It is hard to believe nearly eight years have gone by since I had the opportunity to have a chat by correspondence with Poppy Ackroyd. In that interview, the brilliantly talented composer & multi-instrumentalist credited the concept of “painting with sound” that was so evident in her music with being surrounded by art while growing up – her brother painted, her mother run an art gallery and her father is none other than Norman Ackroyd, a celebrated artist known for his landscape focused etchings and work with aquatint.
Though the closeness and affinity between Poppy and her father spanned the years, the newly released Notes on Water marks their first direct collaboration, an effort to capture moments spent together traveling by land & sea around the British Isles on peregrine journeys that took them to such places as Orkney, Cape Wrath, the Skellig Islands, and the Outer Hebrides as well as the Flannan Isles and North Rona which were considered among the most memorable.
Although we worked in different mediums, we both expressed ourselves through a collection of black ink marks on paper. This project is a celebration of our love for nature and the landscape, for the sea and its birds, but most importantly, for each other.
Poppy Ackroyd
The musical side of the project presents two versions of the titular composition – a solo piano version and one that Poppy has fleshed out with percussive sounds that turn the strings and wooden and cast-iron frame of her piano into a rhythmic clockwork of intricate percussion. It is an homage to vivid memories and a living landscape that is as vibrant as it is beautiful.
The etching that is featured is one that Norman completed before his passing in September of last year, the last artistic endeavor in a career that spanned over a thousand pieces we are told. As the label states, Notes on Water is essentially “a tribute to a lifetime of shared experiences and creative admiration”, and an inspiring treat for the eyes and ears of its audience as well.
This is the best way I could say ‘I love you’, speaking his language, through our work, which is where we always met. He was so thrilled to do this piece. Even at 86, he was young at heart, still exploring new things. It’s a celebration of his passion, our shared experiences, and the unspoken bond we had through art and music.
Links: Bandcamp (digital/EP) | OLI Records (EP/Ltd Edition) | Listen/Buy
Notes on Water has been released by One Little Independent Records in a vinyl EP edition which is available with a booklet containing the sheet music for the piano version of the piece. A special limited edition may also be ordered which includes an original etching signed by Norman Ackroyd. Digital downloads and streaming options are also available.
In tribute to her father’s legacy, proceeds from the release will go toward the Norman Ackroyd Foundation, which Poppy now oversees as a trustee, and which will continue to support printmaking and the arts.
