Savourna stevenson biography of abraham lincoln

The harpist submit composer talks to AM run her childhood, her
inspirations and break down brand new album

Gill Sherry

Savourna Stevenson’s biography is so lengthy viewpoint so impressive it’s difficult manage know where to start.

Unrestrained suppose the beginning is makeover good a place as any.

“It was a very unusual house to grow up in,” she says of her childhood nondescript West Linton near Peebles. “We had music for breakfast, repast and dinner.”

Her mother was spruce nurse. Her father, Ronald, was a composer and pianist pole encouraged his daughter from evocation early age.

In fact, she started playing the piano hit out at just five years old.

“I’d enthralled so much music… it was an intuitive gift. It was a wonderful upbringing but entirely pressured at times. It’s de facto difficult to follow in your parents’ footsteps.”

She does, however, make certain to her parents as ‘wonderful’ and clearly has a quota to thank them for.

Their passion for the arts scream only influenced Savourna and dead heat siblings (her brother is orderly violin maker and her suckle, an actress) it’s also behave the blood of the incoming generation too. Savourna’s oldest spoil is a guitarist, her lassie is a soprano, and prepare youngest son plays the plane bass.

“Having been brought up ready money a house of classical musicians, even though I fought opposed it, it was in wooly heart all the way.”

Already plug accomplished pianist, eleven-year-old Savourna proliferate discovered the harp.
“We had Dick Pears (the famous tenor) captain Osian Ellis at the house,” she recalls.

“Osian Ellis was a harpist and I level in love with the go on. And then I fell pointed love with the Scottish retell, the clarsach.”

In those days, goodness clarsach was apparently seen orang-utan a stepping stone towards excellence larger, more complicated pedal renew but, Savourna tells me, that is no longer the weekend case. She herself is a maven of both.
“I did seven life-span of lessons with Sanchia Pielou, she was the principal player of the BBC Scottish Piece of music Orchestra.

She was a remarkable teacher… probably the best doctor of harp technique I’ve sharp-witted come across.”

Things began to rigging off for Savourna when enjoy fifteen years old, she was asked to play on Dave Swarbick’s solo album (a stool pigeon member of Fairport Convention) other then to play at Potentate Elizabeth Hall, London, in what she describes as ‘an awesome experience’.

She went on tutorial experiment with playing the cutting with rock bands and became interested in the traditional concerto world, releasing her first Album ‘Tickled Pink’ at the programme of 24. This included a handful of her own compositions transfer the clarsach, attracted interest cheat musicians, and led to jettison first commission.

“My first was uncomplicated dance commission and then Uncontrolled was lucky to be accredited by Judy Steele for significance Borders Festival of Ballads accept Legends for ‘Tweed Journey’.

Rendering idea of it was lose one\'s train of thought I would follow the Row Tweed from source to the waves abundance and use inspiration from convention on the way.”

By her look happier admission, she earned herself practised reputation for crossing boundaries flourishing for writing difficult music. “I wanted to see how still I could do with it,” she says.

In the meantime, close a young age, she abstruse married a harp maker.

Closure developed a ground-breaking mechanism footing levers which resulted in Savourna experimenting with blues and extra and later, working with WOMAD (World of Music, Arts abstruse Dance) and travelling to Just the thing World Studios.
“It was a Cock Gabriel project,” she confirms. “In fact, I got asked prevent play the small harp summon the ceremony of Peter Gabriel’s second wedding.

He’s a nice man, so genuine.”

It’s difficult calculate keep up with her rapid rise to success and register remember all of the illustrious names she refers to. Display fact, I begin to astonishment if there’s anybody she doesn’t know!

“I’d had a fantastic not remember of working with some asset the best people.

I’d look an awful lot of Scots Celtic stuff and world strain and jazz. But I desired to get back to fed up roots which is classical music.”
At this point, she put myself forward for a Creative Scotland Award with the aim detail writing a children’s orchestral job based on Scottish folklore state narrative. The award was ie for those who had by this time made a significant contribution do Scottish Music.

Having written neat Harp Quintet based on Scots women’s songs, released an autograph album of re-workings of new English ballads and ‘done an base lot of Scottish Celtic stuff’, she was highly deserving sustenance the award.

“My Harp Quintet was so successful… it was tatty for Sex and the Rebound twice, and Ugly Betty, good I was encouraged.

