‘Singing In My Soul’ has a history which means that when you listen to it it’s as if you’re stepping back into a specific moment in time. It first appeared on Hamish’s debut album Picture In My Bag from 1999 and from the start has a genuine air about it that matches its title. It’s attractive to hear a recording whose background comes from such an unusual situation and such a simple method. The fact that Hamish played both the guitar and the vocals during the recording sessions makes the song seem very personal, as if the recording is preserving a real and authentic moment rather than just showing off a carefully put together studio product.
Recording process greatly contributes to this effect. Les Penning was in charge of producing the session, while Hamish recorded his guitar and vocals sequentially before Feliks Tobis took over to play the bass, violin and saxophone, working from notes and dots that had been quickly written on scraps of paper. When you take that background into account, the track can be more easily seen as a collaborative effort developed on the spot. What is striking about the story is its genuine honesty: the musicians came together, recorded their respective parts and let the song take shape without going into any detailed account of prior preparation or pursuing studio perfection.
The character of the album is enhanced by the fact that it was recorded at Hatfield Court, a large and partly ruined mansion in Herefordshire, the musicians being arranged in an old drawing room lined with oak panels around an antiquated wood-burning Aga. To me, this particular detail alters the way in which the recording appears. The song acquires a link with a real location and a specific kind of creative atmosphere, and the fact that local musicians were involved gives the recording’s background a clear sense of community. One cannot help but feel something charming about a recording that has come into being under such unusual conditions.
Its subsequent career is just as impressive. “Singing In My Soul” became a hit on the folk charts in New Zealand, the country where Hamish had composed and performed the song while on the move, and it was later included in a major television programme. The song has also stayed a favourite at weddings and other events since it was first released. This ongoing presence shows the significant connection that listeners have developed with it. When I now listen to it again, many years after Picture In My Bag, I detect a piece whose attractiveness does not depend on a complex story associated with it, but rather on the real emotion and the memorable history contained in the recording.
