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"vibrant,
evocative solo harp music
celebrating Canada’s West Coast" |
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Island Suite
The Latest Disc
Alison Vardy became
“harp-struck” in 1984 with the acquisition of
her first Celtic harp while living in the South Island of
New Zealand. She now performs, teaches and records as a full-time
professional harpist from her home on Vancouver Island, British
Columbia, Canada. Alison is inspired by the rhythmic and melodic
diversity of music from many cultures to create original compositions
and arrangements that showcase her beloved instruments. Her
concerts and her recordings are a colourful tapestry of sound
and mood that is both exciting and relaxing. Enjoy!
Island Suite is unusual in that
the audible sound seems to come from within! Sit in a natural
triangle with your two stereo speakers, close your eyes and
the harp sounds like it is inside your head. Amazing! It is
almost a meditation. Wander around your home with Alison's
lively natural sounding Celtic harp music floating in the
background or come back and sit down to your very own personal
concert, literally.
This solo CD features
two harps - Alison's Sandpiper Celtic
harp and her Paraguayan
harp. The tunes include a mixture of Canadian, Quebecois,
Celtic, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), and World Ethnic music plus
eight of Alison's own original compositions.
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This is music that captures
my heart and will captivate
you! Most of the solo harp arrangements and many of
the compositions are mine,
with their roots strong in
tradition. Waltzes, marches,
dances and airs from the Celtic, Sephardic, Balkan,
French
and African cultures. Enjoy!
Alison Vardy
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Island Suite was recorded in the natural reverberation
of an acoustically "live" space with Hugh
McMillan Studios in Victoria, BC, Canada. The recording
quality of Island Suite is exceptional as all the tracks were
recorded live using top quality professional microphones directly
to 24/48 digital with tube preamps for additional "warmth".
Cover art by Chris
Broadbent of Victoria BC
(18 tracks - 74 minutes playing
time - Released July 2003 )
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Introducing...
Island Suite
A Solo Harp Odyssey
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1)
E & N Boogie
ALISON
VARDY (3:27) P
All
aboard! The E&N Railway was once the
transportation
and freight lifeline of Vancouver
Island, BC,
and had almost gone the way of the
dodo at the
time I wrote this tribute. Supported
by avid communities
up and down its length, it
now has
a bright future for scenic recreational
and commuter
travel.
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MP3
Large
2.5 Minute
Cable |
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2)
Island Suite
ALISON VARDY (4:04) C
The
four musical themes in this composition visit
the four southern
Gulf Islands of Mayne, Pender,
Saturna and
Galiano off Canada’s West Coast.
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3)
Avre tu Puerta Serada / Adio Querida
TRAD.
LADINO (4:15) C
Open
your closed door and Farewell Beloved, two
beautiful love
songs written in Ladino, the language
of the Sephardic
Jews (Judeo-Spanish).
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4)
Pula
ALISON
VARDY (3:29) P
Means
Money or Rain in Setswana, one of the
official
languages of
Botswana. Thanks to one of my Vancouver
Island audience
members for naming this piece for me.
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5)
Cape Breton Set
TRAD.
CAPE BRETON (4:56) C
I learned this set of lively tunes
from the recordings
of Nova Scotia born
traditional flute player, Chris
Norman. Transcribed
for harp with addition of
soundboard percussion!
I Won’t
Do the Work / 100 Pipers / Road to Skye
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6)
From the Shadows
ALISON
VARDY (6:47) C
The four themes
of this composition move through the
emotions of
sombre to celebratory, as the key moves
from C minor
to C major.
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7)
Peter’s Peerie Boat / Willafjord
TOM
ANDERSON / TRAD. SHETLAND ISLANDS (4:01) P
Tom Anderson is a renowned fiddler
from the Shetland
Islands
but I learned these tunes from a couple of New
Zealanders,
both of them avid members of the Gaelic
Society
in Dunedin.
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8)
Bonnie at Morn / The Trees They do Grow High
TRAD.
ENGLAND (3:17) C
Two
contemplative broadside ballads from early England.
