Bushes and Briars - Single

Sunas

 

In a ground-breaking initiative, Australia’s premier classical CD label ABC Classics this morning announced the digital release of a Celtic folk/classical crossover project that has captivated radio listeners around the country.

 

Folksinger Sarah Calderwood’s haunting interpretation of the English folksong Bushes & Briars was recorded as part of the album Celtic Road, featuring Sarah’s band Sunas, but the track Bushes & Briars actually features the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Northey.

 

When a single recording-take of it was played on-air on 612ABC local radio in Brisbane in October, hundreds of people rushed to the Ferry Road Recording Studio to hear Sarah perform it live. Some wept openly as they listened to the live version, which will be captured on a bonus DVD to be released as part of the Celtic Road album on 18 February.

 

The finished track debuted on ABC Classic FM’s Breakfast with Emma Ayres this morning and again listener response was extraordinary.

 

‘There is something ethereal and pure about Sarah’s voice that generates extraordinary responses with listeners,’ says Manager of ABC Classics Martin Buzacott, who first drew the singer’s attention to the orchestral bed which had remained unused from another project. ‘From the moment we heard the first take in the Control Booth we realised we had a very special track that could make time stand still in the great Celtic ballad tradition.’

 

While the track sounds like it emerges from the mists of ancient Celtic times, its recording process was decidedly modern, with tech-savvy Sarah following the score on her iPad as she recorded the vocal!