NATALIA BEYLIS & EIMAR REIDY – She Came Through the Window to Stand By the Door CD

Recorded at St Georges Church, Carrick On Shannon, Leitrim on a cold early January with a William Telford Organ. Built in 1846, it is reputed to be the second oldest organ in Ireland.

TRACK 1/SIDE A: ‘Pour Upon The Sky’ is a story told by the two voices of cello and organ. Influenced by the rhetorical style of 18th century vocal music, the inspiration for this piece came naturally to Eimear who has a background in early music and has performed alongside the organ in a variety of settings from chamber works to Bach’s larger orchestral works such as St Matthew Passion. In 18th century music, the cello & organ perform a role as continuo players. Traditionally the cello and organ are both intertwined and interdependent, playing the bass line and harmonies together and providing a foundation for the rest of the ensemble while soloists come in and out.

In ‘Pour Upon The Sky’, Eimear and Natalia play within and without of this traditional form. Freed from the need to hold the solid ground for an ensemble, the cello and organ playfully explore the space as they pass the role of solo and continuo back and forth.

TRACK 2/SIDE B: ‘The Whistling Dust’ is a slow steady study of the microscopic flutters of the organs and the organ. The heart of the Telford rattles and breathes as the cello dances in and out. When Natalia & Eimear began working on these pieces in the cold January, the Telford, which seemed like it had been sitting quietly for quite some time, shook and trembled as its insides were awoken. ‘The Whistling Dust’ speaks to the moment when the instrument moved alive, every opened stop knob of the pipes bringing the feel of the microsounds of the machine closer and closer as the cello offers utterances of encouragement.