Welcome to this, our second, album of Celtic music. The album celebrates the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Stirling Bridge (on 11th September, 1997) and the reawakening of the 'Spirit of Freedom' in the Scottish nation by that great patriot, Sir William Wallace. This time we've included not only music from Scotland and Ireland but also from two other Celtic nations, Brittany, and Asturias in Northern Spain.
Like time, music doesn't stand still - it would be the death of it if it did. We have tried to contrast the old and the new in the album. Contemporary composers like Phil Cunningham, Kris Koren and Gregor Lowrey have much to add to the richness of the music of the Celts. It may differ from the past, but the roots are unchanged.
We would like to thank two people without whom this album would not have been possible - Tony Doogan of CAVA, whose patience in engineering the product was exceptional, and our musical arranger and producer, Gregor Lowrey. Gregor's musical talents know no bounds - he was an inspiration to all of us and makes a mean cup of tea when the pressure is on in the studio.
The Tracks
Fiddles: Neil Ferguson, Eilidh Campbell
Accordions: Gregor Lowrey, Tommy Walker
Pipes and Guitar: Sinclair Little
Drums: Fergus Wood
Keyboards: Gregor Lowrey
Bazooki and Guitar: Stevie Gillies
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A rousing start in which we let our fiddlers get their head |
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| 2. Christina Mcritchie | |
| We've loved Christina since we first heard her played by Black-eyed Biddy. The bonniest track on the album | |
| 3. The Headlands | |
| This fine set of marches finishes with the tune which was the inspiration for "Waltzing Matilda" | |
| 4. Red Iain's Lament | |
| Our two fiddle players cut their teeth on this moving slow air | |
| 5. Findlay Mcrae | |
| One of the finest slow airs for the pipes. Sounds like we put Sinclair on top of one of his beloved Munros to record this! | |
| 6. Baladran (Asturias) | |
| Guest spot for guitar and bazooki virtuoso, Stevie Gillies, it shows the Celtic roots of the music of Asturias and Brittany | |
| 7. The Skyline Of Sky | |
| Something different - Tommy shows what can be done with the electric wizardry of a midi box in three beautiful Scottish waltzes played in the modern idiom. The last was composed by Tommy and is named after his daughter, Carol | |
| 8. Maid Behind The Bar | |
| Eilidh wades into a powerful set of reels in her set | |
| 9. Sweet Biddy Daly | |
| A cracking set of Irish Jigs | |
| 10. Mhairi Bhan Ogg | |
| We're sure another Neil of fiddle fame will be looking down on Neil Ferguson with approval as he masters this beautiful Gaelic slow air | |
| 11. Leaving Lismore | |
| Gaelic waltzes have their own unique construction - a throwback to their origins in "mouth music" | |
| 12. The Train Journey North | |
| Hop aboard the train with Sinclair on the pipes! | |
| 13. Jock Mckay's Cowboys Boots | |
| An interesting musical account in 3/4 tempo about the exploits of a certain fiddler from Callander at a music festival in Brittany. Thereby hangs a tale ... | |
| 14. Portree Bay | |
| From the Isle of Skye to the Hills of Dumfries-shire, a fine set of 6/8 marches with which to step out. | |
| 15. Le Triste Sourire (The sad smile) | |
| A celebration of 700 years of the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland and a tribute to Tommy Kettles, Scotland's finest exponent of Bal Musette accordion music | |
| 16. Jim Mcallister's | |
| Designed to leave you breathless - it did us! Everyone has their say in this - hope you find the gear changes exhilarating! | |
