Cornish musician Richard Trethewey released his debut album DIG WHERE YOU STAND in 2012, and that mining inspired album is where I first heard his singing, writing and playing. Twelve years that were filled with becoming a music therapist and playing in an bewildering number of ensembles, bands and acts, and its follow-up is here. TWO HALVES is two sets of songs, one inspired by Cornwall’s river estuaries, the other, like his first album further explores the County’s industrial heritage. The album feels the work of a Cornwall Poet Laureate and in 2020 Richard was made a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh, taking the name ‘Kaner Drollys’ ‘Singer Of Stories’. As well as the rich stories the album is a also a musical tapestry with a depth to its sound that has grown far beyond the folk shoots shown on DIG WHERE YOU STAND.
“The Lonesome Track” describes the road between Truro and Malpas, when it was a lonely place frequented by highway men ready to intercept smuggled goods. With a loping tune that recalls O’Hooley and Tidow’s “Gentleman Jack”, Richard and Bec Applebee’s voices, cittern and the Crowdy Crawn beaten drum ( i’d always wondered where that evocative name came from) build an eerie hypnotic atmosphere. “Frenchman’s Creek”, inspired by the Daphne Du Maurier novel is a complete contrast, beautiful chamber folk fiddle and piano surround vocals by a choir of voices and Richard Morgan’s evocative percussion. “Queen Of The Cornish Rhine” carries the chamber folk feel on as Richard tells a tale about Queen Victoria’s visit to the River Fal. Jamie Sterritt and Trethewey’s fiddle and harp duet on “Ruan Lanihorne Castle”, accompanied by Cello and Oboe is simply beautiful. It reminded me strongly of tge classical folk music that John Renbourn conjured on his West Country inspired and recorded THE NINE MAIDENS. “Bringing The Harvest Home” is a delicate traditional sounding song about the Cowlands and Coombe kea plum harvest. Richard and Laura Garcia’s voices are full of emotion over piano, Neal Jolly’s bowed bass and Jenny Jonas’ Oboe. “Trethewey Mine” tells of William and Joe who having emigrated to Canada found the County’s richest deposit of silver. Richard is in fine voice, especially on the chorus. “The Sounds Of The Mine” is a surprisingly gentle sounding song describing the working of a Cornish mine. The percussion evokes the sound of tools and machinery, and again the singing by Trethewey and Freya Jonas is beautiful. Gently soothing and evocative too is the sound of St Dennis Band Quartet’s brass accompaniment. Full of the slow graceful movement of skaters, “Hope In A Jam Jar” is Richard’s Gran Mona’s recollection of boys in 33 escaping the misery of the depression, ice skating on the Nanpean clay pit. With a Celtic feel “Mineral Point/Two Halves” is a celebration of Cornish emigrants in Wisconsin, the slow breathy wooden flute compliments Trethewey’s fiddle perfectly. The closing lullaby “Sleeping Under Wing” is, a gentle soothing call to rest, respectfully dedicated to Frazer Wilton. Richard’s soothing voice is set against the stirring singing of Raymond Trethewey. A simply stunning closer that fades away too quickly.
This is a quietly remarkable album. Designed with vinyl in mind, the gatefold sleeve and inner jacket are beautiful, setting up the contents perfectly. Blacksmith Lisa Wisdom’s cover image evokes age, the passage of time and the Cornish coastline. With some of the grace of Andrew Cronshaw, Richard draws together an array of musicians to make a cohesive whole. Like a Cornish Duke Ellington he blends different musical traditions (in this case Folk, Classical Music, Traditional Music and Brass Band, not Jazz, Gospel and Blues) to create a cohesive whole that is informed by his past, the traditions and the landscape he sits within. Quietly stunning and hopefully it wont be twelve years till the third album, although perhaps, you cant hurry quality.
Marc Higgins 19/05/24
https://www.richardtrethewey.org/shop
Own label 10 tracks
Time Past and Time Passing 