Ardross Community Hall, 3 September 2007

Mary Jane Lamond.

IN THE SPIRIT of Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours Festival the first night of Atlantic Voices was intimate and informal, staged at Ardross in one of the many community and village halls on the Blas Festival circuit.

Canada’s Mary Jane Lamond clearly demonstrated that music is the most powerful ambassador for Gaelic language in her interpretation and communication through song. Not having the language yourself was no barrier – the energy, joy and passionate delivery in her performance places Gaelic music proudly and confidently on a world stage, reflecting a rich tradition relevant to anyone with a heartbeat.

She was supported brilliantly and with great sensitivity by her band with Wendy MacIsaac (fiddle), Geoff Arsenault (percussion), Ed Woodsworth (bass guitar) and Jamie Robertson (acoustic guitar).

The percussion created a mellow contemporary-meets-world undercurrent to many of the arrangements of traditional songs from the old world and the new. This was used to particularly good effect in a Sailing Song from Cape Breton that kept rhythm rolling like waves.

What is so evident in Cape Breton music is the pulse of a living tradition conveyed in Wendy MacIssac’s distinctive accented style coupled with stepdance. Her set accompanied by Jamie Robertson on guitar included ‘The Duke of Gordon’s Birthday’, ‘The Dismissal Reel’ and ‘The Mortgage Burn’ by fellow Cape Bretoner Gordon Maclean. This is music that you can’t help but move to or be moved by.

Lamond’s interpretation of ‘Cumha Aoghnuis – Lament for Angus’ was both beautiful and emotive, and ‘Màiri Bhàn Dhail an Eas – Fair Mary from Dalness’ a stunning conveyance of longing. This was contrasted with puirt a beul and dance-based arrangements such as ‘The Stepping Song’ which Lamond and her band performed as one of the encores.

Singing acapella, Mary Jane Lamond demonstrates her strength and clarity as a singer and storyteller. Comfortable banter with the audience and her fellow musicians gave a warmth and integrity to the performance that was both enjoyable and inclusive.

Accompanied by Iain MacDonald (pipes & lute), Iain MacFarlane (fiddle) and Ross Martin (guitar), Kathleen MacInnes and her band opened the first half of the evening. Although she delivered an excellent set Kathleen MacInnes lacked the focus and sustained delivery of last month’s superb concert with Catherine Anne MacPhee at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Skye.

Highlights of her performance included her haunting interpretation of a lament on the Sutherland Clearances and in complete contrast a buoyant puirt a beul concerning an egg! Iain MacFarlane and Iain MacDonald delivered a fantastic set including ‘Beth Married the Tinker’, ‘The Soup Dragon’ by the late Gordon Duncan, ‘The Bobers of Brechin’ and ‘The Shetland Fiddler’. The energy of Gordon Duncan’s pipe tune was particularly infectious.

The fact that Kathleen MacInnes and Mary Jane Lamond did not perform together due to time constraint (the MJL band had only just arrived from Canada) will hopefully be remedied during the rest of the Atlantic Voices concerts in Strontian, Kyleakin, Nairn and Durness.

I hope that in the Year of Homecoming following the Highland Year of Culture this combination of performers can be repeated and developed further in terms of creative and musical exchange. If you only see one concert of traditional music this year then let this be it. Guthan A’ Chuain is a superb opportunity to hear two of the finest voices in Gaelic music either side of the Atlantic.

© Georgina Coburn, 2007

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