My Beautiful Mandolin Friend - For Alison Stephens

  1. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    This is a tune written by Nigel Gatherer in memory of Alison Stephens. Nigel was kind enough to post the notation on the Cafe (Link) as well as his own MP3 recording (Link).

    I have recorded this on my Ajr, partly as my own farewell and thank you to Alison, but mostly because even without the context, this is by any standard an outstanding tune by Nigel which deserved to see wider circulation. There is a longstanding tradition in Scottish music of composing tunes in memory of departed friends -- including many of the best Neil Gow tunes -- and maybe this one will find its place in that canon. If it does, it won't be because of my hack recording, though...



    Martin
  2. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Lovely stripped-down version here, Martin and a great sound from your mandolin. Interesting to compare your interpretation with the version I posted back in October when Nigel put the music on-line. You can have a look at it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88ikJ5CnUyY
    It is under the thread "Tribute to Alison Stephens" a few postings back. The mark of a good composition when we can play it in different ways.
  3. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Thanks, John! I had missed your version so thanks for linking it. Very nice -- I like the fleshing out. We have also played Nigel's multi-part arrangement (two mandolins, octave mandola and guitar) at our ensemble rehearsal last Thursday, and it's lovely having three additional voices. They fit together very nicely.

    I have just found John's original discussion thread (Link) and have reposted my video there. I suggest any further replies should go there rather than here, to keep it all in one place.

    Apologies for the double-posting.

    Martin
  4. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Martin, thanks for comments and for linking our two versions. Any chance of you putting up the version you mention with the multi-part arrangement? Would be very interesting to hear. Thanks again.
  5. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    OK, here is Martin's mandolin quartet:

    John's fine video:

    And my mandolin/guitar version:
  6. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Christian, thanks for reviving this thread and posting our original recordings and Martin's quartet. Nigel wrote this very touching tribute to Alison, who was taken from the world at much too early an age after a battle with cancer.
  7. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Thank you very much, Christian. Lovely to hear this tune again, and I really like your reduction to just mandolin and guitar. My quartet recording is from 2013 (nine years ago, already) and played on the Gibson and Embergher mandolins, plus the Mid-Mo OM and Ozark tenor guitar.

    I had the very great honour of meeting Alison a couple of times at workshops in Scotland and on the Wirral, although at the time I frankly couldn't play well enough to get the most out of her teaching. She was a great player, a bubbly and enthusiasic personality and a perceptive and demanding teacher. A great loss, and it's good to have Nigel's tune as a reminder and tribute. I have not looked at it for years but shall get it out in memory.

    Martin
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