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HEY FOLKS PLEASE READ THIS....for a limited time, you can download this 4 track EP for...... FREE !!! (so there really is no excuse not to check it out). What is even better is that if you wish to, you can DONATE / NAME YOUR PRICE. Choosing this option helps me and my crew to keep creating music. This whole project has taken me on and off about 2 years with many, many, many hours in the studio with John Gardner. All profits of the audio downloads via Bandcamp will be donated to the Huntly Lions Club who have compassionately erected a grave marker for William Burton's New Zealand grave site in addition to other memorials dedicated to the miners and the Ralph Mine Disaster.
Please click BUY NOW to download and make your choice, FREE or NAME YOUR PRICE.
Thanks so much for supporting my work. DG Mitchellthorpe
ABOUT THIS 4 track EP - COALFACE
Please take a moment to read the background behind this project.
On the 12th September 1914 at 7.20am there was a massive explosion at The Ralph Mine in Huntly, Waikato, New Zealand.
43 Miners died.
In 2012, we accidentally discovered through a genealogy search that a family member on my wife's side, William Burton had, like us, left the North West of England and moved to New Zealand about 90 years prior to our arrival. No living relatives knew of this.
William arrived in New Zealand on 26th June 1914 with his wife, baby and young son. Within 12 weeks of arriving in New Zealand he was killed in The Ralph Mine when it exploded.
It was his wife Fanny's (Fay’s) 21st birthday. William was 27 years old.
Through a very quick Google search we discovered The Huntly Lions Club were holding a memorial for the centenary of the disaster. The Lions had erected grave markers for all the deceased who were buried in unmarked graves, William's was among them. The Lions Club were also searching for living relatives to be part of the memorial event. Since getting in touch with the Lions, our family has connected with other relatives of William and Fanny in NZ.
Personally, I have a family history steeped in and around mining. At the moment that this story started to reveal itself back in 2012, I began working on ideas and songs dedicated to William, The Ralph Mine Disaster and to mining communities around the world
For a limited time, COALFACE will be available for FREE as a digital audio download but if you wish to DONATE, all profits via bandcamp will be donated to to the Huntly Lions Club who have compassionately erected a headstone for William's New Zealand grave site in addition to other memorials dedicated to the miners and the disaster.
Thank you for taking the time to view my project.
credits
released August 12, 2014
ALBUM CREDITS
DG Mitchellthorpe. Vocals, all guitars, harmonica, mandolin, bass
John Gardner. Drums
Leigh Wilson. Harmony vocals
Stu Irvine. Banjo
All songs written and arranged by DG Mitchellthorpe
Cover Photograph of a miner used with kind permission of my father
Denis Thorpe, who took the picture.
Recorded and engineered by John Gardner at Peel Productions Studio, North canterbury. New Zealand
Mixed and produced by John Gardner & DG Mitchellthorpe
Mastered by Ben Delaney, Christchurch NZ
Graphics by John Burt @ Working Ideas, Christchurch NZ
DG Mitchellthorpe is a musician and song writer based in Christchurch, New Zealand. His'Coalface' EP is released for the centenary of the Ralph Mine Disaster, Huntly, New Zealand. Sept 12 1914.
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