In 2006, Julie Fowlis won newcomer at the BBC Folk Awards.
The album title, a noun pronounced ‘kul’i’ means treasury, sanctuary, retreat
and secret hiding place. This release follows her 2005 CD Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe
(As My Heart Is).
Sung entirely in Scottish Gaelic, the beauty here lies with the delivery and
the fabulous simplicity of the music and singing. Not many would tackle it
this way. Some of it ballads, some of it gentle foot-tappers like track 5,
Puirt-a-beul Set are set to stories of ships and lullabies which she
has learned from others or covered.
One in particular, track 9, is a song written by Finlay Morrison about men who
were promised land, A Land Fit For Heroes, if they went to fight during
WW1. Ones who returned got nothing. Another is about a boat, the Lochmor.
Written by Peter Morrison, it tells the story about a memorable journey on
the well known boat that served the Hebrides and the west coast of Scotland.
The lullaby, track 12, is sung as a warning shot for the intending sleeper who
might be a guest or Hugh (in Ireland), "Aoidh, don’t sleep at all / You’ll
get no peace with the raid underway / Ensure your sharp sword is on your thigh /
And take to the hills immediately."
Song 7, My Own Donald, written by Neil MacLeod of Skye, Fowlis learned
from Flora MacNeil for a BBC Scotland radio series called Trad Roots. Songs
from Uist, tracks 1 & 2, were introduced into the set after she got together
with some pals in Glasgow. The elopement of Jessie of Balranald, and this is
one of many about her. She was engaged to marry Cooper, but used her engagement
celebrations to elope on the ship Eliza Jane with a ‘McDonald’ man from Skye.
All the songs are beautifully presented vocally, which makes for a wonderful
listening experience. If you’re further interested in knowing more about these
great stories, visit her website, linked below, click on songs, see the song
titles and click on lyrics.
It’s also a delight to hear real instruments being played with such style and
technique.
1. Hug air a’ Bhonaid Mhoir (Celebrate The Great Bonnet)
2. Mo Ghruagach (My Brown Haired Lass)
3. An t-Aparan Goirid’s an t-Aparan Ur : Oran do Sheasaidh Bhaile Raghnaill (The Short Apron And The New Apron : Song for Jessie of Balranald
4. ‘Ille Dhuinn,’S Toigh Lean Thu (Brown-haired Lad, I’m Fond Of You)
5. Puirt-a-beul Set (I’m Fond of Potatoes And Butter)
6. Set Of Jigs
7. Mo Dhomhnallan Fhein (My Own Donald)
8. Turas san Lochmor (A Journey In The Lochmor)
9. Oran nan Raiders (O, What Heroes There Are)
10. Bodaich Odhar Hoghaigearraidh (The Dun Coloured Old Men of Hoghaigearraidh)
11. Mo Bheannachd dhan Bhaillidh Ur (My Compliments To The New Bailiff /Factor)
12. Aoidh, Na Dean Cadal Idir (Aoidh, Don’t Sleep At All)
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2008.
