Mike Vass

Mike Vass · 2010

String Theory

A New Voices commission for Celtic Connections, and the first appearance of Cavers of Kirkcudbright.

Recorded Gran's House Studio · Mixed Gloworm, Anniesland · Celtic Connections Glasgow City Halls

String Theory
Cover of String Theory

The back of the sleeve

Commissioned
Celtic Connections’ New Voices strand
Produced
Mike Vass
Recorded
Angus Lyon and Keith Byrd, Gran’s House Studio
Mixed
Iain Hutchison, GloWorm Studios (the old Anniesland studio)
Mastered
Brad Blackwood, Euphonic Masters
Sleeve
Louise Bichan

People

James LindsayAngus LyonCalum MacCrimmonAnna MassieAli VassMegan HendersonSteve FiveyIain Hutchison

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Commissioned
Celtic Connections’ New Voices strand
Produced
Mike Vass
Recorded
Angus Lyon and Keith Byrd, Gran’s House Studio
Mixed
Iain Hutchison, GloWorm Studios (the old Anniesland studio)
Mastered
Brad Blackwood, Euphonic Masters
Sleeve
Louise Bichan
Catalogue
Rusty Squash Horn Records RSH001CD
Players
Steve Fivey, drums · Megan Henderson, fiddle and vocals · James Lindsay, double bass · Angus Lyon, accordion and Rhodes · Calum MacCrimmon, whistle and bagpipes · Anna Massie, guitars and banjo · Ali Vass, piano

The record

Vass’s New Voices commission debuted at Celtic Connections in 2010. Its opening track, Cavers of Kirkcudbright, had won the first Niel Gow International Composition Award in 2008, and has since been recorded by seventeen other acts.

Tracks

  1. 01Cavers of Kirkcudbright5:57

    the tune →

  2. 02Continents Apart3:47
  3. 03Man’s Search9:15

    Inspired by Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning; later featured by the Viktor Frankl Institute in Austria.

  4. 04Fairholm Road4:36
  5. 05It’s a Bar4:45

    the tunes: The Hanover Hangover · Anna’s Window Shopping · It’s a Bar

  6. 06The 35 Year Waltz4:05

    the tune: The 35 Year Waltz →

  7. 07Waking Life4:37

    the tunes: Waking Life · Waking Mairi

  8. 08The Shoemaker3:48

    the tune: The Shoemaker →

  9. 09Calum James MacCrimmon5:36

    the tunes: Coney’s · Elizabeth’s Plymsoles · Calum James MacCrimmon

  10. 10Three Trumpeter’s Waltz4:50

Cuttings

A line from each piece. Where the full piece is online, it is linked.

The Scots Magazine

Review

“Elegant craftsmanship by a master of the contemporary Scottish music scene.”

As quoted on the sleeve

Celtic Music Fan

Review · Baxter Labatos · 11 March 2012

“String Theory has all the elements of an excellent album. And it is truly a rewarding listening experience that makes you want to listen again and again.”

Read the piece

All 2 pieces about this record on the News page →

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