Influential Musicians : Robin Williamson: The work of a contemporary bard (1990-2006) by Eliseo Mauas Pinto.

Influential Musicians : Robin Williamson: The work of a contemporary bard (1990-2006) by Eliseo Mauas Pinto

In 1990, Robin Williamson launches Music for the Newly Born, an unusual combination of multiple influences in his days with the Incredible String Band . 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 styles Celtic, Indian, Japanese and classical. In 1993, releases two cassettes continuing with his fireside bardic stories, Bonny Green Bird , and Amadan of the Dough. Earlier this year Williamson made contact with John Renbourn (formerly of Pentangle, John Renbourn Group), and together they decide to make tours through the USA and Europe under the pseudo-duo Incredible String Tangled (sic). Part of these concerts were released on CD as Wheel of Fortune in 1994, mingled with interesting duet arrangements for harp, whistle, and acoustic guitars, and even something usual in the preceedings works of Williamson, a mythical tale reconing his own compilations on hi book The Craneskin Bag and which could add to the already twelve cassettes devoted to the genre. Robin back in 1995 returns as a soloist with The Island of the Strong Door, an album with nine songs and an instrumental piece. A very personal work that shows a 51-year-old Williamson at the height of a style that it forged an artist questioned about a future reflected in the face of his son, an artist who may not survive to dedicate a song "The desperation has filled my tongue, my heart was an open portal for so long after death, the power of song. Singing our common fears and joys no other pleasure seeking your hand in mine, I see my ancestors passing kicked from behind, my life has been a tangle of events and items, none of us can beat the time. "
Williamson published in 1996 his first album with a limited edition, called "Songs for The Calendarium", recorded live in 1995 at Darmstadt, which collects songs in one show, referring to the months of the year, with new versions of items already published and a few unpublished. Obviously an oddity.In 1997 he launched some curiosities. An official live album of Robin Williamson & his Merry Band is published, under the title "Farewell Concert At McCabe's," it proved to be their last live show on December 14th of 1979 and the concert was broadcasted on radio and mixed with the Takoma Studio, located near the site of the concert. The Merry Band elaborates on much of its repertoire, including the live version of the poem "Five Denials on Merlin's Grave", a breakthrough solo album Sylvia Woods, and a couple of unreleased tracks An invaluable testimony of those days spent by Williamsno in California, USA. He also publishes other curiosity, Mirroman's Sequences 1961-66, a double CD and musical version of a work of Williamson published in 1977 by Acrobat Books in Los Angeles. This book actually is a long autobiographical novel that begins with the recital of the ISB (Incredible String Band) arriving in Woodstock by helicopter over the crowd to the stage, and then lead us back to Edinburgh, to Robin's youth and his early adventures. Unfortunately, this double album is now out of print. Another exquisite album appears in 1998, the tapes by Mike Heron and Robin back in 1967 from his trip to Morocco . Not even knowing if they had enough material to make a new album they went to the studies of Sound Techniques in Chelsea to record their most recent material, and thus, under the name "The Incredible String Band, The Chelsea Sessions 1967", we find some of songs that were later recorded on albums as "5000 Spirits," "Wee Tam" and "The Big Huge." Another album dedicated to the Celtic harp appears, this is Celtic Harp Airs & Dance Tunes, a perfect sequel to its predecessors " Legacy of the Scottish Harpers 1 & 2 ".On the same style of his previous "Sequences mirrorman's" edits "Dream Journals 1966-76", almost like a sequel but with more music, collecting records about Robin's dreams in those days with the Incredible String Band. Finally come to light under the title "Memories / Erinnerungen", another limited edition on the anniversary of a renowned German automotive company based in Russelheim. Originally it was distributed along with a catalog of paintings by Hand Diebschlag. In 1998, we are surprised with an album that records a historic reunion, when everyone assumed that would happen ever goes on sale album Williamson / Heron Bloomsbury 1997. For the first time after 20 years the two pillars of the Incredible String Band (ISB) meet on stage to render the old songs and also songs from ISB careers of both artists. Returning to his 1997 Robin bardic profile, issues this time