Ruth Angell - Hlywing (2023) Hi Res

All ten tracks - nine of them by Ruth, and one by Joni Mitchell convey an atmosphere of gentle beauty and calm. Her beautifully crafted lyrics are sensitive - drawing on her own experiences, circumstances and situations, her hopes and her fears. Each story is embellished by inspirations from the wonders of nature and the ever changing landscapes around her home and encountered on her travels. Classically trained at Birmingham Conservatoire as a violinist and composer Ruth has used her composing talents to focus on using a variety of strings to build stunning landscapes to each of her songs. She explains 'I knew from the start that using a variety of strings was always going to be an important element of this album - when they are all arranged in one piece the result is intense and conveys exactly what I hoped would represent the settings for each of my songs'. 'My husband Sid Peacock- has done wonderful work writing and arranging the strings; they immediately set the scene and lead the listener into the stories'.

The album has already drawn high praise from Ashley Hutchings with whom she has worked on a number of his projects. He describes Hlywing as"a truly wonderful album from my dear friend and terrific musician Ruth Angell who I frequently turn to in performance and recording as an important collaborator in my projects. On this her new album her talent as a singer, songwriter and musician is plain for all to see to enjoy". The album's unusual title Hlywing (pronounced 'Hu-lee-weenguh') is from an old English word for shelter and refuge and this album is certainly somewhere to go to escape the rigours and troubles of everyday life.