Written in the months after my mother’s death. I had already written ‘Before Time‘, but somehow more needed to be said.

I am very pleased with this song – it captures that moment and the possibly peculiar way that I dealt with the grief. Losing one’s mother is something that everybody goes through, but at the same time is completely unique. I found myself conversing with her, and imagining her taking part in the everyday ritual of walking with me, and Gwen, my dog. Making this into a song has also had the side effect of capturing that little part of our lives here – the wood, the view from the top of the hill, Gwen herself, and what all those things mean to me.

Originally written for ‘The Time Now Standing” a community theatre production in Exmouth, back in 1995. When I used to work for Exeter and Devon Arts Center.

We were creating story snapshots from our own lives, one of which was of a women who used to walk her dogs on a hill near Exmouth, giving her time to reflect, re-energise and escape.

The story was worked into the play, with an earlier version of this music.

Twenty years later I am living on my own hill and I find the music has returned as I walk my own dog, reflect and re-energise (not escaping though).

The hill lies east of Talog, near Carmarthen in West Wales and we look north-west over the village and the Cywyn valley. The music is simpler despite being asked to stand on its own with no words, unlike the earlier version.

Dedicated to Liz, her dogs, and hill-lovers everywhere.

This started life as a mandolin piece I composed in 1981. I’ve tried to keep some of that mandolin-y feel to it whilst widening the palette considerably, into guitar and piano sounds as well as tuned percussion.

The inspiration of the Winter Solstice is probably my version of a Christmas song – the turning point at the end of the year always feels very poignant and significant to me. I no longer have any religious beliefs, but if I did, this is where they would be – in the dead of night, dreaming of light and warmth as the snowflakes come down.

This is a reworking of a song that appears on the Music from Holy Vale CD. Holy Vale is a very special place on St. Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly. It is right in the centre of the island, and although the sea only a mile or so away it is about as far away as it gets, and it is, of course, only a matter of time …

I wanted to simplify the music a bit and add a few words, without completely reinventing it so it has kept the mandolin and recorder feel. The percussion sounds are quite different to the original.

2017 was an exceptionally beautiful spring here at Pistyll Gwyn. Good weather, multitudes of wild flowers and birds and the crowning glory of the hawthorn blossom. We have many hawthorn trees and this year’s display has been spectacular.

This piece of music evolved over the spring months and has come together today, as the end of May approaches and the hawthorn blossom starts to fall, heralding the start of summer.