Jul 25, 2010
Joining Gordon Hotchkiss on Hotchkiss Hotchpotch this Wednesday from 7pm is new trad supergroup, Bring In The Spirit.
A shared passion for the work of Robert Burns brought a trio together in Kirsten Easdale’s garden in the summer of 2009. It was 250 years since Burns’ birth and Lionel MacClelland, Gregor Lowrey and Kirsten wanted to further celebrate the spirit of his poetry, songs and music by producing ‘Bring In The Spirit’.
Fine old copies of Burns’ work were opened in the Helensburgh sunshine and we set about the task of choosing what to put in the set. All of the rehearsal was taken up poring through the books resulting in a hefty list of pieces that would have to be trimmed back if our set was to be less than a day long.
A rehearsal or two later saw us with the shortlist in Steve Niblock’s flat where we’d be locked in for three days to make music; and curry. We walked away with a mini disc recording of the entire project and a few days later Bring In The Spirit was born in Burns’ favourite Howff, ‘The Globe Inn’ in Dumfries.
Early in 2010, Pete Clark and Marc Duff joined us in the plotting shed where we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of music and a leg of lamb. We arranged two songs, ‘Willie Brewed A Peck O’ Maut’ and ‘Mirk Mirk’. The following week, we recorded the two 5 piece versions of the songs in Moffat with Kris Koren and John Weatherby.
Listen into Hotchkiss Hotchpotch live from 7-10pm on Wednesday, with a repeat for our friends abroad at 1am and 12 noon on Thursdays.
