When Musicology professor Thomas Hodgson isn’t founding new peer-reviewed journals devoted to exploring music and data (yes, that’s right), he’s recording with his band Stornoway. And they have just released a new single.
We are delighted to be able to release an absolutely stunning new arrangement of our most recent single ‘Excelsior’ by our good friends Edward Nesbit and Thomas Hodgson. The piano part was recorded in the Herb Alpert School of Music Recording Studio by concert pianist (and undergraduate Music student) Sydney Wang, and I recorded a new vocal for the song in my shed in the Gower (Wales). Written about the loss of a majestic Ash tree to Ash dieback, we are releasing it today to coincide with the Ramsons (wild garlic) being in full bloom here in the Gower woodlands. A time of new light, fresh perspectives and bird song, we hope you enjoy it!
Brian Briggs, singer
When we first heard Excelsior, we were struck by its expressive beauty and lyricism, and immediately started to think of ideas for a new arrangement. Our version, with a new accompaniment inspired by romantic piano writing, attempts to capture the beauty of nature, as well as sorrow at its loss.
Thomas Hodgson and Edward Nesbit