"Lullaby Nana", 2023
"Lullaby Nana", 2023Lullaby Nana. Scottish Highland harper and singer Marie-Lousie Napier writes a series of beautiful lullabies for her baby grandchildren in stunning new album & book.
Lullaby Nana is the heartwarming album from talented singer and harpist Marie-Louise Napier. Set for release on Sunday 9th April, the unique body of work is a collection of songs which have been inspired by, or dedicated to, the children of the artist’s beloved friends and family members – including her own grandchildren.
Creating this record of harp and song was a means of carrying on both family and cultural tradition for Marie-Louise. As a mother, and now grandmother, singing lullabies to the children she cares for has long been the Strathspey native’s love-language, but creating this album was about more than singing babies to sleep.
Lullabies are an age-old tradition of Scottish culture, a form of folk song and gentle communication between adults and children, however, the tradition faces risk of diminishing with time. Lullaby Nana is a project that aims to shine a light on the valuable intimacy of cradle songs, and encourage more families to add them into their bedtime routines.
Marie-Louise Napier said: “I was encouraged to create this album by my son Hamish when he realised how many songs I had written for all of the babies in my life! I thought it would be lovely to have them on record for future generations. As a keen musician, I enjoyed creating a bespoke lullaby for each child, but I believe the simplicity of their meanings will appeal to a wide range of mothers, fathers, grandparents and guardians.
“Singing to a loved one is such a special thing; I encourage all parents and guardians to sing to their children, and I hope that this record can bring some peace and joy to their bedtime routines.”
Music has always been a huge part of Marie-Louise’s life; it has enriched many of her relationships as a youngster and an adult. When she was a child, Marie-Louise loved to listen to her own mother sing, finding comfort in the familiar melodies. She began performing as a teen, singing and playing guitar, and later studied music at the University of Glasgow.
During her varied musical career, Marie-Louise has performed with the Scottish Opera, formed musical duo No Spring Chickens with her sister, Kirsty Shilson, with whom she played annually at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for five years, and has regularly arranged Gaelic songs and melodies for An Comunn Gàidhealach’s Mòd competitions.
She has released two previous albums of voice and harp music: Best and Dearest in the 1980s, and Skipping Barfit, which was recorded and produced by Phil Cunningham in the 1990s. Unlike her previous releases, however, Marie-Louise wrote most of the music and lyrics for Lullaby Nana herself.
The album showcases both self-penned originals and covers. Each song written by Marie-Louise comes with its own special spoken introduction on the album, referencing who the lullaby was written for, and the inspiration behind the lyrics. Marie-Louise sings each track, with harmonies from her sister Kirsty Shilson on the final number, and accompanies herself on a small Scottish knee harp.
Hamish Napier, acclaimed folk music composer and son of Marie-Louise, said: “Lullabies are a crucial part of the Scottish folk tradition – they are international in fact, a crucial part of human nature. However, the tradition of lullabies will fade away altogether unless fresh new ones are created. Keeping traditions alive is not about preserving things in books and museums, it’s about creating new versions of them for the next generation, sharing them and passing them down. That’s what my mother has done here with this album.
“My grandmother Margaret Cumming sang lullabies to my mother and her other children, three of which are sung here on this album, and my mother sang these to me and my brothers when we were babies. Her newly composed lullabies are being passed on to the next generation. It’s happening already – all the parents involved sing these to their children. I’ve heard them sing them and it makes you quite emotional to hear it.”
Lullaby Nana comes as a richly illustrated hardback book and CD pack, containing handwritten sheet music, lyrics to the lullabies and Marie-Louise Napier's own special paintings to accompany each child's lullaby. The design and illustrations were created by photographer Elly Lucas.
Photo Credits:
(1)-(2) Marie-Louise Napier,
(3) Hamish Napier
(unknown/website).
