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Mellow Cello
This title is a collection of short stories centered around the cello and are presented in the form of historical fiction from all times periods ranging from the BC era to the 1980s.
From the Author
After being forced to stop playing cello, I began inventing stories about and for cellists. A few have a humorous link to the instrument. Others are about the players, the music, or the inspiration behind both.
The timespan is more than the entire span of the existence of the cello as an instrument. Some concern its development from its roots in Italy. A number include a great deal of musical history, some none. Sometimes the edges between fiction and fact are juxtaposed.
About the Author
Gill Tennant is an author and cellist currently residing in Orkney, in the far north end of the United Kingdom. Her working life was spent teaching the cello, but she returned to her first love, writing, when physical problems restricted her ability to play. Orkney is truly a writer’s inspiration.
At the age of 5, Gill became both a published author and began the cello. After having a nine year junior exhibition at the Royal College of Music in London, these two strands, writing and cello playing have dominated and alternated throughout her career as a cello teacher in Wales and into her current occupation of writing.
A strong desire to teach runs through some of her work, but she believes all education should be fun and self-motivated. Her hobbies are goat keeping and archaeology, and a move to the Orkney isles off Scotland’s northern coast have given her the inspiration and ideal surroundings to do both. The Neolithic axe head she found whilst field-walking is now displayed in the museum. These short stories about and for cellists were written as a break from completing a novel set in the Neolithic.
Fairhavenpress.com
From the Author
After being forced to stop playing cello, I began inventing stories about and for cellists. A few have a humorous link to the instrument. Others are about the players, the music, or the inspiration behind both.
The timespan is more than the entire span of the existence of the cello as an instrument. Some concern its development from its roots in Italy. A number include a great deal of musical history, some none. Sometimes the edges between fiction and fact are juxtaposed.
About the Author
Gill Tennant is an author and cellist currently residing in Orkney, in the far north end of the United Kingdom. Her working life was spent teaching the cello, but she returned to her first love, writing, when physical problems restricted her ability to play. Orkney is truly a writer’s inspiration.
At the age of 5, Gill became both a published author and began the cello. After having a nine year junior exhibition at the Royal College of Music in London, these two strands, writing and cello playing have dominated and alternated throughout her career as a cello teacher in Wales and into her current occupation of writing.
A strong desire to teach runs through some of her work, but she believes all education should be fun and self-motivated. Her hobbies are goat keeping and archaeology, and a move to the Orkney isles off Scotland’s northern coast have given her the inspiration and ideal surroundings to do both. The Neolithic axe head she found whilst field-walking is now displayed in the museum. These short stories about and for cellists were written as a break from completing a novel set in the Neolithic.
Fairhavenpress.com
198 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2018
3 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Gill Tennant
1 book15 followers Gill Tennant is an author and cellist currently residing in Orkney, an island group in the far north of the United Kingdom. Her working life was spent teaching the cello, but she returned to her first love, writing, when physical problems restricted her ability to play. Orkney is truly a writer’s inspiration.
At the age of 5, Gill became both a published author and began the cello. After having a nine year junior exhibition at the Royal College of Music in London, these two strands, writing and cello playing have dominated and alternated throughout her career as a cello teacher in Wales and into her current occupation of writing.
A strong desire to teach runs through some of her work, but she believes all education should be fun and self-motivated.
Her hobbies are goat keeping and archaeology, and a move to the Orkney isles off Scotland’s northern coast have given her the inspiration and ideal surroundings to do both. The Neolithic axe head she found whilst field-walking is now displayed in the museum.
https://www.fairhavenpress.com/mellow...
These short stories about and for cellists were written as a break from completing a novel set in the Neolithic.
She is currently working on completing a collection of stories about Orkney and Orcadians, and adding to her cello stories. Spring should see her recommence revising her Neolithic novel.
She has stories and poems published in a local magazine, and in November 2023 he short Pandemic story 'Lost' (which can be found on Soundcloud) has been published in the David Oluwale anthology, Oluwale Now, having won second prize in their poetry & short story competition.
At the age of 5, Gill became both a published author and began the cello. After having a nine year junior exhibition at the Royal College of Music in London, these two strands, writing and cello playing have dominated and alternated throughout her career as a cello teacher in Wales and into her current occupation of writing.
