s fair to say I still have a lot to learn regarding the lyric writing side too.
When I chose the tracks for the album in 2021 Snow Ballad was still the only proper song with lyrics amonst them (later, Autumn and Our Last Sunset would morph into lyrical songs too). So if done well. it would likely become the most marketable piece on the album. My original track had very modest accompaniment for the vocal - very much a typical slow paced ballad. So when Alex sent a first demo of the orchestration, I was blown away by the energetic rhythm of his string arrangement and bass drum hits. Amazingly, rather than moving the song away from the style of a ballad, it elevated the story-telling in such an exciting way. From there it went from strength to strength as Ronni Bailey worked her magic adaoting and expanding the choral elements.
With the addition of Eleanor Roe’s wonderful lead vocal, Snow Ballad has, as expected, become one of the most embraced tracks from Havens, and received its choral premiere in Dec 2023 with a 40 strong choir at a sold out Christmas concert in Cirencester.
When I chose the tracks for the album in 2021 Snow Ballad was still the only proper song with lyrics amonst them (later, Autumn and Our Last Sunset would morph into lyrical songs too). So if done well. it would likely become the most marketable piece on the album. My original track had very modest accompaniment for the vocal - very much a typical slow paced ballad. So when Alex sent a first demo of the orchestration, I was blown away by the energetic rhythm of his string arrangement and bass drum hits. Amazingly, rather than moving the song away from the style of a ballad, it elevated the story-telling in such an exciting way. From there it went from strength to strength as Ronni Bailey worked her magic adaoting and expanding the choral elements.
With the addition of Eleanor Roe’s wonderful lead vocal, Snow Ballad has, as expected, become one of the most embraced tracks from Havens, and received its choral premiere in Dec 2023 with a 40 strong choir at a sold out Christmas concert in Cirencester.
From This Day Forward
I generally start a new composition based on a melodic idea, without a theme or story in mind for the finished piece. A feeling for what the music represents will usually start to develops as it comes together. For some tracks, the imagery shifted during the 2021/22 orchestration period, sometimes leading to completely new concepts. But the imagery for this song was settled as soon as I’d written the main melody, and was never going change during orchrestration. I can’t speak for anyone else, but to me it’s the story of a wedding day at a village church.
The quiet central section of the song, with a rising and falling piano motif that creates shifting harmonies with the legato string movements is one of the original sections I was most proud of. The search for real church bells to record for the track fortuitously led to a lasting connection with Christ Church in Swindon, after vicar Simon Stevenette introduced himself in the grounds as I set up my microphone. I’m very grateful that he took a keen interest in the project and has recommended the finished album whenever possible.
The painting is based on All Saints Church in my home village of Winterslow
The quiet central section of the song, with a rising and falling piano motif that creates shifting harmonies with the legato string movements is one of the original sections I was most proud of. The search for real church bells to record for the track fortuitously led to a lasting connection with Christ Church in Swindon, after vicar Simon Stevenette introduced himself in the grounds as I set up my microphone. I’m very grateful that he took a keen interest in the project and has recommended the finished album whenever possible.
The painting is based on All Saints Church in my home village of Winterslow
The Blossom and the Mountain
My original composition clearly had an Asian feel to it, and was called “The Changing Seasons of the East”. It underwent a significant transformation during orchestration as Alex weaved in several traditional Chinese instruments. The first demo was another pinch me moment. Many revisions of the demo followed - this one needed a lot of work to reach its full potential. I could tell it would become a stand out piece, and felt it would benefit from a stronger title. It turned out to be a great decision, as reflected in Amy’s iconic painting of cherry trees and Fuji (with my own stone lantern!). The new title also helped guide the premise of the upcoming music video.
In the early stages of planning the Havens recording sessions, I hadn’t included the Chinese instruments, as it felt too specialist and the quality of the samples in the demo seemed of high enough quality to keep using. But after the first big session in London I realised I’d come too far to start cutting corners. So I added a 3rd London session, specifically for Chinese musicians to record the traditional instruments for the song. As soon as Wang Xiao started playing Erhu I was in recording session nirvana. Truly exquisite, with nuance that samples could never match!
I also knew I wanted some vocal elements of the song, but I didn’t compose anything. Instead, I had asked Cheng Yu (the Pipa player) to improvise in a Chinese folk singing style. She did 4 takes trying to match her vocal phrases to the music, and did a fantastic job. I then spent many hours choosing the best bits of the 4 takes and mixing them into the song.
