Life With Mairi Campbell: ‘Hearing my version of Auld Lang Syne in the Sex And The City was surreal’

Mairi Campbell chats to us about bringing her Pendulum Trilogy together for the first time, the music she listens to at home, and her song being featured in Sex And The City. 

I grew up in Edinburgh. My mum’s family is Edinburgh; my dad is West Highland. I grew up in the city – Boroughmuir and Broughton -before you ask. Mum was my art teacher at primary school and dad taught physics at Napier polytechnic. They had four daughters and I’m number three. I live in Edinburgh from July to January and the island of Lismore from January to July.  When we were kids mum and dad bought a cottage on the Isle of Lismore. We’d go up there for all our holidays. Dad’s granny was from the island.

From Lismore I run my fiddle retreats and classes along with starting the local dance band and I teach all the primary pupils violin at the school. There’s a spot on the island that has a view of Mull and Ardnamurchan. I like to sit there. Edinburgh is very convenient and it’s a beautiful city. I’m a lucky lass.    

At school I wasn’t trouble and I wasn’t academic. A bit blankety blank. In fifth and sixth year I attended the city music school at Broughton which I did enjoy. Apparently, I sang before I spoke. I remember being at the Usher Hall, sitting in the front row for an orchestral concert. I was very young, maybe five, I fell asleep and was jolted awake by cymbal crashes at the end of the symphony. I fell off my chair and onto the floor. When I was around nine my teacher was telling me off for having not practiced and I fainted in the lesson. I didn’t like practicing, but I take my hat off to mum who helped me keep on keeping on until I realised that music was the only thing I could do.

Bach blows me away. His fine-tuned harmonic genius is amazing to play and listen to. It’s brain changing. Sound as an ancient healing technology fascinates me. I always go back to Rachel Podger Solo Bach partitas. It’s an incredible album that my sister introduced me to. She’s got such a unique and cohesive understanding of Bach. It takes me on great sonic journeys. 

Credit: Julia Fayngruen.

I listen to Michael Jackson and Jimmy Shand at home, they both make me want to dance. I also listen to my family’s music: Ada Grace Francis, singer and clarsach player; Tom Campbell, flute player.

When my version of Auld Lang Syne was used in the New Year’s Eve scene in the Sex and the City it was surreal. I was sitting in the cinema alone enjoying the film and nearly forgot that our song was in it until Dave’s guitar came in. I panicked inside and felt over exposed but at the same time I’m very grateful to Sarah Jessica Parker for picking our version.   

Making three solo music theatre shows, still being married and giving birth to two fabulous daughters – that’s a big achievement. I had a sense around 2011 that I wanted to make these solo shows but had no idea how I was going to do it. With Kath Burlinson, my co-creator and director, Dave Gray, my musical collaborator, Kate Taylor and Marianne we did it. It’s no small thing. They are both personal and relatable, so I hope everyone who comes can have a laugh and feel moved.      

In numerology this year is the number nine, ( 2+2+5). Nine is the end of a cycle, so it’s written in the stars. The third show, Living Stone was hard to complete. It was a deep dive, and I was resistant, until it finally broke through, but what can you expect when working with stone? You need time. Creativity is such a mysterious force.  

Credit: Julia Fayngruen.

In the third part of the Trilogy (Living Stone) the stone speaks. In the patterns of the stone, I see three animals: bear, bird and snake. They give me advice. Bear says ‘lie,rest, hibernate’ Bird says, ‘fly, turn your wings to the wind and learn to see in the dark’ and Snake says, ‘shed a skin; when you’re ready shed a skin’. This is long term learning and living on the Isle of Lismore is part of my response to that advice.  

My husband David is my hero. He’s done a lot for traditional music in Scotland. He taught me my first ever folk tune by ear back in the day and we went on to make quite a bit of music together in our duo The Cast. He’s a quiet doer.  

Fiddle cases placed on sofas is my pet hate. It’s a bit daft, but when I run my fiddle retreats everyone puts their fiddle cases on the sofas. I have put up a sign now so it’s not a problem anymore.  

I believe in ghosts but I’ve never seen one.  

The Pendulum Trilogy will be performed in its entirety for the first time ever at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It’s at Scottish Storytelling Centre from 2- 17 August.

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