Scotland folk-tale ‘Tam Lin’ resurrected with grandeur by Elliot Cole, Fiona Gillespie & Makaris
31 October 2022
Newsdesk
Monday brings the release of the astounding and meticulously orchestrated ‘Tam Lin’ folk-tale, performed by three artists whose mutually complementary and gracious contributions soothe, arouse and intrigue. This magical project is, namely, performed by Elliot Cole, Fiona Gillespie and Makaris, a music ensemble formed specifically with the noble aim of promoting Scotland's broad musical heritage and culture. What a surprisingly delightful discovery – a unique beautifully-orchestrated and impeccably-performed project, unearthing a long-lost Caledonian treasure and breathing beautiful new life into it.
To our delight, they present a fascinating audio-visual trip for the senses in 'Tam Lin', a Celtic-Baroque folktale rock opera. Incorporating the best of Celtic, Baroque, folk rock and operetta, this story is set on All Hallow's Eve. Produced by Kevin Eikenburg and Four Ten Media, this period video was filmed at St. Mary's on Grand in NYC.
This 17th-century ballad and fairy tale from the Scottish Borders is newly told in original music by Cole and Gillespie. At the same time, in this modern adaptation of this historic story of transformation and love, the Celtic and Baroque underpinnings of this performance are also shaped by more dramatic elements that recall the work of Andrew Lloyd Weber and also the unforgettable songwriting pair of Riccardo Cocciante / Luc Plamondon (best known for the musical Notre-Dame de Paris).
Now this enthralling story has come to life through this folk-rock cantata - a half-hour long musical drama, weaving traditional Celtic, ancient and modern musical styles and instruments.
'Tam Lin' tells the story of Jenny, a girl with an unplanned pregnancy who defies social expectations to turn a bad situation good, pursue an unconventional love, and then perform a daring rescue of her beloved from the hidden world. Elliot Cole is a composer, singer and "charismatic contemporary bard" (NY Times). He scored the film 'Evolver' (executive director Terrence Malick), he has written for and performed with Grammy winners Roomful of Teeth, Grammy nominees A Far Cry and Metropolis Ensemble, among others. His percussion music, which has been performed by 250+ groups around the world, evokes "sparkling icicles of sound" (Rolling Stone). Currently on faculty at the The New School and Juilliard, he is also Program Director of Musicambia at Sing Sing, where he runs a music school for incarcerated men.
Fiona Gillespie is a classically-trained soprano, folk singer, instrumentalist, songwriter and arranger. Born to a family of Celtic musicians, she sings with professional chamber and choral ensembles around the nation, while touring with her folk band The Chivalrous Crickets. She also collaborates with colleagues in the folk, early music, and contemporary music worlds. Commercial releases with Makaris include 'Wisps in the Dell' (2019), 'Tam Lin' (2021), 'The Galant David Rizzio (2022), for which she was noted for her, “responsive lead vocals… warmth of tone… musicality, [and] comic defiance” (Early Music America).
Formed in 2018 and named for a royal court troubadour of medieval Scotland, Makaris explores Scotland's broad musical heritage and culture. Their debut album 'Wisps in the Dell' (2019) was met with critical acclaim. A study of continental classical composers’ takes on traditional Scots tunes, it also featured the premiere recording of several arrangements by Beethoven, alongside those of Schubert, Weber and Haydn. Their 2022 sophomore album explores a bizarre 18th-century musicological myth, whereby many popular Scottish melodies were implausibly attributed to the 16th-century Rizzio (secretary and consort to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was brutally murdered while in her service).
"Growing up in the Celtic music tradition, one of my favorite stories was the Ballad of Tam Lin. Like countless singers and storytellers before me, I'm pulled in by the weave of elements in this story. As a child, I loved the evil fairies, animalistic transformations, and a heroine in a plaid. As an adult, I’m also drawn to the rich symbolism, cultural history, the issues around societal standards and pressures that still resonate… and a heroine in a plaid! The more I understood everything contained in its 43 verses, the more complex it became to interpret easily. It challenges me, as I think it has - and as the best fairy tales do - all of us who have been sharing it for centuries," says Fiona Gillespie.
"I asked my dear friend Elliot to join me (and guide me!) in setting this ballad as a cantata-style dramatic piece. We composed it together, weaving our tunes, chords and concepts into one, and then brought it to our friends, the great medieval, baroque and folk musicians of Makaris, to bring it to life."
CREDITS Performed by Makaris, featuring Fiona Gillespie: Jenny, Irish whistle Bradley King: Tam Lin, piano Molly Netter: Narrator Alyssa Weathersby: Narrator [video] Tracy Cowart: Fairy Queen, harp, chorus Elliot Cole: Old Grey Knight, guitar, harmonium, chorus Kivie Cahn-Lipman: Father, cello, lirone, chorus Sian Ricketts: recorder, douçaine, chorus Ben Matus: bassoon, chorus Caitlin Hedge: violin, chorus Loren Ludwig: viola da gamba, colascione, chorus Paul Morton: theorbo, baroque guitar, chorus Dylan Greene: percussion Karl Ronneburg: percussion [video] Recorded by Ryan Streber at Oktaven Audio Mastered by Christopher Botta Cover artwork by A.R. Welm Video by Kevin Eikenburg and Four Ten Media Filmed at St. Mary's on Grand in NYC Artist photo by Four Ten Media