In the early stages of planning the Havens recording sessions, I hadn’t included the Chinese instruments, as it felt too specialist and the quality of the samples in the demo seemed of high enough quality to keep using. But after the first big session in London I realised I’d come too far to start cutting corners. So I added a 3rd London session, specifically for Chinese musicians to record the traditional instruments for the song. As soon as Wang Xiao started playing Erhu I was in recording session nirvana. Truly exquisite, with nuance that samples could never match!
I also knew I wanted some vocal elements of the song, but I didn’t compose anything. Instead, I had asked Cheng Yu (the Pipa player) to improvise in a Chinese folk singing style. She did 4 takes trying to match her vocal phrases to the music, and did a fantastic job. I then spent many hours choosing the best bits of the 4 takes and mixing them into the song.
The Glittering Caves
This is the 2nd track on the album that ties back to my favourite story - the Lord of the Rings. It always had a magical quality to its repeating ascents and descents, a lightness and sparkle. In Tolkiens novels the caves are referenced as a wonder of Middle-earth that Legolas and Gimli plan to visit when it’s all over. They are not mentioned in the movie version, but we do see some glittering in the caves the people of Rohan shelter in during the battle for Helm’s Deep.
The finished track does far more than paint a picture of a fantastical cave. There’s a joyous innocence that makes it a perfect soundtrack for any happy event with wonderful memories. For example, I used it to accompany a photo montage from the launch night for Havens, which I hope would make everyone that attended look back on it fondly.
What really elevates the track to this level is the cello playing of Rebecca Hepplewhite. My idea to add a lead cello line came very late in the day. I wrote it as a repeating motif, in keeping with the other instruments. But when Becky sat down to play it, she suggested she could improvise on the theme with each repetition. It was a stroke of genius and it’s now impossible to imagine the piece without her improvisations.
The finished track does far more than paint a picture of a fantastical cave. There’s a joyous innocence that makes it a perfect soundtrack for any happy event with wonderful memories. For example, I used it to accompany a photo montage from the launch night for Havens, which I hope would make everyone that attended look back on it fondly.
What really elevates the track to this level is the cello playing of Rebecca Hepplewhite. My idea to add a lead cello line came very late in the day. I wrote it as a repeating motif, in keeping with the other instruments. But when Becky sat down to play it, she suggested she could improvise on the theme with each repetition. It was a stroke of genius and it’s now impossible to imagine the piece without her improvisations.
Her Lair on the Hidden Pass
Straight on to the 3rd and final piece inspired by Tolkien. The world of Havens is full of songs to relax the listener and suggest beautiful imagery But as a lover of cinematic scores, I’m also drawn to the darker themes, which all good fantasy needs as contrast to the eventual victory of the light. I’m also partial to a good horror film, and this location in Middle-earth is as close to horror as the story comes. For those unfamiliar with the narrative, I won’t spoil it, but you may be able to work out from Amy’s painting what the heroes will encounter in the darkness.
The structure of the track is exactly as I originally wrote it. The main addition was to expand the role of the choral voices, with multiple parts for both male and female choir. The layers of voices, sung forte, really help bring the horror element to life.
Very appropiately, I had to test my own nerve while recording some of the nature sounds used for the sinister opening. I found myself in the dark forest near my childhood home, at midnight, a slow rain and no moonlight, my phone the only bubble of light. There was an unknown huffing animal nearby, which you can hear on the track - I think it was worth the fear factor!
The structure of the track is exactly as I originally wrote it. The main addition was to expand the role of the choral voices, with multiple parts for both male and female choir. The layers of voices, sung forte, really help bring the horror element to life.
Very appropiately, I had to test my own nerve while recording some of the nature sounds used for the sinister opening. I found myself in the dark forest near my childhood home, at midnight, a slow rain and no moonlight, my phone the only bubble of light. There was an unknown huffing animal nearby, which you can hear on the track - I think it was worth the fear factor!
The Riverbank
This was another unfinished piece in 2021, which I felt had enough potential for expanding into a full song. I’d written the opening canon section which introduces a new layer on each repeat I didn’t have a title or theme for the piece, but asked Alex to write a middle section which would link to a repeat of the canon section to finish. It was only once these elements came together that I could sense what the piece was about and the title came into being.
