A Sweet Release

Posted: June 2, 2017

The third single from Heather Rankin's debut solo album A FINE LINE is "Titanically."

Written by Rankin with David Tyson, the song was inspired by the 2013 auctioning of the violin played by Titanic bandleader Wallace Hartley as the famed ship was sinking.

The violin, in a music case, was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, still strapped to Hartley's body, by the crew of the Mackay-Bennett Cable Ship. Hartley's body was taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia and then sent home to his family for burial, but his violin and case were sent directly to his fiancee, who had given the violin to Hartley, engraved with their names, as an engagement present. As no record of the violin leaving Halifax was archived with later Titanic research, Titanic scholars and enthusiasts debated for decades about what happened to Hartley's violin, whether it went down with the Titanic, or was lost or stolen between Halifax and Liverpool. It wasn't until 2006 that the violin came to light, when it was found in an attic in England. It went through a series of tests to authenticate it and was then auctioned off for 1.7 million dollars. It is the most expensive Titanic artifact to date.

"Titanically" is told from the perspective of Hartley's violin, yearning to be returned to the man who loved and played it. The music video was directed by Thom Fitzgerald and is a fanciful exploration of the immortality of music, of the musician's spirit and of the enduring stories surrounding the Titanic.

It features a Wallace Hartley kind of character, played by Callum Dunphy, who accompanies Rankin through water, mud and time, all while continually playing his beloved violin. The story also has an emotional connection for Rankin, whose brother John Morris Rankin, was also a violinist and like Hartley, died tragically in the Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind a deep musical legacy.

Upcoming Tour Dates

June 3 - Port Hawkesbury, NS - Shannon Studio

June 8 - Moncton, NB - Capitol Theatre

July 6 - Cape Breton, NS - NS Kitchen Fest

July 14&15 - Kempt Shore, NS - Kempt Shore Maritime Acoustic Festival

August 10 & 11 - Lunenburg, NS - Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival

Heather Rankin’s debut solo album A Fine Line is AVAILABLE NOW on Cadence Music.

SABS On-Line Hook-Ups for Heather Rankin

Website: heatherrankin.ca

Twitter: @heatherrankinme

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Youtube: Heather Rankin Music

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