The song “Singing In My Soul” has a warmth which makes it sound less like a recording and more like a memory that you never knew you had.
Hamish’s “Singing In My Soul” has an instantly appealing quality. Although it was first recorded for his 1999 debut album *Picture In My Bag*, the song seems as if it was never written with a specific moment in mind. The folk style is natural and effortless, relying on melody, storytelling and a vocal performance that comes across to the listener as if it were personal. Instead of attempting to make an impact through elaborate production, the song achieves its effect through the simple link between the voice, the guitar and the other musicians.
The melody is a major factor in making “Singing In My Soul” so memorable; it has a loose and smooth character which enables the song to settle in gradually rather than requiring attention. The arrangement possesses a mild feeling of movement, and the instrumental performances give the piece an organic feel. The human element is clearly audible in the recording and this is exactly what suits the song. The track doesn’t have any excessively polished aspects or seem detached from the performance; rather, it gives the impression that the musicians were responding to each other in the room and thus allowed the character of the song to emerge. The reason why Hamish’s songwriting has such a lasting appeal in ‘Singing In My Soul’ is that his musical influences cover the entire folk and singer-songwriter tradition, and his respect for good songwriting is clear in this song. It places a strong emphasis on melody and emotion, in such a way that the song can be understood without requiring a great deal of explanation. The emotional openness of the song makes it especially appropriate for being shared in moments with others. It is easy to see why it has remained a favourite at weddings and at all sorts of other events. It possesses the rare characteristic of being intimate without becoming excessively sentimental.
The situation connected with the first recording contributes an extra dimension to the music. The recording took place at Hatfield Court in Herefordshire and was made there with local musicians in an unusual and atmospheric environment, under the production of Les Penning. Hamish recorded his guitar and vocals directly, the other instrumental sections being added later on. It is this method which accounts for the rawness that is still part of the song’s character. Unlike a carefully planned studio recording, ‘Singing In My Soul’ keeps the atmosphere of musicians coming together and merely letting a good song breathe. It also seems appropriate that the song is now being heard by people again. Since Hamish has been writing, performing and developing a musical life centred on storytelling and melody, this song provides a direct link to the starting point of that journey. The fact that it has connections in New Zealand, has been used in television programmes and remains a popular choice at weddings all shows that the song has been able to retain its significance beyond the time of its first release. “The Song in My Soul” works so well because it doesn’t have to struggle to create an emotional effect. The melody flows effortlessly, the instrumentation sounds vibrant, and Hamish sings the song with a kind of honesty that is what gives the recording its individuality. More than two decades since it first came out, it still has the feel of a song intended to be shared — it is warm, melodic and sincere, with a certain rawness that serves as a reminder that at times the most enduring songs are those which simply tell the truth.
English