If I’ve done my sums correctly there are one hundred and eighteen members of The Scottish Fiddle Orchestra including flautists, pipers, accordion players and percussionists although I don’t think they all appear on Sleeping Warrior. Don’t worry, I’m not going to list them all except to say that the SFO is led by Yla Steven and conducted by Blair Parham and that the album’s title comes from the profile of the Isle of Arran but I’d need to have that pointed out to me.
Although rooted in the tradition most of the music is relatively modern and covers a wide range of styles although the sound of a big orchestra dominates – there are no concerti or string quartets here. With so many players the arrangements and playing have to be spot on and so they are. The opener, ‘Willie Kidd’s Welcome To Orkney’, is pure White Heather Club (yes, I am old enough to remember it) and I was almost tempted to slide the album to the bottom of the pending pile but I’m nothing if not determined so I stuck to my task. Persistence pays dividends, of course, and you need to hear the whole album for the proper context.
The second track, ‘Inisheer’, is written by a Dubliner and begins with woodwinds and strings evoking the sound of waves and wind – Inisheer is the smallest of the Aran islands in Galway Bay – for a rich pastoral piece. A tolling bell and pipes introduce ‘Highland Cathedral’, written by two Germans, and there is, indeed, something vaguely Teutonic about the composition. Parham wrote the danceable ‘Happy Wee Chappie’ in memory of a Hogmanay spent in China – it’s probably best not to ask any further.
The slow and sweet ‘Sweetheart Abbey’ is a tune plucked out of history. Look up Lord John Balliol for the full story. The title track, ‘Sleeping Warrior’, continues the pastoral mood and is introduced by accompanist Fiona Brodlie. Don’t ask me why an orchestra of this magnitude needs an accompanist but a piano continuo is a long-established feature of Scottish music whatever the size and style of the ensemble. ‘Jigs From The Highland Collection’ is just that and ‘Wizard Köhler’s Canon’ combines a nineteenth century hornpipe with a tune by Jay Ungar. You could dance to this one, too.
‘St Magnus Way’ is a slow, stately composition led by pipes written by Andy Cant of Kirkwall City Pipe Band in commemoration of the martyrdom of St Magnus and the long-distance pilgrimage across Orkney. Second violinist Andy Paterson wrote ‘The Bonnie Lass O’Essex’ partly, I suspect, to give himself a solo and also to give the cellos and basses their moment in the spotlight and ‘The Sands Of Loch Bee’ is a stirring set of marches.
The best known tune here is ‘Skye Boat Song’ led by Brodlie and as I was thinking that the SFO wouldn’t take any liberties with it I realised that they were. Nothing extreme you understand, just some minor variations, but they do come as something of a surprise. Chris Stout wrote ‘Hannataing’ and ‘Everyday Heroes’ was originally a charity single by Celtic rock band Skerryvore and guests and brings the album to a satisfactory conclusion.
I realise that Sleeping Warrior won’t be to everyone’s taste and at first I didn’t think it was to mine. But it grows on you – there are some fine tunes and excellent playing and plenty to entertain here.
Dai Jeffries
Artists’ website: https://www.sfo.org.uk/
‘Highland Cathedral’ – live:
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