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Folk on Foot

Bonus Episode: Su-a Lee at the Isle of Skye Festival of Small Halls

Folk on Foot

Matthew Bannister

Music Interviews, Performing Arts, Music, Nature, Arts, Science

4.8526 Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2020

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Su-a Lee is a classically trained cellist who loves breaking down musical barriers. With the group Mr McFall’s Chamber she’s played contemporary classical music in night clubs and she regularly collaborates with Scotland’s leading folk players.  She is also a keen walker and bagger of Munros. Sitting on a rock by the river at Sligachan, she tells Matthew Bannister the poignant story of climbing Ben Nevis with her cello on her back to pay musical tribute to her late husband shortly after he died. Then she unveils her secret weapon...

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Transcript

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0:00.0

On a grey November day, we came to the Isle of Sky for the shawl festival of small halls,

0:28.6

when some of Scotland's most amazing traditional musicians come together in a kind of folk supergroup

0:34.6

to tour around the little community halls and venues on this amazing island.

0:40.3

The You might have heard the episode we recorded with Rachel Newton, the harpist, fiddle player, viola player, singer, bearer of the Scottish tradition,

1:13.4

walking at the ferry pools on the Isle of Sky.

1:17.5

But while we were here with all these extraordinary musicians, we thought we'd tell you the stories of two other people

1:23.9

who'd been involved in this small halls festival.

1:26.7

And this bonus episode is about Sue R. Lee, who is a cellist, who doesn't come from the normal

1:33.2

folk tradition background. She's a classically trained cellist, but she's played a huge role

1:39.4

in Scottish traditional music over the last 10 years. And we sat down to talk about her life

1:44.0

and her musical journey. Pick to the scene. Picture the scene.

2:21.2

I am sitting on a rock on the Isle of Sky,

2:24.5

looking at a river cascading down the hill towards me,

2:28.6

and the mountains have snow on them just above it,

2:31.8

and behind me the sun has just come out on another range of hills.

2:36.0

And sitting on an adjacent rock, I have the wonderful Sue R. Lee with her cello, which is

2:41.9

brilliant. Thank you very much for gracing the landscape with us today.

2:44.9

A small mar.

2:47.3

You've just been for a run up there, haven't you?

2:49.3

Yeah, I took a little run this morning.

2:52.4

What's it like over the brow of that hill?

2:54.8

It's incredible.

...

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