Carolyn Hillyer

A tender and delicate album of songs written by Carolyn during pregnancy and in the time following the birth of her daughter. Songs that describe discovering the wild and wise songs of the moors, as well as the power and wonder of the birthing experience.

Available only as a download.

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£10.00

A tender and delicate album of songs written by Carolyn during pregnancy, through her first months of living on Dartmoor and in the time following the birth of her daughter. One group of songs describe awakening to the sacred nature of the land, discovering the wild and wise, secret and still songs of the moors. The second part is a creation story with songs that describe the power and wonder of the birthing experience, the new and ancient bonds between mother and child, and the deep resonance between the sacred belly bowls of women around the planet.

The song Two Drumbeats was originally written to celebrate the connection between two women (sisters, friends), sharing the experience of pregnancy from different sides of the planet, and to honour the link between all women as we strive to pour healing into the land and draw our power from the Earth. This song was newly recorded for the album Pachamama Prayer (2018).

Will you dance with me sweet daughters
Within the many circles of our lives?
Held together by two drum beats
Heart drum of the mother, hearth drum of the child…

SONGS: Mother of the Moor, Give Me Wild, Heron Valley, Mystery Unfolding, Holly Woman, The Mask, Two Drumbeats, I (Am the Spirit), Fish & the Moon, Filled by You, Little Bird, Celebration Road.

Album length: 60 minutes. Released in 1993.

New album…

THIS PLACE OF HERONS Early Songs

We are compiling a special collection of vintage songs sourced from Carolyn’s first four albums, revisited and newly recorded by her as she enters her seventh decade. HOUSE OF THE WEAVERS (1992) and HERON VALLEY (1993) marked the start of her journey with song and drum; together with GRANDMOTHER TURTLE (1994) and OLD SILVERHEAD (1998) they have become classic albums of women’s music. Most of these songs were originally recorded on reel-to-reel tape in a tiny garden-shed studio; all of them continue to be performed, shared and adapted many times for concerts, choirs, ceremonies and circles around the world.This album will include 16 of her best loved and most well-travelled early songs and chants, newly interpreted and freshly presented.

After this release HERON VALLEY will continue to be available in its original version as an individual album download. THIS PLACE OF HERONS was released winter 2019.