The RSAMD student from the island of Lewis won the title BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2007 after a moving and beautiful performance at The City Halls is Glasgow during Celtic Connections Festival. As Simon Thoumire the event organiser said, "She lifted the room with her lyrical, thoughtful Gaelic singing. It was simply beautiful". There are some lovely songs on this CD, including the title track Cadal Cuain (Sea Sleep) a girl's heartbroken lament for her drowned sweetheart. It was lovely to hear Catriona with her Grandmother Christy on track 7 sing Oran Dealchaidh (a song of parting). It was Christy who taught Catriona to sing Gaelic songs. Ironically the song is about a young man who leaves the Isle of Berneray in North Uist to make a new life on in Bernera in Lewis, which is what Christy herself did 50 years ago!
Musicians Catriona Watt - Gaelic song Fiona MacAskill - fiddle, backing vocals (tr4) Lauren Tait - piano Gillian Chalmers - whistles, backing vocals (tr4) Mary Ann Kennedy - piano (tr6), backing vocals (tr 2,4) Christy MacDonald (vocals tr7) Duncan Lyall - bass (tr2,5,10,11) Martin O'Neill - bodhran (tr2,8,10) Mhairi Hall - piano (tr9) Tormod MacArtair - Tromb (tr8)
Here is that rare thing, a young Gaelic singer who can beautifully convince in traditional, unaccompanied voice alone
Here is that rare thing, a young Gaelic singer who can beautifully convince in traditional, unaccompanied voice alone. Not only that, the award-winning performer is at the forefront of the upsurge in Gaelic music-making and can also play fiddle and whistle. On her first album she's joined by nine musicians and singers, and on one track by her grandmother, who gifted young Watt her love of singing. These 11 songs are sewn together by the metaphor of love in a watery death, seaweed for a bed and seals for company, as in the ancient 'Ailein Duinn' and the title track, set to a tune by Kenna Campbell....Norman Chalmers......http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com
Customer Reviews
'Strepsils for your ears!' Mostlywind
From the first track to the last I was absolutely hooked! I didn't want to fast forward through anything. Catriona shows such musicality and adds a modern twist while still managing to stay true to the tradition. And the track of her singing with her grandmother - inspired! Wonderful wonderful wonderful - not often that I'm at a loss for words! But it's the best thing I've heard for a long time - she was definitely a worthy winner of Young Traditional Musician last year!
A great singer, live and on disc Fred Riley
I saw Catrìona and her 'band' (three very accomplished women) at Aros on Skye on Saturday 3rd April, 2010, and it was an excellent performance, sadly only with sparse attendance. She's an ordinary lassie with an extraordinary voice, and her friends are excellent musicians too, all music college (can't remember which one) graduates. I bought the CD at the gig and it's nearly as good as the live show, though of course doesn't have herself talking about the cost of Easter eggs in Broadford ;)