Cynthia Cathcart takes us on a journey through the mystical sound of the Clàrsach.
The Clàrsach is different from the regular Classical harp in a sense that it has smaller size and creates a unique sound. It has that distinctive perky and almost sharp edge when played by the fingernails. It is a tone color that resembles the harpsichord yet has the nuance of the piano. It creates a visual imagery that calls to mind tiny silver coins being tossed inside an empty well. Resonant but light..always brilliant and ancient.
Cynthia Cathcart mastered this instrument by herself. It was accident that brought this into her hands. She taught herself how to play and passion made her do research on the techniques as well as the musical repertoire for this instrument. Her classical training in the field of piano and organ made her apply the discipline to the Clàrsach yet never losing that folk honesty that is always present in Celtic music.
She teaches and has released two recordings. Learn more about her, the instrument and samples from her website : http://www.cynthiacathcart.net
The brilliant revival of this ancient instrument is in part due to the uniquely bell-like resonance of brass, silver and gold harp strings, producing a sound unlike any other harp.
Cynthia strives to bring the joy of making music on these precious strings to anyone who is drawn to their sound. She offers private lessons in her studio near Washington DC, and also attends various events throughout the year to give workshops, presentations and concerts.
As well as helping students, Cynthia’s books, articles and recordings will delight lovers of this strange, special music.
I think these days the harp has been overlooked in much of Celtic music. Chicago based harpist/singer/composer Scott Hoye has added charm and elegance to this instrument making it fresh as a ripe fruit ready to be plucked for your sonic hunger. He weaves his personal style to traditional tunes to create something new out of the old.
As for the singing, this man can sing! Right now the rain is falling as I write this piece. His music is a perfect companion to that mood. You should try this: make yourself hot chocolate with bread and butter. Find a great spot by your window. Look at the glistening leaves under the gray sky.. and smell that wet scent of the earth rising along with other organic scents. Close your eyes occasionally to the sound of harp music. You will be in a good mood later. I am at peace oh yes! Feeling calm now.
Scott was a founding member of the Celtic ensemble The Spriggans, as well as the progressive rock band Seranati. His repertoire includes traditional and original tunes on Celtic harp, vocals, whistles, and percussion. Scott gathers inspiration from traditional sources of Irish, Scottish, other Celtic, folk, and world music, while mixing them together with contemporary sounds to create a new, sonic brew.
Ever wondered where Julie Fowlis was involved with musically before she became a huge artist of her own? The answer is Dòchas. Her crystal clear vocals are all over these recordings along with the amazing members Kathleen Boyle, Carol-Anne Mackay, Eilidh Macleod, Martin O’Neill and Jenna Reid. They released two albums An Darna Umhail and the self titled debut Dochas. There has been no confirmed news since 2009 as each members pursued their own individual projects but who knows? One of these days we mght hear them together creating wonderful musical treasures.
Hailing from all parts of Scotland, this award winning and dynamic band are heralded as one of the country’s finest exports. Having delighted audiences from Achiltibuie to Austria, Copenhagen to Calgary and Vienna to Vancouver, Dòchas are fast becoming one of the most popular bands on the Festival circuit.
A well worn phrase, but Dòchas really amounts to much more than the sum of its parts. And this becomes all the more impressive when you consider the parts themselves – award winning individuals, and sought after session musicians. With two critically acclaimed albums under their belt, Dòchas have matured into a band who promise dynamic, virtuosic and varied live shows, with both “heart-melting vocals” and “barn-stomping tunes”.
Featuring the many talents of Kathleen Boyle, Julie Fowlis, Carol-Anne Mackay, Eilidh Macleod, Martin O’Neill and Jenna Reid.
Generally we have an idea in our heads of what sort of ‘feel’ we can imagine for a song but sometimes it ends up being totally different to the first template! For instance, in ‘Gazz’, that developed from Roberto playing a riff on the upright bass then each of us just joining in with some little snippet, then I threw in some odd Gaelic words which then developed themselves into a wee new genre- Gazz- Gaelic Jazz! It’s great fun as well as being completely inspirational, working with the others.
Gaelic/Traditional Vocalist/Member of The Kilmarnock Edition talks to The Celtic Music Fan about her new exciting musical project.
So excited to feature this band from Scotland. I follow Fiona Mackenzie’s update so that’s how I was able to read about The Kilmarnock Edition. What got to me was their reggae sound on top of the distinctive Scottish trad tune. And yes folks ’tis the season to party! I set this interview up to know more:
1. After your last album A Good Suit of Clothes which I enjoyed so much, this is one good news! Your voice is really beautiful. What is the most exciting thing about The Kilmarnock Edition?
The most exciting thing about being part of the KE is the realisation that we are bringing a new style of Scottish music to the public ear. We are all well known in our own individual genres but as we work together, we are creating something that I think is very special and that wont be found anywhere else on the Scottish music scene. We are thrilled to have the chance to work on establishing what is in effect, a new genre of Scottish music- we are not a folk band, we’re not a classical band, we’re not a rock, jazz or reggae band- but we have elements of all this within our style- but it doesn’t emerge as if we are a real ‘hotchpotch’ of sound, the music presents itself as an exciting, hopeful and inspirational style, all of its own.
2. The members are high-powered coming from their own bands and projects. Is it a great experience working with the rest of the band?
