In 2020, Jenny Sturgeon released The Living Mountain, an album in which she ‘interprets and reflects upon Nan Shepherd’s book of the same name, creating a musical and lyrical exploration of the Cairngorm mountain range. It is a beautiful and meditative cycle of songs, and as such, it rewards close listening and deep contemplation.’
In his review of the album, Thomas Blake’s final paragraph summed up the album beautifully:
The final track, Being, is an attempt to take something away from the mountains, to learn from their wisdom in order to ‘find out who we are’. It’s a simple message really, but an important one: wilderness is valuable. Not as a commodity but as something that is rooted in human consciousness but also something that dwarfs human consciousness. Nan Shepherd understood this paradox better than anyone, and her writing has found a perfect musical equivalent in Jenny Sturgeon’s stunning, snow-encrusted and sun-dappled songs. She has created a work of rare beauty: to hear The Living Mountain is to hear the song of the Cairngorms.
Jenny heads out on a five-date tour this autumn, supported by Alice Allen and Sarah Hayes (see dates below). Through music and film, they will be bring the beauty and magic of the Cairngorms to audiences. This is a rare opportunity to catch this show, which Jenny was able to bring to life earlier this year after being awarded funding from Shetland Arts Performing Arts Commission. This audio-visual performance features visuals curated by Shona Thomson and stunning imagery from Scotland: The Big Picture, filmmakers Robyn Spice and Hannah Bailey and 1940s archive film from the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive, as well as brand new imagery created by Shetland-based film-makers JJ Jamieson and Liz Musser.
Here’s an extract from our earlier interview with Jenny, which you can read in full here.
Part of what drew Sturgeon to Shepherd’s writing was its progressive quality. She was a feminist in a culture that prized masculinity; she rejected the notion that a mountain was there to be conquered. ‘Nan had great respect for the mountains and this comes across in her writing,’ says Sturgeon. ‘She was an observer, a small part of something bigger. But what she did was incredible. Much more impressive and groundbreaking than sticking a flag on the top of a mountain. She was a quiet revolutionary. There is no ego in her writing – she does not glorify her achievements or make it about herself. Gladly I think the tides are changing and writing about the outdoors is moving to a more holistic approach – and less about conquests.’
Though on the surface, it might be difficult to categorise Shepherd’s writing as political, in Sturgeon’s view, that’s exactly what it was: ‘To me her book is political in that she talks of a strong connection and love for the outdoors and wild places – she is an advocate for the natural world. I suppose in relation to our current UK government that is quite radical, as they clearly have no respect for nature.’
But the immediate thrill of reading The Living Mountain comes with its highly original, evocative descriptions of the Cairngorms, and this is something that Sturgeon has managed to feed off and to replicate in her music, thanks to an immersion in the landscape that would have made her idol proud. ‘I carved out time to spend in the mountains for different purposes – to re-familiarise myself with the places Nan talked of in her book, to acquaint myself with places I’d never been before, to stop and listen, and record bird calls, trickling burns and waves lapping on the shore of lochs. It made me realise I perhaps didn’t know the mountains as well as I thought, and that there is still so much to see. All of these trips to the Cairngorms fed into the project and helped inform the lyrics, arrangements and overall concept of the album.’
An exclusive, limited edition mauve re-pressing of Sturgeon’s 2020 album, ‘The Living Mountain’, is also available on 3rd November.
New EP: Wintergreen
‘Wintergreen’ was recorded in Shetland, a cluster of islands in the North Sea, along with musicians Alice Allen and Grant Anderson. Meandering subtly throughout the whole project is a nuanced and continuous field recording of Shetland created by Sturgeon, ensuring that the sights and sounds of this archipelago are able to find a unique home in the ears of each listener who explores this EP.
Listen to the lead track ‘Solitude’ below:
Released on Hudson Records on 3rd November, ‘Wintergreen’ is a collaborative collection of 6 songs written by Sturgeon with Alice Allen, Grant Anderson and Lynn MacFarland, featuring an adaptation of Isobel Wylie Hutchinson’s poem ‘Song for Pyrola uniflora’ and a rework of ‘Frost and Snow’ from Sturgeon’s 2020 album, ‘The Living Mountain’.
‘Wintergreen’ is a hypnotic musical journey. Each of the six songs offers something dynamically distinct, whether it is the choice of instrumentation or lyricism. What unequivocally joins them together is Sturgeon’s strength to create an intimate and concentrated musical shared space that is without geographical borders.
Pre-Order the EP and the limited edition mauve re-pressing of Sturgeon’s 2020 album, ‘The Living Mountain’ via Hudson Records here.
The Living Moutain October German Tour
with Alice Allen and Grant Anderson
12 – Dominikanerkloster, Prenzlau
13 – Savoy Kino, Bordesholm
14 – Kulturhaus, Rüdersdorf nr. Berlin
15 – Alte Bahnhofshalle, Berlin
18 – Kulturzentrum mon ami, Weimar
19 – Bürgerhaus Bornheide, Hamburg
20 – Alte Synagoge, Hagenow
21 – Kornhaus, Bad Doberan nr. Rostock
22 – Petrus Kirche, Berlin
The Living Mountain November UK Tour
with Alice Allen and Sarah Hayes
15 – BANCHORY, The Barn Arts
16 – KENDAL, Mountain Festival, Brewery Arts Centre
17 – GLENBUCHAT, Village Hall
18 – THE BLACK ISLE, Resolis Hall
19 – DUNDREGGAN Rewilding Centre, Trees for Life Dundreggan Estate
There are also Salt House Tour Dates in November; more details here: https://www.jennysturgeonmusic.com/gigs