In early 2023 I was commissioned by Gift To Nature to write 5 songs about the trees that grow on Sibden Hill in Shanklin, a small but delightful bit of woodland that sits at the edge of a fairly modern housing estate, and that I’d never previously known about. After several walks there with the dog I decided on the trees that most inspired me and set about researching my subjects. The resulting songs were designed to bring into focus the personalities of the trees, peppering my own response with bits of lore, history and fact.
Once the songs were finished I popped into Chale Abbey Studios and recorded them with guitar, vocals and double bass, and then performed the songs beneath the trees themselves on a beautiful day in early June to three groups of around 30 people. Thereafter beneath each of the trees can be found a QR code that links directly to the recordings, you can find them here.
Subsequently I plan to commission string arrangements for some of the songs and hope to release them officially some time soon.