Hello everyone, I've just released the following in a press release, and I thought you might like a sneaky peek! bella*
Bella Hardy, critically acclaimed for her mesmerising singing and fiddle performances, will release her eagerly awaited second solo album on 31st August 2009.
In The Shadow of Mountains immediately connects the listener to the very heart of Bella’s music. Self-released, self-produced and quietly uncompromising, this is a striking collection of traditional songs, equally balanced with a mix of compelling originals. The inspiration of her roots in the Dark Peak village of Edale is starkly evident, with music named after local landmarks Broadlee Bank and Crowden. The traditional song All in the Morning sourced from the neighbouring village of Castleton features guest vocals from the Hardy family. The prevailing themes throughout the album focus not only on rural country life (most notable in Foot and Mouth tale Smoke & Ashes and traditional song Rosebud in June) but also on the mountains faced in everyday life, be they people, places, or situations.
On this latest album, Bella presents a selection of new works, including Sylvie Sovay, a modern look at the story of traditional song ‘Sovay Sovay‘. She is joined once again by a number of talented friends and colleagues including Anna Massie, Corrina Hewat and Chris Sherburn.
Bella will be celebrating the launch of In The Shadow of Mountains at Cambridge Folk Festival, with performances on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd of August featuring guests from the album. She'll be doing a signing, and copies of the CD will be available to buy in advance excusively at the festival.