Sally Virgine

This is the second recording by BIS of Sally Beamish’s music, and the four pieces it contains confirm utterly her high standing. Her work is thoughtfully lyrical, intense, individual, instinctively dramatic, in ways that remind me somewhat of Nicholas Mawmusic. Like him she has a particular gift for expressive harmony and timbre. The earliest piece here is No, I’m not afraid (1989), six poignant poems written from prison by Irina Ratushinskaya spoken – by Beamish herself – against sparse but hugely effective instrumental backgrounds and interspersed with five purely instrumental interludes. The disc opens with The Caledonian Road of 1997. The name of this piece refers not just to the north London thoroughfare remembered by Beamish from childhood but to her own pilgrimage northward to Scotland, where she now lives. The music resonates with a sense of ritual, of something inevitable. By contrast, the work that follows, the unabashedly poetic The Day Dawn (written for a summer school organised by Contemporary Music-making for Amateurs in 1997, and revised in 2000) derives from a Shetland fiddle tune, and is all about new beginnings.

The sister of the Tubular Bells composer Mike Oldfield, Sally Oldfield had contributed to many of her brother's recordings before releasing her solo debut in 1978. Playing in the Flame (1981) is her 4th studio album.
With "Playing in the Flame", Sally Oldfield moves further to the mainstream, perhaps influenced by Kate Bush's contemporary success, while trying to repeat some of the "Celebration" formula.
Compared to "Easy" and "Water Bearer", the compositions are pretty more simple here (we are talking about dilution)and there are less instruments involved. All those little percussions (small bells for instance) are less present. There is rather a basic bass and drums. Sally's lead vocals are fortunately still outstanding.

The sister of the Tubular Bells composer Mike Oldfield, Sally Oldfield had contributed to many of her brother's recordings before releasing this solo debut in 1978. With her mellifluous vocals and a similar multi-instrumental ability to her brother, Oldfield spins a series of Tolkien-esque tales that set her firmly in the vanguard of 1970s prog rock.

Chart-breaking German folk rock institution SUBWAY TO SALLY have carved a unique live experience in stone with their upcoming release, Eisheilige Nacht: Back To Lindenpark, out on BluRay/DVD/CD on June 18, 2021 via Napalm Records.Since their foundation in the early '90s, SUBWAY TO SALLY have established themselves at the top of the scene…

The Rascher Saxophone Quartet here present a disc of works specifically composed for them. They are joined by the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Robin Engelen in the orchestra's first appearance on BIS. With Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos in mind, Sally Beamish uses features of Baroque music but also elements from traditional Scottish music.