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9)
Sto mi e Milo / Kalimera
TRAD.
MACEDONIA / GREECE (4:55) C
A
traditional village song followed by Good Morning!
in
Greece. Both
of these pieces are in 7/8 rhythm.
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10)
Hornby Hornpipe / Off to California
ALISON
VARDY / TRAD. IRELAND (3:05) P
I
love alliteration and Hornby Island in the Georgia Strait
between
Vancouver Island and the British Columbia
Mainland
is a favourite place of mine. Off to California is
an Irish
hornpipe and a popular choice at Celtic sessions
and gatherings.
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11)
Si La Mar
TRAD.
LADINO (3:59) C
All
about fishermen, young love and betrayal and delivered
to you
in 5/8 rhythm with lots of modulations! Arranged for
solo
harp from an adaptation by Moshe Denburg. |
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12)
O’Carolan Set
TRAD.
IRELAND (3:30) P
A
medley of three tunes from 17th Century Ireland’s
greatest
bard, Turlough O’Carolan:
George
Brabazon / Bridget Cruise (#2) / Carolan’s
Cap
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13)
Mildred’s Habanera
M.
PLANT , ARR. ALISON VARDY (4:09) C
Mildred
is a student of mine with a passion for Latin
rhythms and a good ear for a melody.
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14)
Quebecois Set
TRAD.
QUEBEC (5:16) C
The
Isles de Madeleine lie in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and
are part
of the province of Quebec. The two marches
that
follow are originally associated with the playing
of legendary
Quebecois accordionist, Alfred Montmarquette
(1871
- 1944).
Isle
de Madeleine / Marche des Ouvriers / Marche
Cecilia
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15)
Kay’s Waltz / Malaika
ALISON
VARDY / TRAD. W. AFRICA (4:06) P
A
waltz for my mother followed by a Swahili love song
about
a young man who yearns for his bride, Malaika.
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16)
Mazurka Limousin / Bouree
TRAD.
FRANCE (3:05) C
These
two pieces come from the central Auvergne and
Bourbonnais
regions of France where there is a rich
tradition
of bagpipe and hurdy-gurdy music. |
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17)
Changing Tides
ALISON
VARDY (4:32) C
Using
the full range of the harp this piece ebbs and flows
with
mood and intensity.
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Real
Audio |
MP3 |
18)
Breezy Day
ALISON
VARDY (2:46) C
We
get a lot of breezy days on this coast …. hold
onto
your
hat!
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Real
Audio
Small
1.5 Minute
Modem/Cable
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MP3
Large
2.5 Minute
Cable
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Check
Out What Alison's CD Listeners Say
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A
Review from Rambles
Online
With deft and magical fingers,
Vancouver Island, Canada, native Alison Vardy
conjures the sounds of Canada's Western Shores
and more in Island Suite. This well-paced compilation
of 18 well-positioned harp songs features original
compositions by Vardy, as well as arrangements
of traditional pieces and rhythmic adaptations.
During this whimsical
musical journey, Vardy visits and pays tribute
to Vancouver's resurrected E&N Railway; the
four southern gulf islands of Mayne, Pender, Saturna
and Galiano; Horby Island; and Cape Breton with
light, tender melodies. Then it's onward and eastward
where Vardy captures multi-cultural essences from
Africa, England, France, Greece, Ireland, New
Zealand, Scotland and other exotic locales in
flavorful listening feasts.
Alison Vardy's
masterful strokes on Celtic and Paraguayan harps
provide the listener with more than 70 minutes
of spirited relaxation and refreshment -- music
by which you can rejuvenate, soak in the tub or
lull yourself to sleep. It's a wonderful alternative
(or accompaniment) to massage therapy! Vardy performs
live at concerts and conducts workshops in British
Columbia, but for those who are not Canadian nationals,
you don't have to go that far to hear these soothing
sounds -- just pick them up on any of her three
therapeutic disks, also including Harping On and
Apasionada.
Rambles
Online
written by Lynne Remick
published 6 December 2003
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