Spring 2011

Hi folks,

Yes - it is Spring! Jacynth and I returned from snowy Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago and we can tell you this is Spring! It feels lovely and warm at 11 degrees after a month of freezing and below freezing temperatures. To be fair - we were snug and cosy inside on most of the snow days and travelling to gigs on the others so we have nothing to complain about. In fact we welcomed the snow when we first arrived as we had a wonderful rehearsal week with friends in Rhinelander, north Wisconsin and had opportunity to see deer, squirrels and birds close to the house for food and Jacynth got to go snow shoeing across the Wisconsin river.

Our tour, organised by friend and storyteller Colleen Sutherland, was one of the best we've had. We sang for retreats, library concerts, house concerts and worship services - every one different and each one well attended. Colleen had her birthday on St Patrick's day and we took her to a party at St Brendan's Inn where I played bodhran with the band and Jacynth danced a hornpipe around the tables! We even featured on the television news that night - well, we caught a glimpse of yours truly for a nano second! Earlier in the week we met Northern Irish musician Ian Gould in the same place and Jacynth was able to sing St Brendan's song in St Brendan's Inn!

We met up with many friends including friends we were not expecting to see and made some new ones for next time round. That's always the bonus of these tours. Friend and musician Gloria Hays organised our final house concerts in Beaver Dam and Madison and saw us safely out of the country at the end of our 4 weeks just as the red winged blackbirds were arriving.

We hope to return in the summer of 2012 and meanwhile we're waiting for the next Caim door to open. There's a possibility of California...

At home I'm planning a solo set with guitarist Shaun Craig - actually that should be duo shouldn't it? We performed a floor spot in Ciaran Dorris' gig at Quarter Acoustic music club the night before Caim left for Wisconsin and hope to be back there for our own booking in the winter. Meanwhile - Ciaran and I continue to tour all over Scotland for Music in Hospitals. As soon as I had recoverd from jet lag we had a great tour as far north as we could get - up to Wick and Thurso in wild and beautiful Caithness. Ciaran would have swam to Orkney if he could!

Finally a quick mention again of my late husband Al's CD "Full Vision". All of you who ordered copies should have them by now. If anyone else is interested in buying a copy they are available through this website http://www.cuniemusic.com/ or direct from me - cluniemusic@hotmail.com

That's all for now folks - enjoy the warmer weather!

God bless

Heather

Clunie Music Update Feb 2007

Hi,

I'm a bit late with this one. Been waiting for confirmation of some dates.

Caim have a couple of events with poet Kenneth Steven in the pipeline. The one confirmed at the moment is 'Wildscape' Kenneth Steven and 'CAIM', Scargill House, Kettlewell, Skipton, North Yorkshire. (ph 01756 760234) 15 - 18th October. £164 With the starkness and wildness of the dales landscape as the backdrop, consider your relationship with the earth through the medium of poetry, prose and music. The course offers opportunities to explore the sculpting both of songs and poems through workshop sessions, culminating in a concert melding poetry and song. Who is leading it? Kenneth is a widely published poet, children's author and translator. He is an occasional broadcaster, using the airwaves to evoke a passion for the forgotten'wildscapes' of our land. CAIM are musicians who take the Celtic world's creativity as their source of inspiration. Who is it for? For any who are keen to engage with the inspirational landscape through word and song. No previous experience of creative writing necessary.

Sounds wonderful! I'm hoping that Caim's music workshops don't clash with Kenneth's poetry workshops so I can be at both!

Progress is being made between Right Real Records and Caim. Jacynth and I will be travelling to the Right Real Records studio at the beginning of March to meet with Chris and Andy and discuss the possibility of releasing a couple of Caim singles to the US Christian market with their recording and promotional expertise.

Jacynth's distinctive voice was heard recently on BBC Radio 4. I checked the BBC website and decided it must have been a repeat of the "Something Understood" program that was first aired in March 2006. The producers selected Jacynth's track Psalm 139 from Caim and Robert Jonas' CD "New Life From Ruins".

I start rehearsals this month for two upcoming shows with poet and author Margaret Gillies Brown. In June we're at Birnam Institute with a repeat of last year's performance on emmigration for the Perth Festival. Before that May 24th at 2.30pm we're back at the A.K. Bell Library Theatre with "The Wind in their Hands", looking at well known Scottish women writers of the past through poetry, prose and song. This is also a Perth Arts Festival event.

Meanwhile I continue to dabble in a little freelance writing and have had another article accepted for publication in The Scots Magazine about Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the Gaelic College on the Isle of Skye where I've been learning Gaelic in weekend and summer schools and distance learning and also Gaelic song from the wonderful Christine Primrose.

Ciaran and I are looking forward to our tours later in the year and continue to sing in concerts for the Council for Music in Hospitals meanwhile. Ciaran is also busy promoting his solo album "Chasing dreams down a dirt road". Check out your copy at www.ciarandorris.com It's been well worth waiting for.

Finally, Al's band "Freedom Place" are stepping up the pace of rehearsals for an audition this month and gigs in the near future. They are now a full 5 piece band with vocals, drums, keyboard, accordion, lead guitar and bass.

More next month. Thank you for supporting our music.

Heather