The Willow Trio – The Swan of Salen (2023)
“The Swan of Salen” is the truly exquisite debut album that presents the remarkable Scottish act The Willow Trio. The ensemble includes three multi-award winning female clarsach (harp) players, Romy Wymer, Sophie Rocks and Sam MacAdam. The three artists are well-known in the UK for their virtuosity and ability to masterfully perform classical and traditional music.
The trio’s stunning new album, “The Swan of Salen,” effectively combines western classical music and Scottish Gaelic culture. Notably, The Willow Trio intertwine the harrowing drama of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and the coequal Gaelic legend, Eala Shàilein.
The music on the album is part of the soundtrack of the cultural project of the same name created by The Willow Trio and production company Ballet Folk. Indeed, The Swan of Salen Project is a multimedia adaptation of Swan Lake, incorporating Gaelic and traditional influences from stories and songs from the Loch Sunart area.
The show will be touring Scotland, featuring live music by The Willow Trio and footage of ballet dancers performing choreography by Deborah Norris of Ballet Folk that will be projected behind the musicians as they perform.
Sophie Rocks of The Willow Trio said: “The tale of The Swan of Salen is one of love, loss and heartache. It’s a beautiful story, and we wanted to make it accessible to everyone, particularly to those in communities who would not usually have easy access to ballet or live music. By choosing the Gaelic story as our setting, and adapting the music of Tchaikovsky to fit within Scottish and folk traditions, we hope to remove some of the cultural and personal barriers that may stand in the way of people pursuing or simply enjoying performances of ballet and folk music alike.
“By presenting the cultures of ballet and Gaelic Scotland as equal within The Swan of Salen, we hope to highlight the beauty of each, and shine a light on the value of both traditional and classical music, dance and storytelling in Scotland.
Sam MacAdam of The Willow Trio added: “When we came across Ballet Folk, we knew they’d be the perfect fit for The Swan of Salen Project. As a company, they explore the rich and diverse stories of folklore, combining contemporary ballet with folk music to create beautiful theatrical works. We cannot wait to tour our collaborative production with them next year.”
Prior to the forthcoming “The Swan of Salen,” The Willow Trio released their debut EP “Oystercatchers” in 2021,The Willow Trio have performed at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Sofar Sounds and the influential Celtic Connections on the Danny Kyle Stage. The trio have also been featured on Talking Harps, Opening the Harp Chakra, Northern Soul, Local Heroes and BBC Scotland.
Aside with their involvement with The Willow Trio, each member has a diverse and successful career. Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Sam MacAdam has had her original compositions played on BBC Scotland; composer Romy Wymer has won second prize and the audience award in the World Harp Competition and is now writing her first album; and Sophie Rocks has presented her award-winning solo show Notes from Shetland in Shanghai and throughout the UK.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.