Albums - Sports in Perfect Harmony

SPORTS IN PERFECT HARMONY 1.  Somewhere over the Rainbow 2.  Angel 3.  Count me out again 4.  Rollback 5.  The Seven Seas 6.  The Huntsman's Daughter PRM CD6 2004

MUSICIANS

Musicians from St. Philip Howard School, Glossop

Thanks to Jessica Rowbottom, Jessica Metcalfe, Cerys Michaelson Yates , Fay Alison , Ashley Conaghan for vocal chorus

Recorded on location at S.P.H Secondary School in Glossop, Derbyshire using the Shipwreck Studios mobile unit in May 2004. Album cover design by S.P.H Mixed and engineered by Paul Walster at Shipwreck Studios, Glossop May/June 2004. Produced by Pat Rowbottom. Sports in Perfect harmony is an official limited edition group album released in 2004.

Background to this album.

'Sports in Perfect Harmony' is Cold Flame's fifth studio album albeit a rather unusual release. The band have a history of helping others in the community as and whenever possible and viable. One of the areas in which this has occurred on many occasions is supporting various educational settings in their fund raising activities. In 2004, a unique opportunity was suggested by Pat in support of a local secondary school - St. Philip Howard School in Glossop who had embarked on a fund raising scheme to raise money in an attempt to become a Sports specialist College. At the time, the British government were instrumental in providing new incentives within education and Specialist curricular status was a new initiative that schools could apply for. The suggestion Pat proposed was to record a number of original group songs using band members to provide backing tracks whilst members of the school's music department would be chosen to add various vocal and instrumental parts. The resulting recordings would then form the basis of a special limited edition cd. All proceeds from this release would go towards the Sports College bid. In order to set this project up, it was necessary to hold some auditions in the school's music department which duly took place in April 2004. With a number of pupils from the school chosen and a group of songs agreed, recordings took place during three separate sessions in the school using the Shipwreck Studios mobile equipment operated by sound engineer Paul Walster. Paul then took these recordings of pupil's vocal and instrumental parts back to Shipwreck Studios HQ and mixed them alongside the existing band backing tapes. The album, with a title chosen by the yr 11 pupils at S.P.H, was released on Wednesday June 30th 2004 with all proceeds from the sale of this album going directly to the school in their bid to become a Sports Specialist College.

From the band's point of view, 'Sports in Perfect Harmony' saw the band joined by two additional musicians. Violinist Dara De Cogan who had also guested with the band on the previous year's studio release 'The Seven Seas' and the 'new' boy in the line up - Matlock, Derbyshire multi instrumentalist Ben Daglish. The six tracks on the album mark Ben's recording debut with Cold Flame and feature new reworked versions of several previously released original band tracks as well as a brand new instrumental piece The Huntsman's Daughter which features Ben's incredible whistle playing .In fact this tune became a feature in the band's Jethro Tull tribute shows during the eighteen months that Ben performed with Cold Flame. In musical style the album maintains an acoustic folk rock feel throughout and the individual and collective contribution's made by the pupils adds much to the appeal and positive feel of what is an unusual limited edition album from Cold Flame. Unusually the first track on the album is not an original band song. Instead some of the school pupils are featured solo in a moving rendition of the classic tune 'Somewhere over the Rainbow ' " The song is a ballad composed by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. It was written for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role as Dorothy Gale. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Garland's signature song.

As a limited edition album with a specific local focus, the album was deliberately marketed for a localised market and this strategy created enough interest to enable the album to sell out within weeks so a further pressing was made. In the Autumn of 2004, the band presented a cheque for just over £2,400 to the school. Combined with other funding as well as some extensive media coverage and upgraded work undertaken within the School's .PE department, St. Philip Howard School were awarded Specialist Sports College status the following year.

This album can be purchased via the band website Shop.

SPORTS IN PERFECT HARMONY  Press release review  September 2004

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW
The album begins with a version of the Judy Garland tune which owes more than a passing nod to the version recorded more recently by Eva Cassidy.It is amazing to realise that when school pupils Jeni Caldwell and James Fay originally recorded this last year ,they were both only thirteen years old .Their talent is awesome .Originally recorded at home on the Fayze 2 mobile this version has been mixed like all the other material at Glossop's Shipwreck Studios .

COUNT ME OUT AGAIN
A bouncy up tempo tune with a jazzy blues feel which features fourteen year old singer and pianist Joan Carr as well as Cold Flame flautist Ben Daglish who happens to be a bit older .This song is about friendships not always working out and the consequences if that happens yet somehow the piece manages to remain musically and vocally optimistic .

THE SEVEN SEAS
The title track from the last album shortened considerably from its original eight and a half minutes length to a more manageable five mins for this project yet it loses none of its power .Jeni gets a real opportunity to shine on this moving piece and there is an excellent vocal chorus harmony with James Fay who readers may know as being part of young Hadfield band Fayze 2 .The tune champions the life of the deep sea fisherman who risks life and limb even today to make a living and feed the family . The coast line around the Cherbourg peninsula in Normandy , France inspired much of the imagery .Even today there are still many working ports , the seas remain treacherous as do the many submerged rocks . Sadly all too often crews make a one way trip . In September 2003 a four man crew sailing from Portbail a small seaport approximately twenty miles from Cherbourg floundered off the Alderney coast and sank with the loss of all on board including the youngest member of the party - just nineteen and his first time .The Seven Seas is dedicated to the memory of this ill fated crew whilst also recognising the bravery of those who continue to ply their trade in this manner .

ANGEL
Cold Flame do the 'diddly-diddly' .For most of us a helping hand can prove very useful and if you are a believer in guardian angels , then this tune may ring some bells . We are joined by our good friend Dara Decogan fresh from the Halle Orchestra and his trusted and highly expensive violins . Lead vocalist Joan Carr and Cold Flame drummer Dave Slater in the meantime trade vocal parts giving almost a child like lullaby feel to the song which is very much in the Irish celtic mode....a happy bouncy tune to dance the night away.

ROLLBACK
Simple little acoustic tune with a catchy chorus and a haunting and evocative 3 part harmony flute riff thanks to the SPH flute ensemble . A song all about childhood memories which vocalist Jeni Caldwell captures extremely well .Very fitting that in this new version [originally recorded for last year's THE SEVEN SEAS album.] that the song features children taking lead parts throughout especially in the vocal parts both solo and chorus .

THE HUNTSMANS DAUGHTER
The final tune on the album is an opportunity for the band to shine as an ensemble. This instrumental piece was only written in May but has already been played live as part of the band's renowned and highly rated Jethro Tull tribute show. Featuring Ben playing some superb whistle this piece is reminiscent of English folk music at its best -reminds one of Fairport Convention or maybe the Albion Band. Again as with the rest of the material ,the tune has a haunting feel to it . (Glossop Chronicle press release review  September 2004)

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