A new song and video from Erland Cooper, on occasion of the announce of the third and final album in a trilogy of releases shaped by the islands where he grew up.
Hailing from the archipelago of Orkney in Scotland, the contemporary composer and multi-instrumentalist has so far explored the birdlife (2018’s Solan Goose), the sea (2019’s Sule Skerry) and, on Hether Blether, he turns his attention to the land and its people. Named after a hidden island in folklore, said to rise green and fertile from time to time from the foam. Inspired, in essence, by Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown, filmmaker Margaret Tait and composer Peter Maxwell Davies before him, this final album is a celebration of the Islands’ memory held in timeless landscape, community, myth and mythology. The album looks to the past through the stories of the island and to the present and future through its people.
The first track to be shared from the album, ‘Longhope’ features new poetry by John Burnside, written after a trip to Orkney with Erland (documented on the BBC Radio 4 programme, Wild Music), as well as spoken word from the award winning musician Kathryn Joseph plus ambient tape and modular synth work from Hiroshi Ebina. The video is directed by long-time collaborator Alex Kozobolis.
In addition, Erland has announced upcoming live dates:
6 May – Belfast, First Presbyterian Church
13 June – London, Barbican – with support from the author Amy Liptrot
25 July – Topcliffe, Deer Shed Festival
24 Sep – Manchester, Hallé St Peter’s
25 Sep – Leeds, Leeds College of Music
26 Sep – Birmingham, St. Paul’s Church
27 Sep – Stroud, St. Laurence’s Church – Hidden Notes Festival
28 Sep – Edinburgh, Summerhall
29 Sep – Edinburgh, Summerhall
30 Sep – Bristol, St. George’s Bristol
1 Oct – Brighton, St. George’s Church
2 Oct – Canterbury, Gulbenkian Theatre