One touch of nature Beautiful and evocative songs inspired by the natural world, composed or arranged by Jane Harris
Full of gorgeous harmonies
and beautifully blended voices
Jane HarrisVoice, violin, recorder, low whistle Ed Bersey | Clara Atkins | Tim Walker Voice Eleanor Harris | Julia WilliamsVoice Jennifer Crook Harp | Giles CokerTenor guitar
Songbooks also available…
Quite exquisite – light in the darkness All the songs have a beautiful timeless quality… Crystalline purity of sound… Stunning… a work of art…
One touch of nature Songs inspired by the natural world composed or arranged by Jane Harris
Full of gorgeous harmonies and beautifully blended voices
Jane Harris
Ed Bersey – Recording, mixing & mastering
Eleanor Harris
Ed Bersey
Julia Williams
Clara Atkins & Tim Walker
Jennifer Crook – Harp
Jane Harris – Violin
Giles Coker – Tenor guitar
Everybody needs beauty was one of my first songs – a hymn to nature including conservationist John Muir’s words. The music is adapted from a Baptist hymn.
May you find a place came to me as I played Ivan Drever’s tune The Rose of St Magnus on my violin at the top of the Old Light on Lundy.
In the beauty of the world was my response to reading The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry.
Be free is dedicated to my daughter Eleanor who was there when the song began to emerge at the top of Lundy Old Light. The lyrics quote from Shakespeare – one touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
The Celtic song triois a setting of Julie Tonkin’s lyrics about the spirit of working. Each song includes a Celtic phrase: Breton Hep skoazell trevell single-handed endeavour – Cornish Kescana kescolon to sing together with one accord – Welsh Ymddisgleirio to shine forth.
I sang I will go with my father a-ploughing to my children when they were small – an Irish poem by Joseph Campbell set to the tune The Maids of Mourne Shore. I was touched to discover that my dear dad’s recorder combined perfectly with Jennifer’s harp.
May you go welldraws on the words All shall be well, all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well from Julian of Norwich.
Layer upon layer of memories is a song of gratitude.
When I leave this world evokes images from nature and is based on the melody A’ bhean ionmhainn / The beloved wife by Blair Douglas.
I am thrilled to have recorded my first album… Heartfelt thanks to Ed Bersey of Sylvafield studios for making it such a rewarding and creative experience. Thanks too to Ed, Clara, Tim, Eleanor and Julia for your wonderful voices, to Jennifer and Giles for your beautiful playing and to Joshua for his stunning photograph from Shetland which forms the album cover. Thanks also to Julie Tonkin for the Celtic Song Trio lyrics, and to Ivan Drever and Blair Douglas for kind permission for their tunes.
Tunes used with kind permission: The Rose of St Magnus by Ivan Drever and A’ bhean ionmhainn / The beloved wife by Blair Douglas
Recording, mixing & mastering by Ed Bersey | sylvafield.com
Cover image by Joshua Harris | joshuaharriswildlife.co.uk
