My memories of the Doug Hoekstra Spring 2002 England/Scotland Tour are an unfading collection of images, each one sharper than the last.

From the granite architecture of Glasgow to the blood red sunset in Portmahomack, each image evokes a memory of the places and faces I encountered.

The soundtrack for my memories are songs from the Hoekstra collection:- ’Desdemona,’ (‘Around The Margins’), ‘500 Miles Away’, (‘The Past Is Never Past’) and ‘The Family Tree’ (‘The Past Is Never Past’) to name a few.

Wherever you travel in the world one thing is clear: Music brings people together. Its unspoken power transcends cultural differences and calls out to us to remember the human spirit.

I first met Doug Hoekstra inside the Hanbury Ballroom, Brighton, England, three hours before we played together for the first time.

For two months I had been listening and learning female vocals, on my personal stereo, to accompany Doug on his England/Scotland tour .. so, I was eagerly anticipating our first meeting.

I always think it is a valuable experience to work with fellow artists who have had more time out there in performance and craft. Gives me the chance to shut-up for once: to breathe, listen and learn!

There is a lot of space in Doug Hoekstra’s work for vocals to weave in and out, creating diversity and adding harmony.

One of the reasons I accepted the project was because I knew it was innovative and would challenge me as a singer. I learned to call upon my intuition and follow my vocal instincts and create my performance from the inside.

The refreshing thing about Doug is that he never waivers from his own truth as an artist. He gets on stage and works his own show. This was an inspiring thing to behold. 

To me his songs are a reflection of humanity in all of its dysfunctional and functional forms. To listen to Doug Hoekstra, get his most recent CDs:  “The Past Is Never Past” and “Around The Margins”. Listen to them not once but until they grow into you, which is truthfully how I became an appreciative listener. Some music has become dominated with songs that are so simplistic in form, there is nothing left to ponder on.

Memories of Concorde 2, Brighton, England, are of waiting to sound-check, with the rain pouring down outside as we stood by the open door looking out across the damp greyness. Later it’s of gold-sequinned-trousers (mine not Doug’s) and singing to an audience whose faces were lit by soft candlelight.

Moving gradually north to the 12-Bar Club, London: playing to an enthusiastic audience and feeling rain (again) dripping through the roof and down my back (I thought it was a spider!) After a celebratory beer, and lots of adrenaline, my guitarist, Kenny Moreland, and I busked all the way home on the 12.05am from London Victoria.

The following week I flew to Edinburgh and went straight to the BBC to sing live on the Brian Morton Show: BBC Edinburgh, where we were offered red wine and everyone bustled around in a huge blue glass contemporary office building.

After BBC Edinburgh we went to The Village and met ‘Sunshine Delay’ an Edinburgh-based alternative country band. They were very gracious hosts and also great companions to us later in the week.

At the 13^th Note Café, Glasgow, I was moved almost to tears by the poignant voice of John Miller from The Radio Sweethearts. John is a Country and Western Singer whose voice delivers music to tear at your heartstrings.

When I am travelling out of my own space there are moments when I experience feelings of extreme fragility, a longing to wrap my favourite blanket around me and curl up on my couch. Yet I know that it is going through these moments that make me stronger and more resilient.

John Miller’s voice lifted me from the darkness of the 13^th Note Café and delivered me some comfort for a moment.

The next stop is ‘The Famous Bein Inn’, Glenfarg, Perth. An amazing 19^th century building filled with rock and roll memorabilia and great home cooked food.

The venue’s audience barely breathed when we were performing; respectfully no-one left their seat to buy a drink. This was humbling and a little scary. Normally artists are used to playing in venues where there is some movement, at least a toilet run here and there! They get the most attentive audience award from me!

We swiftly headed for the highlands after cultural Aberdeen and a lunchtime date at ‘The Lemon Tree Arts Centre’. The land of my ancestors stretches to meet the heavens ..

We paused en route to Portmahomack to visit some standing- stones erected to observe the moon. There is a certain kind of peacefulness witnessed at the site of something so ancient. Whether it is an acknowledgement of what has come before us, or just something unexplainable. I felt spiritual and at peace with the silence and space around me.

As we rolled into Portmahomack it seemed that Portmahomack rolled into us. The sky was so incredibly light it seemed almost harsh. We watched the sunset at 10.30pm. It was as if the sky was burning.

The Catalyst Festival is a colourful festival of music; bonding local national and international artists alike. Robert Main-Ellen, the festival’s organiser, invited me to perform a set. Seeing as I was missing the other half of my ‘Just Bizarre’ duo, Kenny Moreland, I decided at the last minute to sing accapella. It was fun; nerve wracking and I got an encore!! Yippee.

As I took a walk along the highstreet I was lucky enough to witness four dolphins swimming in the loch. I stood rooted to the spot and watched in awe as they drove through the water.

Portmahomack is a tiny town steeped in history. It is said to be the first place that the Vikings landed. The archaeological site has dated remains back as far as the 8^th century.

I found it interesting that the population size of a village in the 16^th century in the highlands was not much different to the size of an average highland village now.

I can still see Portmahomack in my mind’s eye. A gathering of whitewashed houses, nestled in the bay, no hustle bustle, peace and tranquillity. I met so many inspiring people.

A family travelled, from across the Loch, to see Doug play .. Their five-year-old son,  Robbie, drew me a picture, which I will keep forever!

So long Bonnie Scottie and thanks for the memories!

Special thanks to:

Andy for always supporting me, Mum, for watching over my angel, Mike for your belief, Doug for inspiring me, Lisa and Shaun for giving me a place to rest my head,

Sunshine Delay for the bringing some Sunshine!  Robert Main Ellen for inviting me to The Catalyst Festival 2002.

Email: [email protected]