“To the Mackerel” may seem an unusual title for my CD and book of compositions for the Celtic harp so I thought I'd shed a little light on the meanings behind this title.
"To the Mackerel" was the first piece that I composed for the harp. The title refers both to the fish as well to my strong beliefs in sustainable and traditional fishing methods. "To the Mackerel" is almost intended to be read as if it were a sign such as "to the beach." The idea also comes from the fact that I love eating mackerel and that it is also a very beautiful fish, with its blue, green and silver hues.
All of my compositions on this CD and in my book have been inspired by my love of the Dorset coastline including Old Harry, the chalk stack in Purbeck, Veasta the legendary sea monster which is sometimes sighted off of Chesil Beach near Weymouth and the old pottery works on Brownsea Island where the waves chime and sing over the broken shards of pottery. The Moonlit Galleon is a musical portrayal of Dorset's smuggling past.
My own compositions feature alongside traditional repertoire for the Celtic harp including a few pieces by O'Carolan (the blind baroque Irish harper,) a Welsh lullaby and a selection traditional reels and jigs.
My CD can be bought directly through my website or it can be downloaded on itunes. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/to-mackerel-music-for-celtic/id400655567