A strong desire to teach runs through some of her work, but she believes all education should be fun and self-motivated.
Her hobbies are goat keeping and archaeology, and a move to the Orkney isles off Scotland’s northern coast have given her the inspiration and ideal surroundings to do both. The Neolithic axe head she found whilst field-walking is now displayed in the museum.
https://www.fairhavenpress.com/mellow...
These short stories about and for cellists were written as a break from completing a novel set in the Neolithic.
She is currently working on completing a collection of stories about Orkney and Orcadians, and adding to her cello stories. Spring should see her recommence revising her Neolithic novel.
She has stories and poems published in a local magazine, and in November 2023 he short Pandemic story 'Lost' (which can be found on Soundcloud) has been published in the David Oluwale anthology, Oluwale Now, having won second prize in their poetry & short story competition.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 16, 2025
I’m no musician, but I enjoyed the stories. Knowledge of music isn’t necessary to appreciate them. Music serves to connect the characters and express their passions—most of them are far from mellow! I especially like the historical stories, which transport you to the past but never let setting supersede the emotional drama the characters are undergoing. Readers of historical fiction should enjoy this as much as music lovers. The writing is style is smooth, mellifluous, and introspective, making it a beautifully tender collection.
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September 23, 2021I can't judge my own work, so no stars here!
I'm currently rereading my collection of stories, as I have a zoom talk on it this Sunday with the US Cello Museum, and it's three years since I wrote these stories. Many of them include much research, into the way instruments are made and evolved, the names of significant luthiers, players, composers and the historical contexts in which they lived and worked. Most of the stories took me only half to an hour to write, but two or three weeks to research the background of each story, as many deal with important events which deserve respect in their retelling.
The book has been well received, despite my getting it wrong with the cover. I just wanted to use my late father's illustration of me playing aged five, which he drew in the style of Dick Bruna's Miffy children's books. However, a reviewer rightly pointed out that this gives the impression that it is a book for children, although the Holocaust and the Titanic sinking would be odd subjects for such an audience! Some of the stories might interest young cellists, but they were written for adult cellists.
I'm anticipating the publication of the audio book version this autumn, with additional short excerpts from some of the many musical references within the collection. These were recorded for me by many volunteers from countries across the world, from children to professional musicians, during the pandemic, as were the recordings of the stories also made. I am so grateful to those who recorded and combined recordings remotely to introduce and briefly illustrate the different stories, from those who found a favourite piece of music to play to those who learned something especially and found the challenge of learning a new work invigorating.
Wish me luck for Sunday!
I'm currently rereading my collection of stories, as I have a zoom talk on it this Sunday with the US Cello Museum, and it's three years since I wrote these stories. Many of them include much research, into the way instruments are made and evolved, the names of significant luthiers, players, composers and the historical contexts in which they lived and worked. Most of the stories took me only half to an hour to write, but two or three weeks to research the background of each story, as many deal with important events which deserve respect in their retelling.
The book has been well received, despite my getting it wrong with the cover. I just wanted to use my late father's illustration of me playing aged five, which he drew in the style of Dick Bruna's Miffy children's books. However, a reviewer rightly pointed out that this gives the impression that it is a book for children, although the Holocaust and the Titanic sinking would be odd subjects for such an audience! Some of the stories might interest young cellists, but they were written for adult cellists.
I'm anticipating the publication of the audio book version this autumn, with additional short excerpts from some of the many musical references within the collection. These were recorded for me by many volunteers from countries across the world, from children to professional musicians, during the pandemic, as were the recordings of the stories also made. I am so grateful to those who recorded and combined recordings remotely to introduce and briefly illustrate the different stories, from those who found a favourite piece of music to play to those who learned something especially and found the challenge of learning a new work invigorating.
Wish me luck for Sunday!
November 17, 2018
This is an interesting collection of short stories. I hadn't read anything that spanned such a long time frame before. The universal theme throughout helps. Gill is a compelling author and each story was just the right length to draw me and keep me interested. Prefer short story collections in general, especially when I'm traveling.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews