Influential Musicians: Robin Williamson : The work of a contemporary bard (1974-1990) by Eliseo Mauas Pinto

Influential Musicians: Robin Williamson : The work of a contemporary bard (1974-1990) by Eliseo Mauas Pinto

Targeted in a new creative vein, Robin lines up the Merry Band, consisting of musicians exception: Sylvia Woods, champion Irish Gaelic harp, Chris Caswell, maker of Celtic harp, flute player and piper, and Jerry McMillan, wandering violinist. The compositions are now up from an idea, melody and sketches of the Merry Band, being Williamson responsible for providing additional music and arrangements, resulting in music with the freshness of any good improvisation. After editing three albums, The Merry Band splitted in 1979. In that year Robin published his book Five Denials on Merlin‘s Grave, an ardent poetic remembrance about the early Celtic invasions, Saxons and Normans, as well as the Viking invasion, with a constant reflection of their anger against the Roman repression and a distortion of history by contemporary chroniclers. This piece was recited along incidental music played in the last tours with the Merry Band, and a version of this poem was published in their latest album A Glint at the kindling. - "I wonder what is the ought to be of a musician ... I think the music should be free of any contract, first and foremost a human being is part of reality. I have become one with my art, I write music when caught to convey that and to highlight. It might be my soul minstrel. If you are limited by contract, end up as an artist, creatively speaking. The ISB arrived to make a record in a week in two days and until two or three in one year. The split of the Merry Band is partly due to the changed direction, engage in other contract is a risk that goes beyond the artist. "
The music of Robin Williamson aims to create a contemporary style but with a recovery of the Celtic roots of a millennium ago. In 1981 he published a trilogy on cassette about Gruagachs ; stories devoted to the classic Gaelic wizard, with a 30-to-40 minutes narrative each and based on traditional motifs retold by Robin Williamson.This series were finished in 1982. That year some former Merry Band released their solo albums, including Robin who throws in that year Songs of Love and Partings, supporting and even nine years later, his first legendary Lp Myrrh. This production includes two themes of his work for theater Tree of Leaf and Flame, collaborative work, like the double album U of ISB-dance with the company Moving Being. Second inclusion corresponds to the work-Mabinogi allusive to a saga of medieval Welsh tales with music and choreography by Williamson and Geoff Moore. These pieces were represented in the open in Wales, near castles with jugglers, artifacts, animals, and actors. In August 1983 publishes the album which includes the instrumentals of the piece under the name Music for the Mabionogi with songs performed by members of the division with Robin Williamson, who in turn plays several instruments. The mythical spell had captured Robin’s attention who shapes their actions under the figure of the folk storyteller or Shanachie, interspersing songs with humorous stories and riddles. Begins thus his unity with the Celtic harp, instrument manufactured by his former Merry Band fellow, Chris Caswell. The year 1984 stands out as one of its most prolific, not only because his son Gavin was born, but for surprising us with four major works: 1) Selected Writings 1980-1983, published in book format / cassette including songs and recited parts instrumentas belonging to Tree of Leaf and Flame, almost an awakening of the bardic seed / mythical music and poetry. 2) In Legacy of the Scottish Harp Volume 1-nominated for best 1985 Celtic album by Tower Records running only Celtic harp, Robin recorded selected unpublished manuscripts found in Scotland in 1930 and the unveiling of the master of the harp music for low-Scotland seventeenth century. 3) In The Dragon has Two Tongues recorded music that was commissioned by the Welsh
Channel 4 TV ,comprising a series of 13 chapters on the history of the people "a musical journey from the snow-covered hills to the green pastures, from the legendary druidic dragon till the exciting present one, a surging stream of melody through time and place. " Here raids from background on synthesizers mingled with traditional instruments and arrangements as written in one of his letters of the time "a blessing which is not good to abuse." . 4) Finally publishes the first in a series of tapes ( the remaining five in 1985) - which included over 30/40 minute length legends and poems by Robin recounted with sporadic harp. inclusions. In 1985, the music for The Dragon has two Tongues is published, and Robin returns with the Moving Bieng Company with the piece Sea’s Prospect , an allusive portrait of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. During 1986, is published the 2nd Volume of Legacy of the Scottish Harpers, and is published in Britain A Glint of the kindling of the Merry Band with Songs and Music 1977, a compilation album, including Journey’s Edge and American Stonehenge. A production cut with jovial and unusual songs and music closes winter 1986 under the name Winter’s Turning, album that includes pieces of Henry VIII, Shakespeare, Praetorius, Corelli, Vivaldi, and O'Carolan with a very personal design electroacoustic . In 1987 he endorsed another conceptual work, Songs for Children of All Ages, a good selection of songs and riddles of surprising and enigmatic themes in the Celtic tradition. It is noteworthy that includes new versions of two pieces composed in 1968 by Robin Williamson with the ISB. Ten Songs was published in 1988 consititng of ten pieces that show a Williamson identified with the grain and bardic sounds but inserts issues with soft sounds and arrangements / political issues related to rock / contemporary social. It is the first work that contains pieces from 1981 and includes a new version of the theme Lammas, published in Selected Writings 1980-83. Collaborates in turn in the band's soundtrack for George Lucas film Willow / MGM and play Merlin the Magician represented in Welsh during the month of August. Based in Edinburgh in 1989 publisheds the book The Crankeskin Bag, a collection of short stories and poems collected and adapted from the tradition of Wales, Ireland and Scotland, who remained in the vernacular tongue and were included in its five by Robin tapes released in legends 84-85. In the United States is published as The Wise and Foolish Tongue. In 1990, launches Music for the Newly Born, an unusual combination of multiple influences in their times with the ISB. One side "A", with pieces for the "awakening", a B side pieces for the "rest" of the soul of the unborn, babies (and parents) recorded in Wales under the sieve of Celtic styles , Indian, Japanese and classical ones.