Songs of Scotland

A delicate balance has been struck between ‘folk’ and ‘art’, with both piano and clarsach accompaniment and singing of warmth and humour from Marie McLaughlin

Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Traditional

Genre:

Vocal

Label: Hyperion

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 75

Mastering:

Stereo
DDD

Catalogue Number: CDA67106

Tracks:

Composition Artist Credit
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Scots Wha Hae Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Wee Cooper o' Fife Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Loch Lomond Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: O whistle and I'll come to you, my lad Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Jock o'Hazeldean Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Comin' thro' the rye Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Dance to your Daddy Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Flowers o' the Forest Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Skye Boat Song Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Cockle Gatherer Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: A Fairy's Love Song Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Gallant Weaver Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Fidgety Bairn Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Keel Row Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: There's nae luck about the house Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: An Island Sheiling Song Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The White Cockade Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Bonnie Wee Thing Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Air Falalalo Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: A rosebud by my early walk Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Hush-a-ba, birdie Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: An Eriksay Love Lilt Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: My love's in Germany Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The winter it is past Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Tocherless Lass Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Laird o'Cockpen Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Kind Robin lo'es me Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: Ca' the yowes Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Queen Maries Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Rowan Tree Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: The Bonnie Earl o' Moray Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
Songs of Scotland, Movement: O Willie's gane tae Melville Castle Traditional, Composer
Isobel Frayling-Cork, Clarsach
Malcolm Martineau, Piano
Marie McLaughlin, Soprano
Traditional, Composer
It looks simple, it sounds simple, but I imagine a good deal of thought has gone into it: ‘it’ being the programme, or, more specifically, the way in which the programme has been served. Always a decision has to be made about how much of the folk is to be retained in the song. The choice of a singer from opera house or concert hall settles the matter to some extent: the songs will lose the authentic untutored voice of the countryside. The singer for her part will renounce (as Marie McLaughlin does here) ‘classical’, and particularly operatic, ways so that a compromise is reached. But then as soon as a piano is introduced a further step is taken towards the folk-art-song: the very sound of the grand piano belongs to the drawing-room rather than the fields. And still the question remains – what exactly is the pianist to play? Is it to be a simple harmonisation of the melody, or an inventive composition in its own right, as in the folk-song arrangements of Benjamin Britten?
As a matter of fact, one of Britten’s arrangements is included here (The Bonnie Earl o’ Moray) but not attributed. There are also several by Claire Liddell, whose chords are never quite the ones expected and who is never content to let a strophic song merely repeat itself. Others, such as Cedric Thorpe Davey, add something of their own but restrict its development. Some accompany only as a kind of support. Some leave it to the melody and the voice, and there is much to be said for that.
In this recital the policy is to try all of these. In several items the piano is replaced by the clarsach, a delicate instrument and very apt. Marie McLaughlin sings with warm tone, affection, humour and zest. Malcolm Martineau makes the most of the various styles of accompaniment, and Isobel Frayling-Cork is a welcome partner. The texts are helpfully annotated, so you can no longer protest ignorance of the sheiling and the keel row and are also instructed in pronunciation.'

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