See you soon somewhere near you,
Thomas
photo: Manfred Pollert
As a birthday present for Thomas, Ian Melrose and Jörg Surrey created this new very different version of Thomas‘s favourite composition Tor Mor: The Ultimate Tor Mor
A reminder of the original Norland Wind version is: here.
The photographs Thomas shows at his solo concerts are just an important part of the shows as his music.
His compositions and his pictures are witnesses of his travels mostly to the islands in the North Atlantic. You can have a preview here:
Northern Isles Picture Gallery I Northern Isles Picture Gallery II
The album was released October 15, 2010 to coincide with the beginning of the trio‘s annual German tour. 17 tracks, 62 minutes of mesmerising soundscapes for cello, guitjo and Celtic harp, brandnew compositions and old favourites of the trio programme. "Friends Across the Ocean" is the harvest of 10 years of musical cooperation and friendship between Hannah Alkire and Joe Scott of the Colorado based duo Acoustic Eidolon and harpist Thomas Loefke. That cooperation has started 2000 in Vancouver/Canada and resulted in many concert tours on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Lutz Gerlach (keyboards) with Thomas Loefke (harp) and Jens Naumilkat (cello) LGM-records
18 new compositions by Lutz Gerlach, pianist and composer from Ahrenshoop/Germany. Wonderful instrumental music full of enchantment, dreams and energy. Sound file
The “Celtic-Scandinavian Dream-Team“, Kerstin Blodig and Ian Melrose, have just released an audiophile live recording, mixed by master sound engineer Jörg Surrey. Many popular and often-requested songs from the Kelpie live programme are now available on CD.
Máire Breatnach has just released her 5th Solo Album. It is called “Cranna Ceoil“ featuring slow Airs and melodies written by her over the last couple of years. Intense music of sheer beauty, emotion and grace which moves me to tears. I have been saying Máire‘s CD “Celtic Lovers“ is the most beautiful Irish album of all times. Now I think that title should go to “Cranna Ceoill“. Máire, I love your music!
Máire Ní Cháthasaigh was Thomas ‘harp teacher many years ago when he hitched from Dublin to Cork nearly every Friday to get his harp lesson.
Norland Wind‘s guests at the Celtic Music Festival 2010 on December 18 were Máire‘s sister Nollaig Casey and her partner Arty Mc Glynn.
This new release is a compilation of recordings from the albums "New Music for Celtic Harp" and "Norland Wind" which have been out of print for a couple of years.
The recordings were wonderfully remastered by Jörg Surrey and I am happy that these tunes are now back out there for you to listen to and enjoy.
Lutz Gerlach, Pianist and composer from Ahrenshoop/Germany, and Thomas met for the first time last May for a concert. So they formed the “probably first ever Grand Piano / Celtic harp duo”.
The unusual sound can be heard now on a CD with compositions by Lutz and Thomas.
Kerstin's album "Nordisk Sjel" is a collection of her favourite songs from her projects Kelpie, Talking Water and her solo program together with new songs written in collaboration with Scottish songwriter and producer Bob Melrose. With lush pop sounds, or minimalistic folk patterns, with cheerful and melancholic moods, full of dreams and visions and with a great sense of humour Kerstin takes us on a musical journey from Norway across the North sea to Scotland and back home to the land of trolls and elfs, breathtaking landscapes and fascinating myths and folklore.
Harp Instrumentals from the Celtic Northwest Laika Records 3510219.2
Islands in the North Atlantic, like Tory Island - the Irish island of legend and myth, the Hebridean Island of Staffa or the wild archipelago of the Faroe Islands situated between the Shetlands and Iceland - these are the places where Thomas spends a considerable amount of time every year to compose music. Dramatic coastal landscapes, the wide open space of the Atlantic ocean and the ever changing sky reflect in the pieces of music written there.
On "Northern Isles" Thomas is joined by his friends and colleagues of Norland Wind and Acoustic Eidolon:
Ian Melrose (guitar, low whistle, synth), Máire Breatnach (fiddle, viola), Kerstin Blodig (guitar, bouzouki, bodhrán, vocals), Noel Duggan (guitar), Pádraig Duggan (mandolin), Hannah Alkire (cello) and
Joe Scott (double neck guitjo, guitar, whistles).
Enjoy the galleries with some of Thomas' Northern Isles pictures:
Northern Isles Picture Gallery I Northern Isles Picture Gallery II & III
All CDs mentioned above are available through the artists' websites or through thomas@norlandwind.eu
