91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn
Music features, reviews and "first listens" from NPR. Find more music at WUNC's Back Porch Music.

The Thistle & Shamrock: 'These Are The Hands'

Award-winning author Alexander McCall Smith penned the lyrics to These Are The Hands.
Chris Watt
Composer James Ross wrote the piano arrangements for These Are The Hands.
/ Courtesy of the Artist

Meet internationally-acclaimed author Alexander McCall Smith (No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency) and award-winning composer James Ross, who collaborated on song cycle These Are The Hands. Host Fiona Ritchie chatted with them about the process of bringing together the lyrics (McCall Smith) and the piano arrangements (Ross). With vocals from singers Michelle Burke and Kathleen MacInnes, their music explores Scotland's relationship with sea and land. This special musical encounter is not to be missed.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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