Birdsong Cân yr Adar, by Kizzy Crawford and Gwilym Simcock with Sinfonia Cymru

Birdsong Cân yr Adar

by Kizzy Crawford and Gwilym Simcock with Sinfonia Cymru

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Joe loves Jazz This album holds a special place in my heart. I've never heard anything like it. "Birdsong Cân Yr Adar" throws a spotlight on the inhabitants of the Celtic rainforest - animals and plants - and tells stories more or less from their perspectives. The instrumental arrangements match perfectly with the warm and sensitive vocals by Kizzy Crawford. The result is absolutely spellbinding. I love it. Favorite track: Into The Dark Mystical Beauty/Mewn I’r Harddwych Tywyll Cyfriniol.

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1.	Introduction - Birdsong Chorale 04:25	info	buy track
2.	Another Source/Tarddle Arall 05:52	info	buy track
3.	Where We Came From/Ble y Daethom 05:40	info	buy track
4.	Wildlife/Bywyd Gwyllt 06:31	info	buy track
5.	Rhododendron 09:26	info	buy track
6.	Angelic Soul/Enaid Angylaidd 07:25	info	buy track
7.	Back To The Trees/Nôl i'r Coed 08:14	info	buy track
8.	Into The Dark Mystical Beauty/Mewn I’r Harddwych Tywyll Cyfriniol 10:58	info	buy track
9.	Owl Song/Can y Gwdihŵ 07:40	info	buy track

about

‘Birdsong / Cân yr Adar’ is a very unique and special project and the result of nearly four years of collaboration between two highly acclaimed musicians: Welsh/Bajan singer-songwriter Kizzy Crawford and pianist / composer Gwilym Simcock. 

The duo first performed together on a concert of Welsh music at the Wales Millennium Centre in 2014, and were jointly featured on a BBC Radio 4 programme ‘Playing The Skyline’. It was an obvious progression for them to work side by side on a dedicated project. The opportunity to write a cycle of music about the Carngafallt rainforest and RSPB reserve in Wales then provided the perfect reason for them to get together. Kizzy Crawford describes Carngafallt as ‘magical’. ‘I’ve always been inspired by nature and felt a strong connection with the outdoors’, Crawford explains, ‘and working on this project I felt like I was in my element’. Simcock and Crawford’s complementary musical styles and backgrounds have made for an extremely exciting and unique partnership, with Crawford’s natural feel for melody and songwriting supported and augmented by Simcock’s talents in composition, arrangement and mixing improvisation with through-composed forms. 

The music blossoms with a chamber ensemble from renowned orchestra Sinfonia Cymru adding an expansive and luscious soundworld to the music. A String Quartet provides the warmth and drive, the Flute brings a natural connection to birdsong, and French Horn (an instrument dear to Simcock - as a player himself) evokes a wide range of emotions with its versatile and glorious tone. 

The result of all this is an ambitious and heartfelt song cycle that engages the listener from start to finish. Every one of the songs are much more than a few chords and lyrics, they are all individual short stories - brought to life by truly wonderful performances from the Octet. Crawford’s ambition as a black Welsh artist is to make her mark by fusing bilingual soul-folk jazz and these songs continue her exploration of both the Welsh and English languages. ‘Birdsong’ says something very different from either a conventional singer-songwriter or a regular jazz recording, as well as exploring our relationship with nature, themes of migration and the importance of conservation.

Sinfonia Cymru
Daring, innovative and mould breaking, Sinfonia Cymru is a dynamic Cardiff-based chamber orchestra dedicated to supporting outstanding young professional musicians at the start of their careers. Sinfonia Cymru presents a diverse programme each year with activities including orchestral touring, chamber music, creative learning and health & well-being projects.

Crawford, Simcock and Sinfonia Cymru performed Birdsong at Hampstead Arts Festival in 2016 as part of the London Jazz Festival. This was the culmination of their initial tour. So taken were Hampstead Arts with the project that they became generous co-funders of the recording project and are now hosting the album launch.

credits

released April 13, 2017

Kizzy Crawford - Vocals and guitar
Gwilym Simcock - piano

Sinfonia Cymru:
Simmy Singh - Violin 1
Lucy McKay - Violin 2
Francesca Gilbert - Viola
Abel Selaocoe - Cello
Sarah Bennett - Flute
Carys Evans - Horn

All compositions by Kizzy Crawford and Gwilym Simcock except 'Introduction - Birdsong Chorale' by Gwilym Simcock
Produced by Gwilym Simcock
Recorded, mixed and mastered at Curtis Schwartz Studio, Ardingly, West Sussex.
Cover image by Aimee Hayes at Yumi Creative.

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about

Gwilym Simcock Berlin, Germany

Gwilym Simcock is one of the most gifted pianists and imaginative composers on the European scene. He has become renowned for his solo performances but has also toured extensively with the supergroup The Impossible Gentlemen and most recently with Pat Metheny.

Gwilym was the first BBC New Generation Artist from a jazz backgrounded has won numerous awards. ... more

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