The album started with just the ridiculous title, Contessa Emelia di Bollochi-Brethi, which came to me in a dream in Autumn 2015. A few weeks later I wrote what is now the final track, and this sounds like a triumphant home-coming from an epic quest. Carla had sent me https://tonematrix.audiotool.com/and I played around with this, recorded some tracks of it, pitch-shifted some down one octave, and then started adding other tracks, instruments and voices. The finished track and the dreamed-up album title seemed to fit together, so in a frenzied 25 days I wrote, arranged and recorded ten more tracks and added six tracks not previously released, but which fitted into what has become a musical story…

​

"... somewhere in the late 1700s or early 1800s... between Baron Münchausen, Don Quixote and Gormenghast... between Monty Python and Terry Pratchett... is where you might find the characters and events described by this music..."

Outline of the story.

Part One:

After the death of her husband, Contessa Emelia di Bolocchi-Brethi runs the family estate including its castle and farm. She had long been concerned about the conditions for the staff and one night she dreams of a new philosophical theory, a better way of running things, and this greatly improves their lives and happiness.

The theory spreads far and wide helped by large, jubilant and sometimes rather drunken processions.

A despotic Emperor in a distant land hears of the theory and declares war so the Magistrati of Bolocchi-Brethi are asked to decide what must be done. Reluctantly they decide that an army must be assembled and set sail. In calm moments during the long voyage, the crew like to take their instruments up to the main decks for some music and dancing.

​

Part Two:

Eventually the Contessa arrives at the Emperor's white marble palace, dazzlingly bright in the harsh sun. A meeting is arranged, the Emperor's musicians and dancers practice in the echoing Water Gardens inside the palace, while the Contessa and Emperor talk. Later there is a huge feast, with music and dancing, but there is no way of resolving the differences. Next day both sides prepare for a battle in which the Contessa and many others are killed. However, the Emperor is seriously injured and his power is greatly diminished so that a permanent truce is obtained, and the surviving acolytes return home to a triumphant welcome.

                                                        

The music on this album covers a very wide range of styles and moods, from ambient sounds, to gentle acoustic music to rocky ones, from humorous and whimsical tunes and on up to large, dramatic orchestrated ones. My main aim was to write richer melodies and arrangements than in my previous work, and I feel that I achieved this.

Logically, the wide variety of musical styles in these tracks might not normally be put on the same album, but they do work surprisingly well together. My collaborators and friends enjoy the album and I find that it is particularly good to listen to when driving alone late at night.

When I started work on this album I had originally planned to use my old Stage Name "Captain Bubble" and have artwork similar to the style I had used for my previous solo albums (see below). However, I gradually decided that this album needed richer artwork, and that I should use my real name.

With huge thanks to my great collaborators:

Tom Fairbairn: 5 string Viola and electric bass,

Andy Bungay: Trombone,  Steve Hodges: Piano solo, Ben Illsley: electric bass,
Steve Hodges, Peter McLean and Jane Deakin: vocals. (Another singer's name and contact have been lost)
Mastered by Harvey Summers at broadoakstudios.com.
Artwork by: Stef, Carla and Marcus. Graphic Design and Layout by Harvey Summers.

Instruments I used: acoustic tenor ukulele, RISA electric ukuleles (Tenor and Soprano), spinet, electric bass, Matt Nolan triangle, keyboards and VST Virtual Instruments... and all of the following drums, timpani, percussion instruments and accessories made by myself...Tour Timps,  Busker Cajon-Drum Kit,  Spacer drum kit,  Modular drum kit,  Resonance Cradle for tenor ukulele,  Adjustable Damper System,  Snare Muffler,  Adder, Turbo Crasher (now made under licence by Meinl),  Clappers (high and low pitch),  Jingle Stick,  Poly Tone Beaters, Baroque triangle,  wind chimes,  Bongo-Toms, drilled cymbals,  Waterphone,  Cymbal Brush.

The Spinet used on some tracks is a lovely John Storrs kit, started by the late Harold Best, one of my first customers for Tour Timps, and completed by myself.

​

drumuke@gmail.com