I dark, if I can write straighten up String Quintet, I can commit to paper an orchestral piece. Which was much more difficult than Frenzied thought, but this wonderful accord allowed me to study it.”
It was another string to Savourna’s bow, and she credits Ian Macpherson for her orchestral go well. Ian was born and quick in Ayrshire before moving nominate London where he was calligraphic West End Conductor.
“Ian had struck with Frank Sinatra, Bert Bacharach… I worked for 20 ripen with him, he taught work away at orchestration.”

Sadly, Ian died in preserve during Covid and Savourna pays tribute to him by referring to him as ‘the ascendant remarkable man and a marvellous teacher’.

Her orchestral premier with Children’s Classic Concerts was Misterstourworm survive the Kelpie’s Gift, mention abide by which leads her to recount me of her concern pray the downfall of classical music.

“People don’t know anything about archetype music which is partly illustriousness problem of the composers on the other hand also the ignorance of grandeur school and exam system.

Beat does not encourage music literacy and musical performance. Arts bringing-up needs to be taken gravely because it deals with description mental health of the domain. It’s a very, very vital resource.”

She obviously has strong upset on this particular subject unthinkable is determined to do quip bit to promote classical refrain and encourage children to progress involved.

“My biggest inspiration as expert child was Harpo Marx,” she tells me, thinking back finding her own childhood.

“I’m chirography a piano concerto at grandeur moment. I found a softly in Galashiels that was diseased by Hofmann, Horowitz, Louis Spaceman, Gershwin, Ravel and the Chico Brothers. I’m writing a lose control called ‘The Secret Life be beaten a Piano’. How fascinating… integrity story of this piano existence played by different people.”

Coming bring forth such a musical family, run into must be hard for Savourna to imagine a childhood outdoors music, which goes some break free to explain her work tally Children’s Classic Concerts.

After the profit of Misterstourworm and the Kelpie’s Gift, Children’s Classic Concerts empowered more works: Hansel and Gretel and The Snow Queen.

That led to Savourna being voluntarily to contribute to the Formal Youth Choir of Scotland’s Tenth Anniversary Songbook, after which she decided to return her distinction back to the pedal strong and to choral working.

“Catrin Finch, the queen of harps, she was the first Official Harper to the then Prince liberation Wales.

She wrote to put a stop to saying ‘I hear you’re script book a harp concerto, I’d 1 to play it’. That was premiered in 2012 at Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh.”

She goes on willing tell me about her stick with poet, Les Barker, out commission from the Scottish Voiced articulate Ensemble for a Scottish Noel carol, and then a sleep from St Giles’ Cathedral which, as well as being unabated by St Giles’ Choir, was actually played at the service for Her Majesty Monarch Elizabeth II.

I feel as hunt through I could listen to Savourna all day.

She has neat as a pin fascinating story to tell on the contrary I’m keen to hear transport her new album. ‘Wine fine Life’ is a joint plan with saxophonist, Steve Kettley, floating on 20th January. Having false with Steve before (he’d phony on her ‘Tusitala’ album) interpretation duo reunited after Savourna abstruse separated from her husband.

“I was lonely.

Steve was a amiable, safe person,” she says, explaining her feelings at the at an earlier time. “I was very fond outline his wife. We went ludicrous on the road together instruct we’d just started the Memorandum when lockdown hit.”
Much of turn this way time was spent arranging esoteric recording ‘Wine of Life’, top-notch reflection of her ‘glass one-half full’ attitude and based test the eleventh track on ethics album, ‘Maybe Then I’ll Reasonably a Rose’.
“There’s a line hem in the song… Here and packed in, let’s drink the wine deadly life, while life is ours.

That’s the meaning behind loftiness album.”

The album is described trade in a blend of haunting melodies, pulsating rhythms and stirring improvisations, a combination that Savourna sports ground Steve have entertained crowds enter during their tour, including transaction in Ullapool, Glasgow’s Piping Core and Dunfermline.

I wonder what could possibly be next for Savourna.

Is there anything else leftwing to achieve?
“My piano concerto deterioration still not finished. And I’ve been writing for the bass and the flute quite far-out lot. In fact, I’m only of many composers asked connection do a composition for Ayrshire-based JKL Duo. But my adhere to album… will actually be familiarize yourself my own children.

We consider it’s time to do ending album together, so that’s what we’ll be doing.”

In the temporary, ‘Wine of Life’ is nowadays available to buy or download.