The Seedboat – Bàta an t-Sìl
Colum Sands & Maggie MacInnes
Catalogue No. SPRING RECORDS SCD1061

£12.00 (includes p&p) • Buy via Paypal

1. The Seedboat (Bàta an t-Sìl) LISTEN HERE
2. It was a' for our rightfu' King LISTEN HERE
3. The High Walls of Derry LISTEN HERE

A TIMELESS VOYAGE OF SONGS OLD AND NEW
FROM THE HEART OF IRELAND AND SCOTLAND
Inspired by the fascinating story of the boat which once plied the waters between their ancestral homelands, Maggie MacInnes from Barra in the Outer Hebrides and Colum Sands from County Down have released a new CD that weaves a bi-lingual tapestry of songs old and new, reaching across the waves that divide and join their homeplaces.

It's an album which combines two considerable talents; Singer and clàrsach player, Maggie MacInnes who was led to the great well of traditional song by her mother, the legendary Flora MacNeil from Barra, has recorded five critically acclaimed solo CDs and she was voted Gaelic Singer of the Year in the BBC Scots Trad Music Awards.
Colum Sands comes from a great County Down musical clan, his own songs have been recorded and translated by many highly respected artists around the world and he is a recipient of The Living Tradition Award for Services to Folk and Traditional music.

Their collaboration has lead to this unique album after five years of preparation and research as Maggie and Colum exchanged ideas and recorded tracks when their own busy solo schedules allowed.

Described by Australian journalist, Jan Neary, as a "a voyage for the soul" the album floats on a tide of songs which rejoices in the wealth of language shared by two countries and carrying stories and emotions that are universal, from heart-breaking love songs to quirky originals and tunes that have stood the test of time.

 

A Fàgail Mhiughalaigh – Leaving Mingulay
Catalogue No. MARCD05

£12.00 (includes p&p) • Buy via Paypal

1. Beinn a' Cheathaich (The Misty Mountain) LISTEN HERE
2. Miughalaigh (Mingulay) LISTEN HERE
3. Laoidh Mhoire Mhaigdeann (Hymn to the Virgin Mary) LISTEN HERE

Released July, 2009. The music on this, Maggie's fifth solo CD, tells the story of the beautiful island of Mingulay with which Maggie has very strong family connections. Mingulay lies about 12 miles south of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and was last inhabited in 1912. Maggie put together most of this music for a BBC documentary about the island produced by MNE Media. The material includes original songs which were part of the islands rich Oral Tradition and new music composed by Maggie. Maggie's Great Grandparents were from Mingulay and she has always had a fascination for the place. The struggle of the people to survive on such a remote windswept island in a fast changing world supported only by their strong sense of community and their faith is a powerful and moving story.

Guests on this CD include Michael McGoldrick of Capercaillie on Uilleann pipes and whistles; Brian McAlpine on keyboards and accordion (Brian also co-produced the CD); Anna Massie and Kevin MacKenzie on guitars; Finlay MacDonald on chanter and whistles; Christine Hanson on cello; Frank McGuire on percussion and Flora MacNeil (Maggie's mother) and Alison Buchanan on backing vocals.

What the reviewers said about A Fàgail Mhiughalaigh:
www.rambles.net Most of us know of Mingulay only from "Mingulay Boat Song," covered by a range of folk musicians from the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem to (most recently as far as I know) Richard Thompson. Abandoned since 1912, Mingulay is a real place -- an island in Scotland's Outer Hebrides — but "Boat Song" is not a real folk song even if often mistaken for one. The folkish lyrics were written in 1938 by Sir Hugh Roberton (1874-1952). The lovely melody, however, is familiar and traditional, known in Scotland as "Lochabar" and in Ireland as "Fear a Bhata."

Maggie MacInnes, who grew up on Barra 12 miles north of Mingulay, has followed an impressive career as Scottish harp (clarsach) player, singer and composer. Leaving Mingulay (A Fàgail Mhiughalaigh) remembers the island with authentic songs and airs associated with its once-thriving rural culture. Much of the material derives from MacInnes's family, the maternal side of which has deep roots in Mingulay's soil. All of this is sung in Gaelic, with lyrics provided in the liner booklet.

