Sung by Monica Queen as Stella As a young girl attending Mary Erskine School for Girls in Edinburgh, Stella would ravenously devour literature, art and music. On many nights her father would take her to bars, parties, the theatre and other social and cultural events where she would meet and charm Scotland's cultural elite.

Sung by Chris Connelly as Stanley Roger Green Stan was an architecture student at Edinburgh College of Art, and wrote in his free time. He met Stella at Paddy's Bar in Rose Street where they drank, talked literature and ended up at Stan's bedsit for a (platonic) night after she had missed the last bus.

Sung by Monica as Stella & Chris as Stan A 'hoolie' is a party -- a celebration or a get-together with friends. One evening, Stella took Stan to the poet Norman MacCaig's flat for “a minor hoolie” (Stella's words). The “star struck” young Stan was amazed to see and meet George Mackay Brown, Robert Garioch, Sorley Maclean, Tom Scott and Sidney Goodsir Smith.

Spoken by Monica as Stella There is scant evidence available to us that Stella wrote, but she did. In lieu of giving up my life to try and find and obtain the rights to anything, I decided it would be more poignant and more creative to write in what I think maybe approximates her mind, her process. This poem happens after the minor hoolie: all have gone to bed except Stella and perhaps a companion, amongst the empty bottles, the stale ashtrays and the dying embers in the hearth at dawn.

Sung by Chris as George Mackay Brown When George Mackay Brown first moved to Edinburgh to attend the University, he felt depression, isolation and loneliness. He was impoverished and his already weak lungs had to cope with the smoke and pollution of a big city.

Sung by Chris as George A very shy George would visit the Rose Street bars and nurse a pint, hoping to meet his poetic heroes. When invited to join the throng one night by Sydney Goodsir Smith, George—cripplingly shy—did not accept the offer. It would take a little time, and a few more pints of McEwan's Heavy, before George became a part of the group himself.

Spoken by Chris as George Remorse and homesickness drench this poem, written by me to approximate the emotion of a cold and remorseful George in his cold room in a Marchmont flat. As his pain grows, his interest in study falters into ennui.

Sung by Chris as George & Monica as Stella George Mackay Brown met Stella Cartwright at the Abbotsford Bar in Rose Street, one evening in 1957. Thus the beginnings of the romance.

Sung by Chris as George A Saturday afternoon lovers' stroll down the Water of Leith, the heavens opened and the couple were drenched. They found temporary shelter in an abandoned railway shed where they laugh, talk and drink bottles of beer.

Sung by Chris as George & Monica as Stella Perhaps this is the pivotal song on the record, reflecting a most pivotal time in their relationship. George proposed marriage, but the marriage was not to be. Even though Stella was delighted to be asked, when it became apparent that the wedding was not going to happen, Stella remained loyal, showering George with understanding, friendship and words of great beauty. Her deep well of empathy is undoubtedly one of the reasons they remained close over the span of thirty years until her death.

Spoken by Chris as George In which George moves back to Orkney. Ill health and a dislike of the city fuel his homesickness. Although it would be a while before he would write the book MAGNUS, George was already very interested in St. Magnus.

Sung by Monica as Stella Suffering through a meaningless and menial day job, Stella spends her nights trying to keep the party going, still a lonely female soul in a sea of men. Her artistic aspirations are still discouraged or ignored. Taking other partners who were already in committed relationships with others, she would ultimately always end up alone.

Sung by Chris as George George would write Stella encouraging letters from Orkney, but he still suffered depression and was drinking far too much. He urged her to distance herself from the Rose Street poets, telling her they were not good for her.

Spoken by Monica as Stella In turn, Stella would write George letters of warmth and encouragement, reminiscing of the happy times they had shared in the past.

Spoken by Chris as George George finds more and more success and becomes very prolific, his historical fiction and poetry garnering prestigious reviews.

Sung by Chris as George George always referred to whisky as “the smiler with a knife”. On his increasingly infrequent visits to Edinburgh, his visits with Stella would reveal old wounds and would end up in drunken arguments.

Sung by Chris as Stan Years after the literary scene of the “Rose Street Poets” had faded away, Stella kept drinking hard and frequenting the same bars. At a point in the mid 1970s, Stan Green visited her at her flat—only to be shocked how much she had aged, and was walking with the aid of a walking frame.

Sung by Monica as Stella Stella died alone in her flat. Many times she had tried to achieve sobriety and it had not worked. Her father, with whom she had been close, stopped visiting with her after her mother's death. A funeral was held at Warriston Crematorium. Stan Green was the only one of the “old guard” in attendance.