John McLeod: Songs from Above and Below [download]

For voice and piano.  Composed 2015.

Reflections on the mining communities of Central Scotland and South Wales) commissioned by Live Music Now.

• Taken from School

• Song of the Golden Bird

• Sounds in the Night (A Lullaby)

• Gala Day

• Last Friday Before Half-Term

• A Whispering in my Hearth (Adapted from 'Mines' by Wilfred Owen)

“In a unique cross border project, the Composer, John McLeod and professional musicians on the Live Music Now scheme visited care settings for older people in West Lothian , Scotland and Merthyr Tydfil , Wales, to deliver participatory live music concerts and gather stories, memories and contributions from participants.

These were used by John to compose Songs from Above and Below, which were performed publicly in Summer 2015 at the Welsh Millennium Centre, Cardiff, the National Museum of Scotland and the Howden Park Centre in Livingston , as well as in the care and day centres in Scotland and Wales that took part in the project.

This project is a collaboration between Live Music Now, Live Music Now Wales and Live Music Now Scotland, using the Composing with Care model developed by LMN Scotland This new work of art, created by John McLeod for Live Music Now , is part of The Baring Foundation’s ‘Late Style’ Artists Commission Series. The Baring Foundation has pioneered support for a wide range of arts programmes supporting older people to enjoy and take part in the arts. This series supports leading professional artists, all of whom are over 70, to bring their original and exceptional artistic craft and insights to the theme of ‘Age’. Eleven new works will reach a variety of spaces and audiences, between 2015–2017.”