This album by Fiona J Mackenzie is the culmination of many years working with and learning about the song collections and recordings made by John Lorne Campbell and Margaret Fay Shaw in their years as Gaelic folklorists and song collectors. As Archivist for The National Trust for Scotland in Canna House, on the island of Canna, Fiona has been privileged to look after these wonderful collections, something which has been her life's ambition. Fiona waited until she was sure she truly understood how John and Margaret would want these songs to be heard and understood. This album is about the contributors, the songs, how we can learn from them today, to be inspired by them and to use them to create the New from the Old. Fiona is an award-winning and highly regarded Gaelic singer and this is her 4th album for Greentrax Recordings. The album was recorded in Rose Croft Studios, Muir of Ord, Scotland, early in 2022, by Barry Reid and mastered by Dennis Blackham at Skye Mastering. Session musicians are Katie Mackenzie (Clarsach), James Duncan Mackenzie (Flute and Pipes), Yvonne Lyon (Shruti box), Yvonne and David Lyon (Keys, Accordion and Guitar) and Florence Cummings of Seattle (Step dance). Samples of the voices of various characters from the Canna House sound archive also included (see sleeve notes for details). This is another very important collection of Gaelic song in the long list of Gaelic albums released by Greentrax. The front cover image is a photo of M iri MacRae and Angus John Campbell captured by Margaret Fay Shaw at the fireside in Tigh M iri Anndra, North Glendale, South Uist, in 1930. Other photos are from the Margaret Fay Shaw Photographic Collection - National Trust for Scotland. Artwork by John Slavin of DesignFolk.
