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REVIEW FROM www.livingtradition.co.uk
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MÀIRI SINE CAMPBELL Thall An Loch Aillse (Back In Lochalsh) |
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Màiri is regarded as one of Scotland’s foremost singers and tradition bearers, yet (surprisingly) this is her debut CD. A Mod gold medallist, Màiri specialises in Gaelic songs from the Lochalsh and Kintail areas, and is keen to share her appreciation of the history behind each song. Having said that, hers is not the dry and dusty approach of cloistered academe, for her delivery is as infectious as her enthusiasm. You can hear this at once on starting up this disc, as her singing takes flight above a supremely airy backing (piano, guitar, border pipes, whistle, bass and gentle percussion), with all elements neatly judged and in place yet with just an element of playfulness that makes this waulking song an uplifting listening experience. Actually, more musicians are employed on this opening track than on the majority of the rest, but it doesn’t sound overloaded in any way – and with players of the calibre of Findlay and Hamish Napier, Mary Ann Kennedy, Seòras Campbell and Ali Hutton on board, you’d expect nothing less than masterly control of light and shade, qualities that totally complement Màiri’s superb singing. Happily, Màiri also treats us to a couple of songs sung unaccompanied, where the excellent recording enables us to appreciate the special nuances of her voice, while two further songs benefit from the sparsely florid setting of Mary Ann’s clarsàch alone. |
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