![\"englandfionavar1new7_thumb\"](\"https:\/\/lawrencecconnolly.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/englandfionavar1new7_thumb.jpg\")
<\/a>As any book lover knows, the reading experience goes beyond words on the page. It starts with the cover, which can (when properly rendered) do more than attract potential buyers. In the hands of a master, a good cover \u2013 like any work of art \u2013 informs in subtle ways that change and grow richer over time.<\/p>\nIt is this quality that I consistently find in the cover art of Martin Springett<\/a>, particularly those that he did for the first editions of Guy Gavriel Kay<\/a>\u2019s The Fionavar Tapestry<\/i><\/a>. Consider, for example, the beautiful wrap-around cover of The Summer Tree<\/em><\/a> (pictured above). It\u2019s the kind of art that delights on first impression and becomes richer with each successive viewing, acquiring new meaning each time the reader returns to the book.<\/p>\n But Martin Springett is one of those artists who can deliver more than visual wonders. He\u2019s also an accomplished musician, a creator of fantasy soundscapes that can enhance a reading experience as well as an exquisitely rendered cover.<\/p>\n The CD opens with \u201cRiver of Stars,\u201d an overture that evokes the feel of Imperial China\u2019s Twelfth Dynasty. It builds on hammered strings to a percussive crescendo, then disperses like a shower of petals. It\u2019s a beautifully constructed overture.<\/p>\n \u00a0The second track, \u201cShan\u2019s Theme,\u201d extends and builds on the themes introduced in the overture. Named for Lin Shan, the songwriting protagonist of Kay\u2019s novel, the piece clocks in at just under two minutes \u2013 a length that belies its instrumental complexities.<\/p>\n The third track, \u201cPoet,\u201d features lyrics translated from \u201cLi Qingzhao,\u201d a poem by Li Ching-chao (1084-1155).\u00a0 After a pensive guitar intro, the lyrics begin:<\/p>\n The lotus has wilted, only a faint perfume remains;<\/em><\/span> The singer is\u00a0Suzanne Hillier, and her voice soars solo\u00a0above the music until she is joined by Springett, whose counterpoint vocals guide the lyrics to a deeper place.<\/p>\n Flowers fall and drift away,<\/em><\/span> The song ends as it begins, carried away by the guitar. In all, it\u2019s an evocative piece \u2013 a soundscape which, like Springett\u2019s landscapes, lingers in the mind.<\/p>\n Finally, the suite ends with \u201cTwo Cups,\u201d which features the sound of voice and flute weaving together like slow moving butterflies or drifting thistledown. It\u2019s a beautiful conclusion to the suite.<\/p>\n With a run time of just under 20 minutes (not including a sixth track, which presents a \u201cFox Woman\u201d remix, The River of Stars Suite<\/i> my not provide the hours of ambient music needed to sustain a complete reading of Kay\u2019s 656 page novel. Nevertheless, those readers who like to score their reading experience will have no problem filling out their ambient playlists with Martin Springett\u2019s other compositions, all readily\u00a0available on <\/span>iTunes<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>Consider his newly released EP The River of Stars Suite<\/i><\/a>, based on Guy Gavriel Kay\u2019s new novel The River of Stars<\/a><\/em> (NAL, April 2014). Featuring kodo drums, flutes, vocals, and an orchestra of acoustic and electric guitars (all played by the composer), the CD features six tracks (five movements and one remix) guaranteed to transport the reader into the mist and wonder of Kay\u2019s fantasy.<\/p>\n\n
\n On the bamboo mat there’s a touch of autumn chill.<\/em><\/span>
\nSoftly I take off my silk dress<\/em><\/span>
\nAnd step on board my orchid skiff alone.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\n Water glides on,<\/em><\/span>
\n After their nature.<\/em><\/span>
\n Our yearning is the sort<\/em><\/span>
\n Both sides far apart endure\u2014<\/em><\/span>
\n A melancholy feeling there’s no resisting.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/a>Clocking in at nearly seven minutes, \u201cFox Woman\u201d provides the longest and most complex soundscape on the EP. Moving from a guitar prelude and through a shimmer of falling rain to arrive at a sequence driven by powerful electric guitars.<\/p>\n