A piece of music to celebrate the sustaining life of women ...

 

Here's a photo of a cherry tree in my neighbourhood last year, in full bloom, scenting the air, filling our senses with wonder and delight. I had to stop to take her picture today. 

On this (almost) May Day, I will take a moment to celebrate all the women I know who change the landscape they inhabit, just as a beautiful tree changes the landscape around her.

I have a piece of music for that! Please enjoy Rivkah's Dance on YouTube, or on Bandcamp (please leave a small donation if you can). You can also hear it on Spotify, iTunes and other streaming sites.

Rivkah's Dance is from my latest guitar album   Morning Fox (2023) with editor and musical collaborator Allister Thompson. 

I hope you'll give a listen, and think about the women in your life who have changed and sustained you. 

 Liner notes for Rivkah's Dance: 

"Rivkah's Dance is from my latest guitar album "Morning Fox,"  and is the closest I've come to writing a symphony for guitar. One of my longest pieces, it is meant to imitate the life of a woman as she grows, just as a tree grows. In four movements, the music begins softly, then builds as she grows tall and strong and vibrant, sustaining life, sheltering, and withstanding seasons, storm and wind. May she live long, and change the landscape she inhabits."

Introducing Morning Fox, a new guitar album by Philippa Dowding and Allister Thompson

This album is one year old today! Repost, for posterity.  

Welcome to MORNING FOX, a beautiful new guitar album of ten old and new instrumental pieces! 

As with all my music, my collaborator is my editor and friend, Allister Thompson. We've been making music together for 8 years now, and MORNING FOX is our fifth album.

The album is available here:

Bandcamp (please leave a small donation if you can)

Spotify

Youtube (free to you, artists get paid) 

Hopefully you'll find your own favourite, but personally I love the soft, sensual tones of SONNET, and the lively fingerstyle of LISLEHURST. The title track, MORNING FOX, is my signature version of Travis Picking style, pretty lively.

Art by Patricia Storms

This album is my first on a new, smaller guitar. Usually I record on a full throated L'Arrive 6-string, which I love. But most of the songs on this album were recorded on my new Taylor Grand Touring 3/4 guitar, a beautiful but smaller instrument that is easier on my hands, so you might notice a slightly quieter tone when you compare this album to previous recordings. 

A friend said to me on Monday, March 20 (after listening to the album), "Your music is becoming more nuanced." I think that's the whole point of mastering an instrument, a real compliment. I hope you enjoy this new album!

Thank you to the lovely Toronto artist, Patricia Storms, for the foxy album cover art. As always, I try to use high-quality art from talented local Canadian artists. The Henry VIII theme is in keeping with a trip to England I'm taking in the fall. 

For more of my music on Spotify