Following on from Laura Cannell’s ‘Year of Lore’ (January to December 2024), the monthly release series returns for part 2, as Cannell takes a deep dive into new emotional landscapes. 

Series 2 begins with DREAMLORE where, following bouts of insomnia, Laura wanted to capture the feelings of half remembered dreams and create music that would help her to conjure sleep. The bow is pulled across the violin strings, catching, 2, 3 and 4 strings at once. Breathing. Slowly. The sound is pushed and pulled in waves of half wakefulness. A dark blue sky is glimmering with the promise of dawn in the east.

The 3 tracks on DREAMLORE are semi-improvised and were recorded in single takes. Cannell plays octave and regular pitch violins and uses the overbow technique that creates an acoustic sound more than that of one player, a sound that she has become known for. There are no overdubs, no layers, just raw and evocative solo violin playing with a polyphonic twist.

“With A Year Of Lore, Laura Cannell has reinforced her reputation as a master storyteller in sound, capable of rendering instrumental narratives so true to the spirit of the folkloric themes and traditions that birthed them as to almost be conjurings. What a treasure it is to have these songs in the world! Whenever they play, the veil will seem thin. While they play, there will always be the feeling of magic on the air.”
THE QUIETUS REVIEW of A Year of Lore (Dec 2024)