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• The Cordell Collection - Dawson Smith & The Exciles
  • Background to the Music
  • Words - The Fire People
  • Words - The Song of the Earth
  • Words - Children Born to The Valleys

More about The Cordell Collection

© Dawson Smith

Discover more about The Cordell Collection at Dawson's website.

Background to the Music

I spent 2005 researching and writing the songs; my research went beyond the books and looked at the historical context and background of the stories. I visited many of the areas and specific sites in order to get closer to the history and hopefully to understand where the books came from.

Once the songs were written I got back in touch with The Cordell Country project and began contacting and meeting people who might be helpful in developing the recording. I had a very supportive meeting with Simon Lovell Jones at ACW in Cardiff. He encouraged me to develop partners for the project and explained the funding requirements.

Following further research and another meeting with Bogda Smreczak at Torfaen Borough Council (my very supportive Cordell Country contact) I was directed to contact Richard Frame in Newport. Richard was a close friend of Cordell and had co written his biography (with Mike Buckingham). I had read this biography so I knew the name. I made contact with Richard and sent him some early acoustic demos of the songs. He agreed to meet me at his office in Newport in May 2005.

This meeting was a real turning point. Richard gave me a complete ‘grilling’ about my interest in Cordell, my reasons for the songs and basically everything about me. I knew nothing about him, but realised he was passionate about Cordell’s work and protective of his legacy and reputation. What he was actually doing was interviewing me before he put forward a proposal.The office in which we were meeting was in The Solas Building, which I understood to be a centre for a homeless charity for young people. What I didn’t know was it also housed a recording studio. Richard took me to see the studio and asked if it would be suitable for recording The Cordell Collection. I was totally taken aback and elated! We agreed to work together on an application to ACW. The application was completed and sent in to Simon Lovell Jones and in due course The Cordell Collection was awarded ACW funding. Recording proper began in Newport on January 14th 2006.

Over the next three months I worked with David James (a superb studio engineer and musician) at the Solas studio on a mixture of workshops and recording sessions with the young people involved in the Solas project.

Between myself, David and especially Richard we managed to locate and book the specialist musicians we needed to play on the songs. After a lot of hard work we finally completed the studio recording, the next stage was to go out and record the choirs and brass band.Whilst the studio recordings were taking place, I had been contacting the choirs and brass bands I needed for the album. They were all very interested and supportive, but in truth I had nothing to play them other than the original demo recordings of me and my guitar.

Once the project looked like it may be possible I had contacted an old school friend, John Harris, a well respected musician in Abertillery and the valleys. We had lost touch and not seen each other for over twenty years. We struck up like we had never been apart. He jumped straight in and understood exactly what it was all about. John worked on the scores for the brass and choirs and did a great job, he also recommended I contact his former band at Parc and Dare in Treorchy. I had also contacted Dowlais Male Voice Choir during this time and once they had both seen the scores and I had met Dowlais MVC (for a pint) recording dates were agreed.

This left me with the women’s choir and children’s choir to book. The women’s choir was an obvious choice as I had been to see my mother in The Abertillery Ladies Orpheus a few times and knew they were right for the songs and easily contacted. Sure enough after official contact with the committee and musical director a date was also set.

Through The Solas Project, Richard had contacts with the local school, Pillgwenlly Primary in Newport and was keen to see if they would be interested in participating in the recording. We contacted Sue Hood at the school; she was very pleased to get her pupils involved, so again we booked a date.

The recording of Parc and Dare band was first. On a cold crisp night in March 2006, myself, David and John travelled up to Treorchy. We decided to record at their rehearsal room as all there equipment was there and the room was suitable. They had two pieces to record so we set up as they had a run through. What a sound! Brass bands are moving at the best of times, but when its your song and you are right there in a small room, what can I say, moving in the extreme. Two hours and they were done, top pros. Then off for a pint for a job well done. Magic!

Dowlais Male Voice Choir were next. A winter’s night in Merthyr. They all trooped in one by one at the usual time on a Sunday, no fuss, read the score, a few arrangements and whoosh! What a sound, did for me again! Wonderful.

The children at Pillgwenlly Primary were so excited, but their teacher Sue Hood had them well drilled. We had no idea what to expect, but they had practised for weeks and were ready. They were marvellous, everyone a character. A lovely afternoon.

Last by not least, Abertillery Ladies Orpheus. My hometown and in the chapel where I first sang as a boy and where I was married. It’s a small choir of about twenty or so, but they love to sing. They worked hard and were wonderful. Then up the pub with me mam. Job done!It took David and myself about six days to compile and mix the finished album back at Solas. From then on it was a case of working on the album artwork and website and getting the CD's pressed ready for the launch in Newport on January 19th 2007, appropriately at The Solas Building in Newport. The making of The Cordell Collection could be an epic novel in itself. The creative process has been a real artistic challenge and an honour and a privilege to undertake. The biggest joy of the whole project has been the people who assisted, participated and supported in the realisation of this unique album.

"THE WORK IS DONE BUT THE SPIRIT REMAINS."

Dawson Smith, 2007