Islets of Langerhans

These recordings were originally made by Erik Moore on Monday 2 December 2019 at Rookery Towers, High View Road in Crystal Palace with Improvisations by Alison O’Melia - Piano, Harpsichord, Percussion, Voices; George Harris - Electronics, Typewriter, Melodica and Percussion with Voices; Erik Moore - Bass Guitar, Percussion; Mark Hill - Electronics and Radio Effects ... All fuelled by home made curry cooked up by George on his birthday. Just a week or so after recording session Alison went into hospital for the Christmas / New Year period 2019 - 2020.Anything creative took the back seat in this time and care was priority. This did include some writing into notepads for George on his travels to and from work and then to hospital visiting Alison. In this time we started to hear about the beginnings of Covid in far off parts. Alison came out of hospital in late January 2020 with some returning visits in the weeks after when she was given her diagnosis which took some time to take in as it was serious and terminal, but no time frame at that stage. At this moment initial connections were made with St Christopher's and Alison's Palliative care. This led into the next line in recording narratives after some time beginning with a film soundtrack for the Crystal Palace Festival taking place before initial lockdown. Where Exquisite Placements and In The Tic Toc were both put together with footage made by Erik Moore and George Harris. The sound was added to with some over dubs of Voice, Bowed Dulcimer by George and Omnichord by David Rothon respectively. This was also a time where George added Flugelhorn to some other tracks along with some initial Vocal tracks. Then and around this time in the initial lockdown of 2020 George and Alison did a few online gigs under the name Rookery from their living room with virtual help from Erik Moore. The same living room the initial recordings of this album took place. With the last performance happening in November. Around this time or before as unsure of time distortion Alison spent a couple of weeks trying out St Christopher's Hospice as a semi inpatient before things really took hold. Throughout, Alison's health was fluctuating after being diagnosed at the beginning of the year with a terminal condition, and so gaps and time to care for Alison were prioritised,; but we did have some moments 'to just be' until her sad passing in December 2020.As part of the grieving process, writing words was the initial focus of help for George, with some of the resulting work becoming part of the album Islets Of Langerhans. This title was once an alternative name to Rookery that Alison wanted to use.So in 2021, around February March, George and Erik decided to complete the album and gradually put it together through a process of time.This was simultaneously initiated by chatting to Demi Sabat Garcia in a super market and the conversation resulted in him putting drums on two tracks.Jessica Cahill recorded some Hurdy Gurdy drones, giving both artists the choice to do what they felt on the tracks. Keeping the spirit of the initial improvisations in the overdubs, David Rothon also added more to the tracks including some Pedal Steel and Omnichord. We also wanted to keep the spirit of initial ensemble. So we asked Mitzy Valentine to do some Vocal and Flute. Mitzy came down from the Midlands to record on three of the tracks once it was safe to do so in London.All later recordings took place at Sydenham Opera House and the musicians houses when lockdown was preventing all to meet in 2021.The cover has artworks that were created by Alison as part of some art therapy sessions with St Christophers Hospice in their care for her in 2020. So some of the profits from sales of this album will be donated to St Christophers Hospice Charity. The title Islets of Langerhans is a medical term /ˈlaŋəhanz/groups of pancreatic cells secreting insulin and glucagon This Album of Sounds, Words, Songs and Improvisation is here as a tribute to Alison O’Melia: An artist, musician, therapist, lover, partner, daughter, sister, auntie, reader, speaker, teacher, lecturer, campaigner and friend. As half of the Sales of this album will go to St Christopher's Hospice to help in their work and care with people going through an end of life and the work with those going through bereavement afterwards.