Gradually the song evolved into the most choral of the album, as I carried on the female voices into the middle section, and later decided to add male voices to the end section to really give it a fuller dynamic compared to the opening canon. It also meant the male singers would have 2 tracks rather than just one. It was the female voices in The Riverbank that proved to be the most tiring part of the recording sessions with Ronni and Mary-Kate - 20 layers each overall!
The artwork is based on the river view in the town of Rambury in Wiltshire, which was also a good location for my recordings of flowing water and chattering ducks.
Gradually the song evolved into the most choral of the album, as I carried on the female voices into the middle section, and later decided to add male voices to the end section to really give it a fuller dynamic compared to the opening canon. It also meant the male singers would have 2 tracks rather than just one. It was the female voices in The Riverbank that proved to be the most tiring part of the recording sessions with Ronni and Mary-Kate - 20 layers each overall!
The artwork is based on the river view in the town of Rambury in Wiltshire, which was also a good location for my recordings of flowing water and chattering ducks.
Autumn
Autumn began its long evolution as a composition I called ‘A Memory to Treasure’. The central motif sung by female choir was always suggestive of a trip down memory lane, but it wasn’t until adapting it with Alex that I could get a sense of when the memory occurred - on a quintessential autumnal day in an old fashioned area of England. The addition of cello to the solo piano was particularly evocative. When considering the choir I remembered Ronni telling me that having lyrics was often easier for singers than oohs and ahhs, and a new opportunity for a track to tell a story through original lyrics presented itself.
The first official version of Autumn, the one on the Havens album, is fully choral, with the layered vocals recorded by Ronni and Mary-Kate. But there was still a long journey ahead for the song, for 2 major reasons. First it was an obvious candidate for live performances if sung with a solo vocal, and second, it would suit a planned music video starring Mary-Kate much better as a solo.
When adapting the song for performing with piano and cello, I found opportunities to add new vocal lines for Mary-Kate in the instrumental sections. Soon we were back in the studio to record the solo lead vocals for a ‘single’ version of the song, also to be used for the music video. It didn’t stop there though, with another session adding more choir. I also arranged a duet version for the next concert, with Eleanor accompanying Mary-Kate. Elements of this version were added at a 3rd extra recording session, including new cello. Have I reached the end of the tinkering?
The first official version of Autumn, the one on the Havens album, is fully choral, with the layered vocals recorded by Ronni and Mary-Kate. But there was still a long journey ahead for the song, for 2 major reasons. First it was an obvious candidate for live performances if sung with a solo vocal, and second, it would suit a planned music video starring Mary-Kate much better as a solo.
When adapting the song for performing with piano and cello, I found opportunities to add new vocal lines for Mary-Kate in the instrumental sections. Soon we were back in the studio to record the solo lead vocals for a ‘single’ version of the song, also to be used for the music video. It didn’t stop there though, with another session adding more choir. I also arranged a duet version for the next concert, with Eleanor accompanying Mary-Kate. Elements of this version were added at a 3rd extra recording session, including new cello. Have I reached the end of the tinkering?
A Part of the Family
This piece is for everyone that loves their pets and considers them to be a part of their family. I grew up in a cat household, and when old enough decided I wanted every type of pet going. But cats will always be my first love. In the painting is Holly, my dearest companion during the 2 years of making Havens. Born in 2004, I adopted Holly while living in Texas, along with her ginger foster brother Sam. In 2008 they made the journey back to the UK, a few weeks after I did. They had a happy life at my Swindon home with their own garden to enjoy (unlike Texas).
Fast forward to 2020, and dear Sam left Holly and I alone. Work on Havens began in spring 2021, but there wasn’t a song about pets. The piece developed with melodies taken from 2 of my original compositions, neither of which had presnted a strong theme. But with the newly constructed piece I realised I finally had music to reflect the impact Holly, Sam, Beanie and Amber had had on my life.
In the winter of 2021, after becoming gradually more frail, Holly suddenly lost the strength to walk or lift her head. The vet gave me the option of putting her to sleep, or leaving her there to be treated with fluids. I gave her the chance, and thankfully she recovered. Despite failing kidneys the medicine she took kept her feeling like her old self. She even found the strength to start chasing other cats out of the garden! The first London recording session at Air was in August 2022. but right before it Holly fell ill again. I left her at the vet hospital as I headed to London, unsure if she would pull through. The day at Air with Orpheus Sinfonia was an incredible experience, but of course, Holly was always on my mind. She proved to be a real fighter, and again recovered with good mobility.
By this stage I had had the idea of recording natural sounds for every track, and felt blessed to have Holly still with me so that I could capture her still very frequent purring sessions. Her purr is now immortalised at the end of the song. Unbelievably, Holly stayed with me for almost a year more, all through the intense final few months of production, right up to the album launch. About 2 weeks after the launch I finally lost her, but it was the right time. It feels like she was determined to stay with me until Havens was out in the world. She was a very special cat, and still missed.
Fast forward to 2020, and dear Sam left Holly and I alone. Work on Havens began in spring 2021, but there wasn’t a song about pets. The piece developed with melodies taken from 2 of my original compositions, neither of which had presnted a strong theme. But with the newly constructed piece I realised I finally had music to reflect the impact Holly, Sam, Beanie and Amber had had on my life.
In the winter of 2021, after becoming gradually more frail, Holly suddenly lost the strength to walk or lift her head. The vet gave me the option of putting her to sleep, or leaving her there to be treated with fluids. I gave her the chance, and thankfully she recovered. Despite failing kidneys the medicine she took kept her feeling like her old self. She even found the strength to start chasing other cats out of the garden! The first London recording session at Air was in August 2022. but right before it Holly fell ill again. I left her at the vet hospital as I headed to London, unsure if she would pull through. The day at Air with Orpheus Sinfonia was an incredible experience, but of course, Holly was always on my mind. She proved to be a real fighter, and again recovered with good mobility.
By this stage I had had the idea of recording natural sounds for every track, and felt blessed to have Holly still with me so that I could capture her still very frequent purring sessions. Her purr is now immortalised at the end of the song. Unbelievably, Holly stayed with me for almost a year more, all through the intense final few months of production, right up to the album launch. About 2 weeks after the launch I finally lost her, but it was the right time. It feels like she was determined to stay with me until Havens was out in the world. She was a very special cat, and still missed.
Louisa
This was one of only 3 of my original compositions I felt had a symphonic feel to it, and which I couldn’t wait to hear played by a full string ensemble. The true character of the piece only crystallised when I was introduced to the poem ‘Louisa’ by Wordsworth, many years after I’d composed it. When I recited the poem over the music it instantly fit like a glove and ‘Louisa’ the song became.
The track that I passed to Alex for orchestration still had a long way to go. I felt my original opening wasn’t good enough and asked Alex to create a new one, as well as an extended ending as mine felt too abrupt. The idea of having the poem recited in the track only became fully formed when I felt inspired to write a completely new final section, as this would also create the space to include all 4 verses of the poem. I was very excited about the new section, and feel all the additions composed in 2022/23 are superior to my earlier work. I also took the opportunity of adding new flute and alto flute lines in the 2nd verse when I realised I would need Anne for a 2nd recording session in Devon.
I settled on myself being the poetry reader in the song. I was never going to sing anywhere,, so this was an ideal opportunity to contribute vocally in at least one place on the album. I envisaged the verses being recited in nature, in exactly the sort of locations in which Wordsworth wistfully describes Louisa being in her element. So I set myself the challenge of recording the poem in authentic locations, where babbling brooks, waterfalls, and a wood fire would be in the background of my recitals. I had some great trips and adventures in the course of getting these recorded (though mix engineers would much prefer the readings done in a studio!).
The track that I passed to Alex for orchestration still had a long way to go. I felt my original opening wasn’t good enough and asked Alex to create a new one, as well as an extended ending as mine felt too abrupt. The idea of having the poem recited in the track only became fully formed when I felt inspired to write a completely new final section, as this would also create the space to include all 4 verses of the poem. I was very excited about the new section, and feel all the additions composed in 2022/23 are superior to my earlier work. I also took the opportunity of adding new flute and alto flute lines in the 2nd verse when I realised I would need Anne for a 2nd recording session in Devon.
I settled on myself being the poetry reader in the song. I was never going to sing anywhere,, so this was an ideal opportunity to contribute vocally in at least one place on the album. I envisaged the verses being recited in nature, in exactly the sort of locations in which Wordsworth wistfully describes Louisa being in her element. So I set myself the challenge of recording the poem in authentic locations, where babbling brooks, waterfalls, and a wood fire would be in the background of my recitals. I had some great trips and adventures in the course of getting these recorded (though mix engineers would much prefer the readings done in a studio!).
