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
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Traditional
Genre:
Vocal
Label: Hyperion
Magazine Review Date: 7/2000
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 |
Author: John Steane
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.'
As a matter of fact, one of Britten’s arrangements is included here (
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.'
Songs of Scotland
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