Accompanied by some first-rate Scottish musicians on pipes, fiddles and other native instruments or providing harmony vocals, MacInnes offers up a dozen cuts' worth of something like musical perfection. Her strong and clear voice communicates emotions even if in a language with which few of us are conversant. Stylistically, MacInnes comes out of both the tradition and its revival. The songs are largely from genuine oral transmission, the settings from the Bothy Band-generated Celtic-music movement of recent decades, in other words a sophisticated, textured chamber-folk sound.

Every cut has something to reward a discerning ear. For reasons beyond the music (notwithstanding its excellence), though, I find one song — the title translates as "Come Home With Me to the Fairy Knoll" — particularly intriguing. The words, collected in the 19th century on Mingulay, were allegedly "heard in a fairy mound." (The melody was not preserved, and MacInnes has written her own.) I have a particular interest in songs and tunes said to have been learned from supernatural sources and in fact have something to say about them in an upcoming book. The lyrics have the elfin singer seeking to lure a child away into a happier otherworldly realm, also the theme of W.B. Yeats's famous poem "The Stolen Child."

In any event, Leaving Mingulay attests eloquently to the richness and beauty — not to mention bottomless quantity and diverse quality — of Scotland's homegrown music. MacInnes is among the best living carriers of an admirable tradition. Jerome Clark

Properganda Magazine, July 2009: Singer and clarsach player Maggie (from the Outer Hebridean island of Barra)won Best Gaelic Singer title at 2004's BBC Scottish Traditional Music Awards; in 2007 Maggie was asked to provide music for a documentary film telling the story of the island of Mingulay (a few miles south of Barra), with which she has strong family connections. The music on this elegant and lovingly-produced CD includes much of that used in the documentary plus re-arrangements and extra material. It presents a programme of Gaelic songs known to have been sung on the island (including an ancient lament, songs to accompany daily tasks, a hymn and a tender, charming Fairy Song), along with three evocative tunes composed by Maggie herself. Maggie's accompanied by several guest musicians (e.g.Michael McGoldrick, Brian McAlpine, Anna Massie, Finlay MacDonald, Marie Fielding, Frank McGuire and Christine Hanson), making this a quite magical disc.
David Kidman

 

Òran Na Mnà – A Woman's Song
Catalogue No. MARCD04

£12.00 (includes p&p) • Buy via Paypal

1. Beannachd Màthar (A Mother's Blessing) LISTEN HERE
2. Baisteadh Breith (Birth Baptism) LISTEN HERE
3. In My Arms LISTEN HERE

In 2004 the prestigious Celtic Connections Festival of Glasgow commissioned Maggie to write a 45 minute piece of music which was performed to great acclaim at the festival in 2004 and 2005. Now Maggie has further developed the piece which combines music and song in Gaelic and English and has recorded it using some of Scotland's finest musicians and singers.

 

Talamh Sìtheil – Peaceful Ground
Catalogue No. MARCD02

£12.00 (includes p&p) • Buy via Paypal

1. Dh'èirich mi gu moch Diluain LISTEN HERE
2. Peaceful Ground LISTEN HERE
3. Dh'fhalbh mo rùn bho chionn seachdain LISTEN HERE

What the reviewers said about Talamh Sìtheil:
The Living Tradition Magazine, February, 2004: The Peaceful Ground is a faultless celebration of that rich seam of glorious Gaelic song - some in extremely contemporary settings, which may surprise some listeners. Maggie MacInnes' vocal beauty and purity so echoes that of her mother, Flora MacNeil MBE - who has shared her vast and precious knowledge of Gaeldom's most beautiful songs with her daughter. This album is the embodiment of the living tradition; rousing Hebridean waulking songs sit alongside moving Gaelic laments and timeless love songs. It all makes for a memorable listening experience, and MacInnes' voice resonates at one moment with an extraordinary emotional fragility, and at the next with passion and great strength.

MacInnes' clarsach playing flashes with prism-like precision throughout this finely-arranged recording, and she's accompanied by some first rate musicians, including Wendy Weatherby (cello), Graeme Hughes (guitars/percussion), Brian MacAlpine (keyboards), Finlay MacDonald (pipes/whistles), and Marie Fielding (fiddle). Flora MacNeil, and Maggie's sister Cairistiona provide backing vocals on three songs. Their sensitively judged contributions are fundamental to the album's sound.

