New Myths and Legends of Edinburgh Volume 1
I’ve just released a new ebook, New Myths and Legends of Edinburgh. I’ve lived in Edinburgh for nearly all of my adult life, and my fascination with the city continues. This is a collection of short tales based on Edinburgh, and some its quirky corners.
It’s available through Amazon for your Kindle, or from my personal website in epub format. www.noelchidwick.com.
Maybe some of these stories will turn up in song…
Ray Bradbury’s 2116 The Musical
Ah, the joy of living in Edinburgh. Every year all these wonderful and exotic shows, concerts and performers all come to my town. It’s like living in Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Something Wonderful This Way came last night, and is still here until the end of August.
2116 is musical theatre based on a musical written by Ray Bradbury, originally for the actor Charles Laughton. It’s full of colour and light and dark; its music is lilting lyrical, haunting, beautiful,with an thrilling touch of unease that echoes the best of Ray Bradbury’s writing. A mix of dance, theatre, song and drama; 2116 is a fairy story for grown-ups who don’t want to grow up.
As someone who has written a song based on Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, I was delighted with this, and will be sad when this show leaves town.
To find out more visit the Ray Bradbury 2116 website, but better yet, come to Edinburgh over the next few days and make your way to the George Square Theatre.
Meeting a Mellotron
It was a message on the Flower Kings newsgroup that sent me to Mike Dickson’s web site. “Listen to his Mellotronworks” it said. I’ve long enjoyed the sound of the mellotron, from listening to the Moody, Blues, Strawbs, Yes, and in particular Tangerine Dream and King Crimson. Mike Dickson’s Mellotronworks is a loving crafted rendition of some glorious classical pieces, all performed on his mellotron. It’s a work of wonder.
As I listened, I read his notes, how he chose the pieces, how he arranged them. At the bottom of the page he named his home city: Edinburgh – a fine coffee splurting moment. Not some distant state in the USA, nope: Edinburgh in Scotland – my home town.
My fingers tapped out the email before my brain had truly engaged – can I meet your mellotron - and you?
A few days later I was ushered into the room with the mellotron by a very obliging and enthusiastic Mike Dickson. Continue Reading »