Woodland Rain
Another track that began life as an unresolved idea in my original collection of compositions. I had the main melody and a bridge, untitled, but having a forest type mood. There was also a completed original piece that didn’t make the cut for the album, but which included a motif I loved and wanted to make use of somewhere else. I suggested to Alex that he add this motif as interlude passages between building repeats of the main melody. Happily the combination worked really well, and soon after that the title fell into place.
The demo of the track required many revisions, one being my idea of adding a violin solo at the end. Not only did this suit the mood of the song (especially later when playing over my recording of gentle rain), but it also fixed the problem of not having a violin solo anywhere on the album. The solo was recorded at the end of the Orpheus sessions at Air. The score was only a guide, we asked the violinist to interpret it at their own pace in free time. The performance blew us all away.
Unique amongst the Havens tracks, Woodland Rain is the first to be completely remixed, by singer songwriter Monelise. The new version is called Woodland Shadow, and will be released as a both a single and music video later in 2024 (visit Media for a vlog about the first shoot with Monelise).
The demo of the track required many revisions, one being my idea of adding a violin solo at the end. Not only did this suit the mood of the song (especially later when playing over my recording of gentle rain), but it also fixed the problem of not having a violin solo anywhere on the album. The solo was recorded at the end of the Orpheus sessions at Air. The score was only a guide, we asked the violinist to interpret it at their own pace in free time. The performance blew us all away.
Unique amongst the Havens tracks, Woodland Rain is the first to be completely remixed, by singer songwriter Monelise. The new version is called Woodland Shadow, and will be released as a both a single and music video later in 2024 (visit Media for a vlog about the first shoot with Monelise).
Our Last Sunset
The closing song on the album, which of course fits in with the imagery of a “last sunset”. There was never any doubt that it would bookend the track list with Ancestral Dreams at the start. After The Grey Havens, this piece stood out next amongst the original compositions. with the final melody being the most natural and flowing of all my melodies. The title and concept came first, with the later addition of lyrics fitting into that theme. Similar to Autumn, it was a fresh chance to tell the story through new lyrics, and create the 3rd piece suitable for adding to the live performance repertoire.
This was another song I felt inspired to revisit and improve with an entirely new section of music at the end. As already mentioned, I’m very proud of all the new composing I did, and for this song it performs the crucial task of tieing the 3 preceding sections together into a cohesive whole.
Our Last Sunset has followed a similar evolution to Autumn since the album launch. It was performed by Mary-Kate at the first live concert, alongside Autumn, which similarly led to recording a solo lead vocal for a ‘single’ version. and for a future music video. It returned to the studio again, months later, after I realised the lyrics could benefit from a major rework. For this I enlisted the help of Monelise who has years of lyric writing experience, and with her guidance, crafted a clearer narrative with a lot more pathos for the song’s main character. New cello was also recorded at the last session.
This was another song I felt inspired to revisit and improve with an entirely new section of music at the end. As already mentioned, I’m very proud of all the new composing I did, and for this song it performs the crucial task of tieing the 3 preceding sections together into a cohesive whole.
Our Last Sunset has followed a similar evolution to Autumn since the album launch. It was performed by Mary-Kate at the first live concert, alongside Autumn, which similarly led to recording a solo lead vocal for a ‘single’ version. and for a future music video. It returned to the studio again, months later, after I realised the lyrics could benefit from a major rework. For this I enlisted the help of Monelise who has years of lyric writing experience, and with her guidance, crafted a clearer narrative with a lot more pathos for the song’s main character. New cello was also recorded at the last session.
Interlude
The short ‘Interlude’ piece that sits in the middle of the album was one I newly composed in 2022 - the only song I conceived especially for the Havens project. I hadn’t planned to write anything new when work began in 2021, but the idea formed once I knew I’d be going to Devon to do additional flute recording with Anne. I knew Anne was an incredible flautist, and was also very enthusiastic about being part of Havens, so the idea occured to compose a completely new piece that her flutes would take the lead on. It was wonderful to feel the inspiration of starting a new song again, particularly the new twist of creating something for a specific musician to perform. I also loved the idea that Havens would contain a new piece written during and inspired by the process of making it.
