The Ash Grove (EP), by Allister Thompson

The Ash Grove (EP)

by Allister Thompson

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Tichounko This wonderful EP is a perfect teaser for Allister’s upcoming album. From the very first tones of Allister’s sister’s Celtic harp tones through the fragile singing on the songs old and new(er) to the two ‘99 demos that don’t sound old at all (Allister’s voice 25 yrs apart a bonus!), this is a wonderful aural experience, reminding me of the amazing, mostly art-rock bands I used to listen as a teen. Bravo, thank you for this preview of sorts, can’t wait for Ancestors (what a perfect name, too)!

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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Inaccessible Island, Ancestors, The Ash Grove (EP), Unborn, Undying, Autumnal, True Winter, Scenes from the Life of the Hermit of the North, Morning Fox, and 53 more. , and , .

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1.	The Ash Grove 04:06	buy track
2.	Light (a cappella version) 04:26	buy track
3.	The Drowned Girl (1999 demo) 06:06	buy track
4.	The Blackleg Miner (1999 demo) 02:39	buy track

about

"The Ash Grove" is considered the most "famous" Welsh folk melody and is strongly identified with Welsh culture. My mother is quite Welsh (Newport/Swansea), so I wanted to record this in tribute to her and to our family roots. In my version, given that the lyrics are actually very sorrowful, I wanted to convey heartfelt melancholy rather than the jauntiness with which this tune is usually presented.

My sister is a talented harpist. A fuller arrangement of this appears on my upcoming traditional folk album, "Ancestors," but I was so taken with the harp arrangement Samantha put together that I wanted to highlight it in this sparse harp/vocal mix.

I have filled it out with:
- An a cappella version of "Light," the full arrangement of which appears on "Goodnight from Horizon Rock". I think I prefer this version.
- Two old demos I recorded on a blueberry iMac back when I was first writing and recording my own music, 25 years ago. "The Drowned Girl" is a mournful Highland-style ballad (very different versions appear on the "Barren Land" album and also on "Shadowlands"), and "The Blackleg Miner" is a traditional song. "Blackleg" is a term for "scab" labour in terms of labour unrest.

credits

released February 17, 2024

Samantha Thompson - harp and arrangement, track 1
Teri-Lynn Janveau - the drowned girl, track 3
Cover image is by John Constable

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Allister Thompson - The Gateless Gate North Bay, Ontario

This is the place to meet the psychedelic, progressive, ambient, and folk/rock music of Allister Thompson released under his own name and as The Gateless Gate, Sons of Birches, Twilight Fields, and Khan Tengri.

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