Late night fun for new project

Nat Hall,
nordicblackbird


after the blog,
myspace, twitter... the blackbird now sings on soundcloud.com


thanks to a pal, who posts as well and inspired.


The first two tracks were recorded just a little while ago, at a time when poetry was turned into sound. We were then experimenting with the spoken word as narrative inside a song when the words were not sung altogether...
Some never made it to the project. So they now have a new home and purpose. 
More will follow, as material fills folders. 


I still remember poet, editor and performer, John Hudson, telling me that my voice was my brand when performing poetry. There, you go, John - I have found a nouveau souffle through this platform. 


And I intend to have fun with it.


Have added the site in the "HOMEWORLDS" Section on the right hand side of the blog. 


And now to the kindred spirit who inspired,

You find him here:

Alastair Cook

Thank you, dear Al :-)

exposure

And the weekend started with a bang...

I burnt the pains au chocolat on Saturday morning. 

Just two hours before a reading at Wordplay, I carbonated our breakfast beyond recognition, as I was reading out loud Power of Place, that second piece of verse for Karen's event. Wooopppsss! Very swiftly, I made for amends by invating David to lunch at da Peerie Shop Café in Lerwick. Thank goodness, the soup and the reading went down far better!

Martin's happy feet at Da Gadderie yesterday afternoon, Saturday 4 September, as the Four Seasons in Shetland exhibition opened officially to the public in Lerwick.The Shetland Museum & Archives lit on all lights onto some 74 framed works as well as some 328 digital images projected on a screen. 

We, the gang of photographers & visual artists, gathered and met friendly faces who came to discover what the Islesburgh Photographic Club could offer.  The result is an eclectic collection of images taking your eyes and hearts through the four seasons around the nordic archipelago - voar, simmer, hairst and winter, as captured through some 20 different viewfinders... There is something for everyone.

The exhibition is on till 10 October and the Islesburgh Photographic Club  remains open to talented world watchers :)

power of place

Let's look at it at sand level.

Our every move begins on shore.

When Shetland Arts' Karen Emslie began to share ideas about a community project celebrating Shetland's Architecture & Place,  a few ideas ignited my creative heart. 

Placemaking,
Past, present, future,
Passionate about rocks and stones,

Power of Place was born

http://www.powerofplace.co.uk/

To my humble understanding, man builds, demolishes and rebuilds through love and anger. However, man's twist of fate or choice of shore determines his will to erect edifices. And when I look at the island, I touch and feel its every stone.

I owe my life to a sextant.

Today we walk that bridge of sand –
we wade in haste tangled in lace in such earthly
rubberband grace,
we long to reach that green
island.

I look for stars drowned in ocean.


World traveller
W by NW,
let’s taste each mile,
nautical dream, where we slip away from pale sun;

you write your name on a storm beach
with a pebble from my homeland –
from tide to tide,
where shadows stand
rollers won’t breach,

what does salt mean away
from lips?

I owe our love to a
sextant.

Nat, northern garden,
30 December 07

 

Tonight, my world belongs to dusk. 

...Tomorrow, I shall add my stone to this great community's adventure by sharing a few lines of poetry at lunchtime in Room 12 during our annual local book festival. And then, leg it to one of Shetland's most exciting buildings erected at Hay's Dock to celebrate the place through another collaborative project entitled Four Seasons in Shetland.

Four Seasons in Shetland exhibition 2010

My love for the Auld Rock grew out of its mystic powers - sheer ruggedness, raw, dynamic power of place :-)