Dialogues by Su-a Lee
For more info on the tracks, sheet music and downloads visit sua@sualee.com
Scottish-Korean cellist Su-a Lee (Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Mr. McFall’s Chamber) collaborates in a series of 15 duos with:
fiddle players Donald Grant, Duncan Chisholm, Jenna Reid, Patsy Reid and Pekka Kuusisto; pianists Donald Shaw and James Ross; flautist Hamish Napier; harper Maeve Gilchrist; bandoneonist Carel Kraayenhof; accordionist Phil Cunningham; Scots singer Karine Polwart; Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis; and fellow cellist Natalie Haas.
Says Su-a...
"Playing solo is not really my thing. I am energised by working with other people, especially these people. I didn’t want my debut solo album to be about me taking the limelight. This album celebrates the musician featured on each track. Each piece reveals something of their roots, identity and inspirations, while also striking a chord with me."
"Much of our development for each track on the album was done in full lockdown. During the early stages, I couldn’t meet any of the musicians in person. This posed a major challenge to the collaborative process. The situation really forced me to develop new skills in transcribing, notating, arranging and recording music on my computer by myself - a steep learning curve for a techie Luddite such as me! This was made all the harder by the fact that, as an orchestral string player, I seldom make music on my own."
"So, I made myself a little study-come-home-studio in Grantown-on-Spey and many recordings were sent back and forth across the whole of Scotland, as well as the Netherlands, Canada, New York and Finland."
"The cello is the original Scottish folk rhythm section instrument, long before guitars, pianos and drumkits were ever on the scene. The leading fiddle players of their day, Neil Gow and later, Peter Milne, both had cellists that toured with them. After going out of fashion for many decades, the cello is undergoing a renaissance/revival, particularly through influential mavericks such as Natalie Haas, who appears on this album."
"As much as this album is about finding my own voice and a voice for Scottish folk cello in general, it is also about the interaction of two voices."
"Welcome to our dialogue."
With love, Su-a
Tracklist
Credits
Dialogues By Su-a Lee
Dramatis Personae
Cast of Characters in Order of Appearance with Su-a...
Act 1 - The Setup, The Ootset, An Stèidheachadh
Track 1. Donald Shaw - The Pianist & Harmoniumist
Track 2. Carel Kraayenhof - The Bandoneonist
Track 3. Natalie Haas - The Cellist
Act 2 - The Development, The Oncome, An Leasachadh
Track 4. Karine Polwart - The Scots Vocalist & Tenor Guitarist
Track 5. James Ross - The Pianist
Track 6. Phil Cunningham - The Accordionist
Track 7. Hamish Napier - The Flautist & Pianist
Track 8. Duncan Chisholm - The Fiddle Player
Track 9. Patsy Reid - The Fiddle Player
Track 10. Julie Fowlis - The Gaelic Vocalist
Act 3 – The Resolution, The Greeance, An Rèiteachadh
Track 11. Pekka Kuusisto - The Fiddle Player
Track 12. Maeve Gilchrist - The Harper
Track 13. Jenna Reid - The Fiddle Player
Track 14. Donald Grant - The Fiddle Player
& The Dialogues Chorus - Full Cast as Backing Vocalists
Track 15. Su-a Lee - The Cellist
Su-a Lee & Andrea Gobbi -The Producers
Andrea Gobbi - The Engineer (all tracks recorded, mixed & mastered by A Gobbi at GloWorm Recording, Glasgow, except additional recording for track 2 by Rimmert van Lummel).
Hamish Napier - Album concept
Elly Lucas - The Photographer & Designer
Birnam CD - The Printer
Executive Producers:
Frances Slimmer, Brendan Tomkins, Jennifer Hanner, Tom Lee, Dorian Barnes, Elliot Rosen, Helen Ella, Jackie Robertson, Neil Fraser, David Paul Jones, Jim Macintosh, Errollyn Wallen, Matt Parkin, Lesley Reid, Marian Bruce, Jean Urquhart, Sandy Matheson, Ali Davidson, David Ferrier, Claire Birnie, Leslie Hills, Ali Lawrance, Lily McGregor East, June Carroll, Franziska Meyer, Marie Lewis, Steve and Nancy Wennberg, Anna Cooper, Stephen Brittain, Pat Bennett, Keith Beard, Corrina Hewat, Peter MacLean, Kae Sakura Arts and Accounts, Helen Sayles, Richard Bamping, Pete Irvine, Jill Vickerman, Jane Skinner, Rosie & Alan Fisher.
Many thanks indeed to:
The Lee Family, Hamish Napier & the Napier Clan, Andrea Gobbi, all of my Dialogues duo partners, Kitty Douglas-Hamilton for photoshoot assistance, Jane Skinner for rehearsal space, Jacky Pankhurst for social media assistance, Innes & Campbell Communications for album promotion, Alison Smith at Maxwell Music, Birnam CD, Elly Lucas, Margaret Stewart for Gaelic translations, Steve Byrne for Scots translations, Robert McFall & Mr. McFall’s Chamber, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and most importantly, thanks to Creative Scotland. Many thanks to all those who sponsored the album through my IndieGoGo campaign and to those who pre- ordered my album on Bandcamp. Your support and belief in me are hugely appreciated.
License
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Su-a Lee is one of Scotland’s most versatile, adventurous and charismatic cellists - she's worked with icons Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce (Cream) and Peter Erskine (Weather Report) She works extensively in the UK classical and folk music scenes and is a founding member of the highly innovative Mr. McFall’s Chamber and a long standing member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (Assistant Principal Cello)