Tag Archives: Scottish music

Childsplay at the State Street Church

Imagine anywhere from 21 to 28 fiddler/violin players on one stage with a rhythm section, throw in a random banjo or wooden flute … sound like a party? Well, that’s how Childsplay got its start: in Bob Childs’ house at … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Childsplay at the State Street Church

Capercaillie’s Dusk Till Dawn: The Best of Capercaillie and  Karen Matheson’s The Dreaming Sea

One of Scotland’s more endearing — and enduring — bands, Capercaillie (named, curiously, for a particularly large species of Scottish grouse) has been making beautiful music for nearly twenty years now. Formed in 1984 by Donald Shaw, Karen Matheson and … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Capercaillie’s Dusk Till Dawn: The Best of Capercaillie and  Karen Matheson’s The Dreaming Sea

Mairi MacInnes’ Tickettyboo

Judith Gennett penned this review. Some time back, Scottish Gaelic singer Mairi MacInnes was commissioned by the BBC to record music for a series called “Songs And Rhymes.” This children’s album is a collection of MacInnes’ favorites from the series. The … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Mairi MacInnes’ Tickettyboo

Shooglenifty’s Arms Dealer’s Daughter

As far as I can tell, every little hamlet harbours some rad trad types with lots of electronic equipment in their garages. Hell, some of them have even invented instruments, as did Garry Finlayson of Shooglenifty with his souped up … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Shooglenifty’s Arms Dealer’s Daughter

 Cantychiels’ Cantychiels

Naomi wrote this review. The members of Cantychiels — all active members of the Scottish folk music community — have apparently been playing together in various incarnations for several years, but this is the first chance that they’ve had, to … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on  Cantychiels’ Cantychiels

Capercaillie’s Roses and Tears

My first acquaintance with Capercaillie was an album that turned out to be a “crossover” — Celtic trad group goes pop. At least some of that pop influence seems to have made a home in the group’s style — I … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Capercaillie’s Roses and Tears

Capercaillie’s At the Heart of It All

I’m still working my way through Capercaillie, which, out of a host of interesting musicians from many traditions, remains one of the most engaging groups I’ve run across. At the Heart of It All seems to pull together a lot … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Capercaillie’s At the Heart of It All

Capercaillie’s To the Moon

To the Moon was my first exposure to Capercaillie, so of course, it was what’s generally considered their “crossover” album. This is by no means a negative, or even something that’s very obvious: it’s more apparent in the rhythm patterns, … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Capercaillie’s To the Moon

Pipeline at the First Unitarian Universalist Church

If you enjoy bagpipe music as well as Celtic music in general, then you’re likely to enjoy Pipeline. If, on the other hand, you think you dislike bagpipe music, you should definitely give this group a try anyway. Pipeline, the duo of … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Pipeline at the First Unitarian Universalist Church

Hawp’s Storm + Calm

Described on their website as ‘a swirling reverie of Scots and Irish song; flute; whistles; fiddles; guitar; bouzouki; bodhran; and Irish dance, HAWP is a Celtic ensemble that combines ancient traditions with modern musical approaches to create a sound truly … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Hawp’s Storm + Calm