Honoured to have had the opportunity to experiment with recording professional harpist, Sunita Staneslow up in Unst, north Shetland.
After trying out a few different mic configurations and positions, we ran through several interpretations of The Unst Boat Song, one of the oldest known Shetlandic folk songs; with links to the Faroes.
The recordings will be mixed again once I get more voice recording done for a folk story audiobook project I’m working on with a few collaborators, and several takes not included in this version will likely resurface. The harp wasn’t the easiest to record given the nature of how it produces sound, but the recording was certainly easier than the mixing. I look forward to having more time to dedicate to getting the delicate balance of warm and bright more accurately than with this rough mix. Still pretty chuffed with how it turned out, but that’s easily done when working with such a lovely instrument and professional performer – I need to again find balance between being mystified by the siren charms of the harp, and what it could sound like with the right care and attention.
For now, I have an album to mix so it can eventually hear the light of day;
so this beauty will have to wait a while longer…
Annabel Strange 