We Begin

Thanks to Maddie Howe for the beautiful artwork and Sara-Jayne Prince for amazing photography.

To the crowd funders who made this all possible, thank you SO MUCH!

Special thanks to my partner Ross, my biggest fan, who has quietly held space and offered financial support and encouragement in those moments when I needed it most.

Big thanks to Mum (Christina Eason) for throwing in the last generous contribution into the crowd fund that got me over line and for always believing in me…Thanks mum!

Inspired by a documentary with David Suzuki talking about how we share the same atoms of Argon in our breath that the dinosaurs breathed in. We share it with those around us…

“Your next breath will contain more than 400,000 of the argon atoms that Ghandi breathed in his long life. Argon atoms are here from the conversations at the Last Supper, from the arguments of diplomats at Yalta, and from the recitations of the classic poets; and also from the exhalations of the dinosaurs, the whales and the sabre-toothed tigers.

Air is a matrix that joins all life together, past and future as well as present. We inhale our ancestors and exhale into the lungs of our children. Furthermore, by befouling the air – and the water, and the earth – we very literally befoul ourselves.” David Suzuki

We are connected by breath. We are bound to each other and all of our actions affect others and birth our future.

Gaia is the name of the ancient Greek goddess of the Earth. In the ancient civilizations, she was revered as mother, nurturer and giver of life.

From Gaia.com: “Far beyond the mythological Gaia, the name has come to represent an all-loving, nurturing and intelligent cosmic force which oversees life on earth.

The goddess traditions have worked tirelessly to resurrect the ancient teachings of the Great Mother and ensure her presence as a force of love on the planet.

More than saving the planet or participating in Earth Day celebrations, we can treat every day like a ceremony. To be in a sincere connected relationship with Gaia, we must acknowledge her sundry gifts and be open to receive her wisdom.”

This song pays homage to her in all her elements.

A reflection of how the practice of gratitude can lift us out of our suffering. We start to notice what is around us that we have to be grateful for, we notice less what is causing us suffering. But we also welcome the challenges which bring growth and learning.

The sanskrit chant, lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu, translates to ‘may all the beings in all the worlds be happy and free from suffering’.

A freedom which perhaps the practice of gratitude can facilitate?

This beautiful chant was written with my dear friend Haitch, after many years of sharing devotional chants together. A traditional mantra from many traditions, but most popular in Tibetan Buddhism.

The first word Aum/Om is a sacred syllable found in Indian religions, the ‘creation mantra’. The word Mani means “jewel” or “bead”. Padme is the “lotus flower” (the Buddhist sacred flower), and Hum represents the spirit of enlightenment.

The origins and author of the ‘Fire Feather’ part are unknown, assumed somewhere in North America. My search has yet to uncover who wrote it, so my prayer of thanks goes out to you, whoever you are! Masculine & Feminine introducing themselves to each other and celebrating their individual beauty.

Matiu Te Huki agreed to sing on this track and what a beautiful vibe he brings! He recorded from his home in Aotearoa and I offered for him to do whatever he was inspired to the ‘space’ that was left for him. Hence the Maori chant which the translation is:

“It is with feathers that the bird flies, the spirit bird, here we give high praise to the ancestors!”

The Kuate chant is what is commonly referred to as a ‘rainbow song’, traditionally sung at gatherings around the fire all over the world. I learnt this from my cousin Ryan, when he was about 6 and I was 18. He was at the Ananda Marga School in Lismore and we used to sing it in the car on the way to school.

The chant is said to be a Lakota vision quest song but I’m not one hundred percent certain on the origins. The English lyric, ‘we are one with the infinite sun’, I have always heard with this chant, but doesn’t seem to be a direct translation. That looks…  more

Title track co-written with Brian Martin, ‘We Begin’ was offered for a ceremonial walk facilitated by Raelene Byrne on On 12-12-2017, resembling the shape of the snake, representing the power of shedding the old and allowing our full potential to shine.

When Raelene described the event to me I said, ‘I’ll write you a song for it’. It’s a powerful intention and so much in my life changed from that point forward! This idea inspired the evolution of my music and the studio performances that followed and we sought to capture that brilliance and embody richness.

Brian and I have been playing together for many years and this is the first song we have written together. I brought the lyrics and kept my music sketch aside, while I invited Brian to find his own melody and feel. The end result is what happened when we brought our ideas together. The song was finished in about an hour!

This is a traditional farewell song, said to precede Auld Lang Syne, with origins in Scotland in the 17th Century. The “parting glass”, or “stirrup cup”, or “coupe d’etrier” was the final hospitality offered to a departing guest. Once they had mounted, they were presented one final drink to fortify them for their travels. The custom was practised in Saxony and in several continental countries.

I learnt this song as an instrumental on the harp as a teenager and was delighted to find not only that it had lyrics but they were so profound.

It’s always a little daunting putting down a song that so many before you have recorded. It’s generally sung a little faster, but I was so inspired by the slow ballad version Vince Jones recorded a few years back and wondered how it would be with harp in that slow pace. I invited Darren Percival to sing with me and the result… well, you decide!

A chant by Peter Makena based on Pachabels Canon and a 15th century poem by Kabir. This song has been made popular by the beautiful rendition from Deva Premal & Miten. The bridge of this song has lyrics by the lovely Daphne Tse.

I have played this for years on the harp, so was inspired to create my own version. I play it a lot faster than this usually, but after Andy put down the beautiful piano piece ‘as an idea’ at the beginning, it was so beautiful I said, “hey, don’t touch it!”. I recorded the harp at home again, at half the speed and this version was born. Add some violin and beautiful choral vocals and we’re there.

Slow, meditative, melodic. Enjoy!