Springtide – Singing My Family Tree

Springtide – Singing my family tree CD review by Eric Ford.
Springtide are husband and wife Greg Wilson and Jackie Luke. Jackie plays Hammered Dulcimer and Greg the Para-Celtic Harp. Among the other instruments they play are Electric Cello, Bouzouki, English Concertina , Accordian and the Penny Whistle. Just to round all that out, Jackie sings! They were members of ‘Fellowship of the Strings’ which became ‘The Fourth Realm’ and Greg is a long time member of the “Inland Navigators Bushband. They have together and with other bands toured extensively here and overseas. Jackie’s song (on the CD), ‘River of Tears’, was a fi nalist in Musicoz Awards 2008 and runner-up in the Folk Category of the Pacifi c Songwriting Contest. So they have a talented musical background. Jackie is a New Zealander-(no we won’t hold that against her) and the album is a history in music and song of her family. The family started its migration to New Zealand, some via the Copper areas of Sth Australia, from Kent and Cornwall in 1841. The CD then is almost a Folk Opera relating to them all. The songs and tunes are related to individual family members, of course not all get a mention! Track 1 ‘The Hole in the Harper’s Head relates to William Luke, who was born in Redruth and moved to Kapuda where he worked in the mines and died there, aged 42. He gets a ballad at track 6! The Dulcimer and Harp work effectively together and Jackie’s vocals add poignancy. Handel, yes he of Messiah fame, has a song included. While the liner notes give some information, the website is much fuller and well worth a look. Track 2 tells of ‘Captain Swing’ who was involved in riots in Kent in 1830 which resulted in the smashing of threshing machines. Was he a member of the family? Who knows, as Jackie ain’t telling! Track 7 is a polka! The 10 tracks cover various individual members culminating in ‘River of Tears’, which is a tribute to all over the years. ‘Rivers’ incidentally led to Jackie meeting ‘long lost’ members of the family from Narranderra in NSW! Such is music, such is this CD Overall, I liked the the mix of instrumentals and songs and played them both loudly and quietly. The CD is an interesting.