4. MILL O’ TIFTY’S ANNIE (FEAT. KARINE POLWART)
SU-A:
Karine is a spellbinding singer and performer and has an eye for capturing the great beauty of Scotland’s nature and wildlife in music and words. She has an exceptionally keen mind, whether focussed on matters of social justice or forging exciting new creative pathways, and it is always exciting to be in her presence.
I recorded on Karine’s 2006 album Scribbled in Chalk, as a member of Mr. McFall’s Chamber. We’ve crossed paths on many collaborative projects since, not least a 2022 co-commission for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (SCO) with Pippa Murphy, who is a close mutual friend.
This is an old Scots ballad and real-life tragedy from the 1670s, when Agnes Smith (Annie), the daughter of a miller from the hamlet of Tifty, near Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, falls for Andrew Lammie, the servant and trumpeter of Lord Fyvie. This ballad was first suggested by my partner’s parents Marie-Louise and Peter Napier, as their ancestors hailed from Tifty.
KARINE:
Su-a suggested arranging a big ballad as our duet. Not only does this one have a personal connection to her extended family, it’s also one of the earliest Scots ballads I encountered 25 years ago in Women and Folksong, an Edinburgh evening class led by my friend Eileen Penman. Back then, I was working by day for Scottish Women’s Aid, Scotland’s national domestic abuse support and advocacy service. Eileen introduced me to countless songs, many of them centuries old, which offer a window into women’s historic experiences of cruelty, abuse and resistance. Mill o’ Tifty’s Annie (sometimes also called Andrew Lammie, although it’s really Annie’s story) felt, and continues to feel, deeply relevant to women’s experiences now.
Su-a and I arranged the song together in our respective living rooms in 2021 – a pretty charged experience given COVID restrictions. Su-a is a natural dramaturg, so I loved the process of interrogating the song’s meaning and imagery, and whittling down the lyrics from countless different written and recorded versions. This kind of real-time processing is the only way I know how to make music with others, as I’m not a confident writer or reader of scores. Despite this, we found an easeful way to communicate from our different musical backgrounds.
Su-a has been a huge advocate for many cross-genre collaborations. I’ve long admired the quality of her playing and the generosity of spirit and sheer effervescence that she brings to any room. I feel blessed that we’ve become pals, and that I get to accompany her on this first journey into crafting her own work. It’s a delight.
For our version of the lyrics please visit
www.sualee.com.
from
Dialogues,
released December 2, 2022
OLD SCOTS BALLAD: Mill o’ Tifty’s Annie trad. arr. K Polwart & S Lee
Karine Polwart – vocals & tenor guitar
Su-a Lee – cellos
Produced by Su-a Lee & Andrea Gobbi
Engineered by Andrea Gobbi - all tracks recorded, mixed & mastered by Andrea Gobbi at GloWorm Recording, Glasgow, except additional recording for track 2 by Rimmert van Lummel).
Album concept by Hamish Napier