It is hugely exciting with the band. We all manage to get along together very well socially as well as professionally and we have formed very strong personal bonds, as well as various other duo/trio partnerships for other gigs. Everyone is very generous with their Songwriting and willing to ‘let their songs go’ to others in the band, for vocals, instrumentation etc if they feel that is what the song needs. When we get together for writing/rehearsals we are always very excited to see what the latest sounds will emerge- we never quite know what’s going to happen, but we do know when its right! We are very lucky to have such a diverse range of talents within the group, both musically and in writing. Roberto for instance, is hugely talented at writing funny, observational but very incisive songs about normal day to day life, which are really brought to life in his own Italian accent and style. Lisa writes beautiful songs about the world today, political/socio-economic environments as well as taking history as inspiration for example. Yvonne writes truly stunning lyrics of life and love and gives us the gift of her beautiful keyboard skills. Alex writes wonderful songs which are easy for audiences to pick up as well as the most tender of love songs. I write contemporary songs incorporating Scottish Gaelic with English and the Scots tongue- on contemporary subjects such as technology and ‘empty nest syndrome’! It gives me the chance to experiment with new ways of making Gaelic accessible to a wider audience. And Stu, our cajon player and percussionist gives us that fantastic extra brilliance of beat for whatever the style and tempo.
3. What can we expect from this project musically?
Musically we want to show an audience that Scottish music does not have to be traditional to be representative of our language and culture. That is is possible, in the hands of good musicians and writers, to take elements from all aspects of the Scottish musical spectrum and blend them into something new, fresh and invigorating, a new face of Scottish music. All members of the band are well established and well respected in their solo careers and we only perform to the highest professional standards. We are all passionate about what we do and we believe that is evident in our performance.
4.Is there an album coming out soon?
We will be going to Watercolour Studio on the lovely Ardgour peninsula at the end of April to record our debut album “Pay it Forward” and we are hugely excited by the prospect of working very very hard at producing what we hope will be a truly special and indigenous album. We are totally delighted and honoured that the album will be released on the Greentrax label and we are very grateful to Ian Green to having faith in us to produce an album for his catalogue. He has been following us since our first rehearsals and says that he did indeed spy something unique about us right from the beginning. We take our title from the fact that , having been lucky in being given support from various people over the last 2 years, we now want to ‘pay a little forward’ and do something for other people or groups in the Community. To date , we’ve done some local charity gigs to raise money for the new Church roof in Prestonpans, where Alex comes from.. The album will be out during the Summer.
5. I heard a few sample tracks and I understand what makes the band exciting. The tracks are really groovy and good enough for dancing. I am sure fans of Reggae, Traditional music as well as Jazz will love the music. Who lays down the musical ideas for the tracks?
All the ideas for the tracks come from ourselves. We bring an idea to the group then just jam for a while until something gels then we work on that basic idea. Its often easier working with others than on your own as you can bat ideas around and someone will play a wee riff or sing a ‘doo wop’ that sparks something interesting and unusual. Generally we have an idea in our heads of what sort of ‘feel’ we can imagine for a song but sometimes it ends up being totally different to the first template! For instance, in ‘Gazz’, that developed from Roberto playing a riff on the upright bass then each of us just joining in with some little snippet, then I threw in some odd Gaelic words which then developed themselves into a wee new genre- Gazz- Gaelic Jazz! Its great fun as well as being completely inspirational, working with the others. We’re all so thankful that we met in the Burnsong House in 2009- Kilmarnock Edition has given all of our musical careers a totally new direction and hopefully it will take us to all parts of Scotland, the Uk and to further afield too- we really do believe that overseas markets will find out new style of Scottish music, appealing whilst still drawing on our traditions and respecting where we come from.
Urstan-A gaelic term, specific to the Isles of Lewis, for a baby’s head-wetting.
Urstan feels at home with rainy afternoons and hot chocolate. The music has that festive appeal amidst the meditative flavour that is traditional Scottish music. Listening to the first track Mìle Marbhphaisg air a’ Ghaol will tell you that the people behind this album put their best efforts to make sure all details and nuances of sound are captured to the last decibel. The Laird o’ the Drum is an English language ballad that relies on spare arrangement making way for more vocal clarity. Here Mairi Morrison offers the backing to Alasdair Roberts. Làrach do Thacaidean is a playful Gaelic song with that feet tapping hip swaying rhythm. The rolling drums are crunchy enough to make you roll your eyes with pleasure. Never Wed An Old Man reminds me of those funny traditional songs that have that tongue in cheek kind of sarcasm that never fails to raise laughter.
E Ho Leigein is sung a capella during the first verse. Here Mairi’s voice gathers more magnetism and grace. Fiullaigean has both Irish and Scottish arrangement. The clarity of the instrumental parts are really something that is ever-present in this recording. Hion Dail-a Horo Hì is a kind of puit a beul song that will catch your attention with its vocal arrangement. Here Mairi sings the parts of the chorus using her voice as an instrument with percussive force. The Tri-Coloured House is a ballad that starts with a fiddle then blossoms into a full set of other instruments plus vocals by Alasdair. The beauty of simplistic guitar driven music hits home in the enchanting Am Faca Sibh Lilidh Tha Mise Ri Lorg?
My curiosity was aroused with Ailein Duinn. This has been covered by Capercaillie and I thought something like this(especially after being in the Rob Roy soundtrack) will be hard to top. But Mairi’s vocal rendition is mind blowing. The instrumental arrangement for this track is genius! The Whole House Is Singing is the most cheerful track I heard from this album. I think I might have smiled a lot all through the length of this song. Leanabh an Òir closes this wonderful album. The track is wrapped in spare arrangement and clear sonic mixing that everything about it feels like gazing at a clear pond and seeing your reflection. Drag City has created a unique album worth your ears. The liner notes as well as the CD box are a fun thing to relish. I give this album two thumbs up!
I think these days the harp has been overlooked in much of Celtic music. Chicago based harpist/singer/composer Scott Hoye has added charm and elegance to this instrument making it fresh as a ripe fruit ready to be plucked for your sonic hunger. He weaves his personal style to traditional tunes to create something new out of the old.
Celtic Music Fan 