The new composition ended up including 2 soprano voices alongside 2 flute lines and piano. I hadn’t planned for vocal elements, they came about organically as I built up the melodies. It turned out to be a very lucky development, as at a similar time I was contacted by opera singer Linda Roe after she saw a social media post about my journey into the music world. She suggested that along with her daughter Eleanor, they could help out with recording the album. While I already had Ronni, Mary-Kate and a 3rd singer for the choir and lead vocals, the new song seemed made for 2 ‘guest’ voices. So I invited Linda and Eleanor to one afternoon of the vocal recording sessions. But just a couple of days before the studio sessions the original 3rd singer had to drop out. This singer had been due to record the lead vocal in Snow Ballad, along with being a 3rd voice in the stacked choral vocals. So fate handed the role to Eleanor instead, who seized the opportunity and gave us a wonderful vocal in her first ever studio experience. She later went on to star in the professional music video for Snow Ballad.
The new composition ended up including 2 soprano voices alongside 2 flute lines and piano. I hadn’t planned for vocal elements, they came about organically as I built up the melodies. It turned out to be a very lucky development, as at a similar time I was contacted by opera singer Linda Roe after she saw a social media post about my journey into the music world. She suggested that along with her daughter Eleanor, they could help out with recording the album. While I already had Ronni, Mary-Kate and a 3rd singer for the choir and lead vocals, the new song seemed made for 2 ‘guest’ voices. So I invited Linda and Eleanor to one afternoon of the vocal recording sessions. But just a couple of days before the studio sessions the original 3rd singer had to drop out. This singer had been due to record the lead vocal in Snow Ballad, along with being a 3rd voice in the stacked choral vocals. So fate handed the role to Eleanor instead, who seized the opportunity and gave us a wonderful vocal in her first ever studio experience. She later went on to star in the professional music video for Snow Ballad.
Ronstars Bonus Tracks
Ronstars was my first (and so far only) experience of being part of a singing group, and it left me with lots of fond memories that came back to the front of my mind when I began working on the album. The group of 15-20 amateur singers was formed by Ronni Bailey and rehearsed weekly in the lovely parish church hall in Wroughton, a village just to the south of Swindon. It was my love of musical theatre, and the desire to become passable enough at singing for a chorus role in a future amateur production, that led me to join the group in 2013. The group were probably a little shocked to see me walk into the hall, as I was the first man to take part in some time! But everyone made me feel incredibly welcome, and Ronni was such a natural at teaching while keeping it relaxed and fun. Being part of the Christmas concert was a particularly special memory, to have a taste of performing to an audience.
Sadly (or thankfully, depending on your point of view!), my singing days went no further than that. The only way my passion for music could make any impact was through composing and directing an ambitious personal project like Havens. Ronni on the other hand is ridiculously multi-talented, and due to my great memories of Ronstars, she was my first thought in relation to the choral elements of the album. I also wanted Ronstars to have a part in the recordings, it was a chance to give them a unique recording experience, and felt like somehow coming full circle. So the idea of bonus tracks sung by Ronstars gradually took shape. We enlisted the help of Ronni’s regular sound engineer, Phil Legende, and the recordings were made in the parish hall across 2 separate evenings. Ronni and the singers worked incredibly hard to achieve all the various parts in Snow Ballad, Autumn, and Our Last Sunset. After the official album launch in London, we held a separate event just for Ronstars, which was another beautiful memory on this amazing journey.
Sadly (or thankfully, depending on your point of view!), my singing days went no further than that. The only way my passion for music could make any impact was through composing and directing an ambitious personal project like Havens. Ronni on the other hand is ridiculously multi-talented, and due to my great memories of Ronstars, she was my first thought in relation to the choral elements of the album. I also wanted Ronstars to have a part in the recordings, it was a chance to give them a unique recording experience, and felt like somehow coming full circle. So the idea of bonus tracks sung by Ronstars gradually took shape. We enlisted the help of Ronni’s regular sound engineer, Phil Legende, and the recordings were made in the parish hall across 2 separate evenings. Ronni and the singers worked incredibly hard to achieve all the various parts in Snow Ballad, Autumn, and Our Last Sunset. After the official album launch in London, we held a separate event just for Ronstars, which was another beautiful memory on this amazing journey.
bottom of page