Sunday Sessions: Travel These Ways from Karine Polwart
Travel These Ways is a song of journey, a song of hope, a song of connection in hard times.
That’s a lot to cover in the few minutes of a song.
Karine Polwart is well up for it though, and doing so poetically and musically, as well.
At the start of a year in which many aspects of public and private life in many parts of the world seem set to take to take turns toward the harsh and, to say the least, unsettling. Karine’s words remind of the need for looking out for each other -- and the possibilities of doing so, however those may appear.
You will find the song recorded on the album Still as Your Sleeping, for which Karine collaborated with pianist Dave Milligan. As you listen to the song, you will recognize that phrase still as your sleeping. Karine and Dave chose it for the title, a nod to connection and hope in itself.
Travel These Ways was commissioned for Luminate, Scotland’s festival of creative aging, to help those with dementia and encourage participation in Luminate’s Dementia Inclusive Singing Network.
The song invites you to sing along, as does the spare yet warm way the musicians perform it. Not up for singing along? No worries, the quiet story will draw your imagination in.
Polwart and Milligan have known each other for several years.
Across the park neighbours in Pathhead, a town a bit south of Edinburgh,they well know how to fit piano and voice together.
On the album they traverse a range of contemporary and traditional folk song alongside ones, including Travel These Ways, written by Polwart herself. Milligan, well known for his work in jazz, shows his understanding of folk tradition here to good effect, and joins in singing on the chorus of Travel These Ways, too.
With snow skirling in and covering the path, or rough water requiring safe harbour, whatever the journey to come. they sing
Wherever we go
Wherever we bide
Whatever the wind and weather
Wherever we go
Wherever we bide
We’ll travel these ways together
A good thought for the beginning of a year in which we we may all face shifting paths, need safe harbour, and need to look out for each other.
You may also wish to explore
Karine Polwart is one of Scotland’s most thoughful and creative songwriters, often taking on themes of nature, politics, or social justice.
She is part of a number of collaborative projects. Among them are The Spell Songs Singers.
About the album Spell Songs II: Let the Light In
Several years back Karine also took part in The Darwin Song Project
Another album from Karine Polwart : Laws of Motion
Karine’s website
Cathie Ryan gives a fine version of Karine’s song Follow the Heron on her album The Farthest Wave
Dave’s website
Still As Your Sleeping is released on Hudson Records, also the hone of other artists whose music you will want to explore including Seckou Keita, Salt House, Ben Nichols, Sam Sweeney, and Rachel Newton
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