Elegant and sombre ambiance for Halloween. Limited edition 10" single from London's premier viola player.
One of Autumn's must-have releases is this 10" vinyl showcasing the talents of Alison Cotton. A classically-trained viola player, former member of The 18th of May, and currently one half of Walthamstow-based duo The Left Outsides, Cotton has played on a string outstanding records of records in recent years - Trimdon Grange Explosion's self-titled debut, Through Passages of Time (The Hardy Tree) and All That Remains (The Left Outsides) are just a few examples that have been much enjoyed and covered on this humble blog.'The Girl I Left Behind' is her first solo release since her debut album from last year, All Is Quiet At The Ancient Theatre.
While its release of the new single is timed for Halloween, there's a chance you may have heard the music over the Christmas period last year. Cotton was commissioned by BBC 6Music presenter Gideon Coe to compose a soundtrack to accompany a reading of a Muriel Spark's ghost. If, like me you sadly missed the radio broadcast you can now purchase the accompanying music thanks to the ever-tasteful label, Clay Pipe Music, who are set to release it on a limited edition 10" vinyl on October 25th.
'The Girl I Left Behind Me' is a haunting and mournful instrumental based on a repeated six note motif played on the viola. Slowly more lines are added as the track progresses giving way to a wordless choral section at the six minute mark. Its sombre Autumnal mood is somehow perfectly suited to soundtrack the shortening October nights.
Side two of the 10" features a new piece of music, again inspired and named after a Muriel Spark ghost story. 'The House Of The Famous Poet' begins with wordless layered vocals before Cotton plays an improvised one-take viola solo inspired by the "abstract funeral" featured in Spark's story. With its backdrop of gentle drones and shimmering cymbals, the composition comes across as a darker- themed companion piece to Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending. Inherently English, and imbued with the complicated melancholy that that entails.
Listening to the two tracks that make up this single it strikes me there's something ingrained in the sound of a viola that connects with the human soul. Perhaps its because of the viola's closeness in pitch and timbre to the human voice, though I'm not entirely sure. Someone with a deeper understanding than me could no doubt explain it in straightforward scientific terms. What I do know is that I'm content with the mystery. And I can think of no better place to explore this mysterious connection than these two emotionally moving pieces of music.
'The Girl I Left Behind' is released by Clay Pipe Music as a limited edition 10" - 500 hand-numbered copies on transparent pale blue vinyl.
Tracklisting
A-Side - The Girl I Left Behind Me
B-Side - The House Of The Famous Poet
Click here for Alison Cotton on Twitter
Click here for Clay Pipe Music
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