You could divide the songs fairly equally between the rousing work songs and the sublime love songs/laments. Of the more upbeat songs, perhaps the most radical is 'Dh 'fhalbh mo run bho chionn seachdain', where MacInnes dips into the family archive to include a treasured recording of her late great aunt Mary Gillies of Barra. Trip hop rhythms, pipes and crunching guitars accompany three generations of this exceptional family. This is a superb song, and there are more like it! MacInnes also unearths a very beautiful 'lost' Burns song, The Ewe Bughts - such hauntingly lyrical whistle accompaniment. The album's lyrical opening song describes the sensual delights of the Isle of Mull on a spring morning.

There are shades of Moya Brennan in MacInnes' own composition, the lovely Peaceful Ground. Cairistiona is a lament of unrivalled beauty. Fhir An Leadain Thlath is sung a cappella, and I cannot help but compare MacInnes' version with her mother's on Orain Floraidh - the vocal similarities are disconcerting. Here, MacInnes publicly thanks her mother for sharing her songs with her - she's on record as saying that "they are so beautiful and a real joy to sing." Our joy in listening to them is immeasurable!
Debbie Koritsas

The Scotsman, 6th February, 2004: Singer and clarsach player Maggie MacInnes's lovely, deftly inflected Gaelic singing and gentle but evocative musical settings create a peaceful musical ground of their own, with the occasional feistier offering adding variety without disrupting the mood. She comes from a famous Barra family in Gaelic song circles, and both her mother, the great Flora MacNeil, and her sister, Cairistiona MacInnes, are heard singing with her here, as is her late great aunt Mary Gillies, in an old recording. The self-composed title track in English and a rarity by Burns in Scots are the only non-Gaelic songs. Kenny Mathieson

www.folking.com, March, 2004: I first came across the gently lilting voice of Maggie MacInnes back in the early 80's on the album Cairistiona with George Jackson and I'm pleased to say that she reprises that particular song here (surprisingly) with the addition of understated electric guitar. The 80's were also about the time that I became aware of the Gaelic language in song. I still can't quite get to grips with it but if you take it as a texture mixed in with the music it is more than palatable, as Clannad and Capercaillie have proved on the mainstream market. OK, so lyrics aside, the album is a controlled folk-rock exercise courtesy of producer Graeme Hughes which at times crosses over into Martyn Bennett territory where the skirl of highland pipes add passion to an already evocative "Dh'fhalbh mo run bho chionn seachdain". Interestingly the vocals of Maggie joined by her mother the great Flora MacNeil on the same track conjure up images of Native Americans at a gathering. Whereas her previous recording was perhaps a little more subdued in it's arrangements, Maggie has surrounded herself with some of Scotland's finest musicians including Sean O'Rourke (saxophone), Wendy Weatherby (cello) and Brian MacAlpine on keyboards and the overall performances on this album are far more dramatic. Take for instance the waulking song "Haidh O" where the use of stick driven rhythm and crashing electric guitars create a powerful, edgy performance. Although not rocking in the true sense of the word this is an album that is refreshing without being in your face and a joy to listen to. Pete Fyfe

Songlines Magazine May, 2004: Maggie MacInnes is the daughter of revered singer Flora MacNeil (who provides some backing vocals on this album) and, along with Karen Matheson and Alyth McCormack, she's one of the finest contemporary Gaelic voices around. In this third solo album she stretches the boundaries with a range of modern interpretations of traditional Gaelic songs, plus one self-composed English-language number and one Scots song by Burns. MacInnes is at her best when the arrangements are at their simplest. 'S toil leam an Cìobair', for the most part featuring only her singing and clarsach (harp), achieves a wonderful purity and clarity. The addition of the saxophone (Sean O'Rourke) towards the end is unexpected but successful, adding a real contemporary twist. 'Thig an Smeòrach as t-Earrach' is Gaelic singing at its best, accompanied by Brian MacAlpine's lyrical piano and Wendy Weatherby's cello; the emotional power will stop you in your tracks. And MacInnes's take on Burns's 'The Ewe Bughts' includes original music by her based on a traditional air - it's a great tune. One problem is the use of electric guitar and keyboards which, despite the good arrangements, detract more than they add. But the acoustic instruments, including fiddle, pipes, whistles and guitar, are much more successful, and the album's defining sounds - MacInnes's singing and clarsach playing - are consistently excellent.
Andy Jurgis

 