on CD "Gems Of Celtic Story 1 & 2." Two CDs that cover mythical legends and stories containing medieval and incidental music. Also published in a collection of 98 songs written between 60 and 70 under the title "Ring Dance." Regarded as one of his more refined, Williamson found a fresh and refurbished, are a couple of songs already recorded by the Incredible String Band. That same year he surprised us with "A Job Of Journey Work", an excellent sequel to "Ring Dance." It is noteworthy that this is his first album with entirely traditional repertoire, and with the peculiarity that involved his wife and children. It reached among the Top Ten by Tower Records and the Birmingham Post. This work is secondary to promote an exclusive production in Radios including selections from the catalog of personal stamp Williamson ( "Pig's Whisker Music") plus three demonstration project with the studio orchestra with winds that crystallize in'99 with the release of "The Old Fangled Tone." That same year he also published a live recording of the Incredible in Canada under the name "The Incredible String Band - First Girl I Loved" At early 1999 comes to light Robin Williamson - The Old Fangled Tone - this is the recording of a live show at the Square Chapel in Halifax in November 1998 during the Williamson which runs a portfolio of songs from England, Ireland and USA, with the particularity accompanied by an orchestra composed of two winds Cornet, a tenor horn, a euphonium and a tuba. Another milestone album goes on sale this year. It's "Music for Macbeth," a limited edition of the music composed for the theater production of Geoff Moore (see Music for the Mabinogi) which was presented at the Festival of Everyman Open Air Theater in St.Fagan, Cardiff (Wales -- Cymru-). It includes unpublished material and some items already published in his time with the Merry Band .Williamson / Palmer "At The Pure FountainAfter almost thirty-three years recording together, Clive Palmer and Robin together to restore the ancient links to the brothers as co-founders of the Incredible String Band. This album recovers energy interrupted after the first album from the ISB and indeed revisits topics included in the repertoire of those years, a timeless music that survives over time. On 1999 also appears "Songs For Children / Winter 's Turning" a remasterizacion of two albums released in 1986 and 1987 on a single CD. In 2000, after completing the tour in October alongside Clive Palmer, Robin recorded in Cardiff, with his wife Bina and Lawson Dando (who had already collaborated on albums like "Music for the Newly Born"). That leaves "Williamson / Palmer / Williamson / Lando - Just Like The Ivy," . It should be noted that such training would then be next to Mike Heron as the Incredible String Band rejoins in January 2001. Williamson left the band some time around the start of 2003. The reformed band disbanded once again in 2006.
In 2001 published "The Seed-Robin Williamson at Zero," an exquisite intimate album that hits the market, under the ECM label, combining original songs and revisited ones from previous albums with lyrical Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, and Henry Vaughan others
Then his current projects were related to scores for two television documentaries. One of them, the "Carmina" Peter Neal though completed, released in December 2001 with the launch of television and act choir and orchestra. It is noteworthy that Peter Neal was the one who made the film of the Incredible String Band ( "Be glad for the song has no ending") and recent concerts at the Festival Theater Cropredy and Bloomsbury. The stamp Williamson (Pig-Whisker s) in conjunction with Screen Ventures plan to make a documentary of the band for television as well as video / DVD of the latter.
On 2002 appears the third sequel of his bardic recordings Gems Of Celtic Story 3 (2002). Tale of Deeds of the Tuatha De Danaan and of the two battles of Mag Tuired. From the magic lore of ancient Ireland this tale recounts the conflicts of the ancestors at the dawn of the world. Stark, strange, beautiful, violent and hinting always at hidden truths, this of all celtic literature presents an insight into druidic allegorical teachings.
Meanwhile Williamson continued his solo career, recording once again for the prestigious ECM label 'Skirting The River Road' (2002) and 'The Iron Stone' (2006) featured him combining his own words with those of the likes of Dylan Thomas, William Blake, and Walt Whitman. Musically these records show him increasingly working in a fusion style (similar in some ways to the avant-garde work of the Incredible String Band in the 60's) which incorporates folk, jazz, Renaissance, Classical and Eastern influences.