Hamish Napier’s ‘The Woods’ reviewed by Duncan Harley
In this, the third part of his Strathspey Pentalogy musical journey, composer Hamish Napier celebrates the ancient forests of the Scottish Highlands. I’ve ranted on about the man’s music on a few occasions. Once or twice in the, now defunct Leopard Magazine. A couple of times in Aberdeen Voice. And in the blogosphere. The first album dwelt on vivid sonic images of the River Spey – The River, and part two of the five-part journey - The Railway, was dedicated to railwaymen all around the north-east. In this new collection there are 21 new tracks which according to Hamish incorporate 28 new tunes and pieces in a folk-tune cycle. Legends, folklore and a heady mix of jigs, reels, marches and slow airs inhabit the album. Themed around the medieval Ogham alphabet, there is says Hamish ‘A track for every letter of the Scottish Gaelic tree alphabet.’ Venus of the Woods, an upbeat polka, reflects the cheerful mood of the ash while the elm, a coffin tree, is celebrated in a mel...