Spiorad Beatha – The Spirit of Life
Catalogue No. MARCD01

£12.00 (includes p&p) • Buy via Paypal

1. Gura Mise Tha Fo Èislean (I am full of greif) LISTEN HERE
2. Soraidh Bhuam Far Chuan Is Beannachd LISTEN HERE
(Greetings and blessings from across the ocean)
3. A' Mhaighdeann Bharrach (The Barra Maiden) LISTEN HERE

This is Maggie's second solo album recorded on her own record label "Marram" and co-produced by Graeme Hughes. Another selection of beautiful songs and instrumentals from the Scottish Gaelic tradition and featuring the talents of some very special guest musicians such as Charlie MacKerron (fiddle) of the world famous group Capercaillie; Sean O'Rourke (Saxophone & flute) formerly of the JSD Band; Brian MacAlpine (keyboards and accordion); Marie Fielding (fiddle); Keith Easdale (Scottish small pipes, bouzouki & whistles); Paul Jennings (percussion); Ali Napier (keyboards & bouzouki) and backing vocals from Flora MacNeil and the Children from The Glasgow Gaelic Primary school.

What the reviewers said about Spiorad Beatha:
Living Tradition Magazine, Summer 2001: "… it also takes a singer of unusual talent to unlock the soul and to place therein this music and these poems. And Maggie MacInnes is certainly one such performer."

Scots Magazine, September 2001: "On her second solo album Spiorad Beatha (The Spirit of Life),discerning listeners will find both traditional and modern songs which continue - and widen- the Gaelic tradition... This is by no means embellishing the music to broaden its appeal; this is bringing out its beauty, passion and majesty for all to enjoy and appreciate."

Folk Roots Magazine, July 2001: "Spiorad Beatha opens with a few iridescent phrases from Maggie's clarsach and from there on in shimmers with the kind of deep-felt emotion that has become familiar to those who have seen her live performances. It gives her chosen songs a gripping immediacy that speaks volumes about the contemporary relevance of this great tradition... Maggie's chosen approach to traditional song and, doubtlessly, with the aid and inspiration of her mother, she displays an instinctive understanding of the music's origin in the oral tradition of the Gaelic speaking islands… it is refreshing to encounter a musician who strives to communicate via the power inherent in her chosen songs and via arrangements that compliment rather than fight these beautiful melodies."

Inverness Courier, July 2001: "this haunting album which typifies the creative forces that have revitalised Gaelic music in recent years."

 

Eilean Mara
Catalogue No. DUNCD022

£12.00 (includes p&p) • Buy via Paypal

1. Sraid na h-Eala LISTEN HERE
2. Calum Ban LISTEN HERE
3. A Fhleasgaich Oig is Ceanalta LISTEN HERE

This album was recorded in 1998 and released on the Dunkeld Record Label. It was co-produced by the well-known singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean and features some of the finest guest musicians such as Dougie himself, Gordon Duncan (bagpipes and whistles); Marie Fielding (fiddle); Ali Napier (keyboards and harmonium) Jamie MacLean (percussion); and of course backing vocals from Maggie's mum, Flora MacNeil.

What the reviewers said about Eilean Mara:
Scots Magazine, May 1999: "Maggie has a rich and moving voice of haunting intensity,which elegantly fronts the imaginative backings... A must for any self-respecting fan of trad Gaelic songs... love and respect for traditional Gaelic music which shines through this album like a beacon."

AFIM Magazine (Association of Independent Music), June 1999: "There is nothing quite like the sound of stunning Gaelic vocals and clarsach(harp) - all coming from one of the brightest singers of traditional Gaelic music in Scotland. The album received recognition as first finalist in the 1998 Crossroad Music Awards in the Celtic music category. Eilean Mara is bound to gather a ground swell of support as Maggie's Gaelic music goes out to the world."

Pete Fyfe (Fyfe on Folk), Dec 1998: "Maggie relies on the beauty of an unaffected pure vocal inherited from her mother Flora MacNeil. Unaccompanied or with sympathetic backing from Dougie MacLean and various musicians the album will hold the listener transfixed for the elegance of the performance."

John O'Reagan (Broadcaster and Freelance Journalist): "Maggie MacInnes is one of the great names of Gaelic singing and Eilean Mara is long awaited. From her days touring with Ossian and playing with bands including Eclipse First her place among the leading Scots Gaelic voices has been assured... Eilean Mara is a potent showcase for Maggie MacInnes' talents and is a welcome sight."