Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Art is not the demolition of history, it is the pleasure of being in its company, of presenting different sides, a viewpoint which might other wise go unnoticed, or even unheard, it is the ability to see the perspective from neither above nor below, but at one with the piece, as if you were able to visualise existence Together With Yourself At Sea Level.
Imagining the word as though you are part of it rather than being separate is vital, you are more able to utilise history by immersed in it, and by doing so you can feel nature and stance welded together, but being fluid enough to go with every wave, to feel the pull of the surge, and expect instinctively the flood that will arrive at your feet and cover your soul on occasion.
History is made and held with eager pleasure as the tremendously innovative Glasgow harpist Gillian Fleetwood celebrates her debut self-composed solo album, Together With Yourself At Sea Level. The ripples that are initially seen lead to the greater expanse, the stream which becomes the ocean and the undercurrent of depth that reveals the untapped potential and treasures lost to time.
The meaningful way that Ms. Fleetwood brings to the fore a rare and beautiful 210-year-old Erard Grecian harp that is permanently accommodated in the Arbroath Arts Centre of Hospitalfield House is simply stunning, a gorgeous reminder that history is not to be overthrown, but that it can be a partner in the allowing emotional responses to our mad, cynical, dangerously overloaded world; and in tracks such as Walnut Waltz, Cold Water, and Because Sometimes Joy Is An Act Of Defiance, Gillian Fleetwood’s heartbeat of traditional flair and chamber pop cool with a soul that would quell the most raging tidal wave.
We must see history as a leveller, it is not ours to decimate, but learn from, to gain insight, and the sea level we stand by the side of, we must expect for it rise and fall of it own accord; but as long as we remain steadfast, then beauty will remain attainable.
Gillian Fleetwood releases Together With Yourself At Sea Level on January 31st.
Ian D. Hall