As you listen to Eadarainn you will also get a sense of what a great character Rona Lightfoot is. Rona's most immediate musical in influences were her mother Kate, who was one of the most remarkable singers and tradition bearers of her age and Eairdsidh Raghnaill, her father, a piper and seanachaidh of renown. Rona s family cherished and fostered Gaelic traditional arts and Eadarainn is a distillation of the cultural legacy which she inherited. A beautiful album quite unique in that Rona is a piper as well as a singer. Pipe tunes canntaireachd, traditional tunes andd a strong family tradition and inheritance from the lore of South Uist. This debut CD brims with testimony to her abundant talents.
Guest musicians: fiddle - Allan Henderson, clarsach - Deirdre Graham, accordionist - Carol-Anne MacKay and piper - Iain MacDonald .
Media Reviews
an excellent exponent of Gaelic song in both poignant and humorous forms
.........The singer from South Uist demonstrates that she is an excellent exponent of Gaelic song in both poignant and humorous forms, including a song derived from pibroch. The latter is particularly appropriate, since Rona is also a noted piper. Macmeanmna regulars like fiddler Allan Henderson, clarsach player Deirdre Graham, accordionist Carol-Anne MacKay and piper Iain MacDonald add typically deft musical accompaniment.
In this wonderful album from the great South Uist singer and piper, 14 tracks cover the Gaelic tradition, from puirt and waulking songs to humorous night-visiting tales....
Inthis wonderful album from the great South Uist singer and piper, 14 tracks cover the Gaelic tradition, from puirt and waulking songs to humorous night-visiting tales, pibroch songs and canntaireachd - piping vocables and her beautiful and delicate version of Tha Mo Bhreacan-sa fo n Dleann. Her own pibroch composition Cumha Alasdair stands ut among rare settings of ceol beg on the pipes, and the production (by Iain MacDonald) and conrtributions by guest musicians are first class.
One of the most intriguing and impressive tracks on Eadarainn is the trio of lilted pipe tunes, perfect examples of "canntaireachd", the old method of learning the pipes without written music
This CD is one of the nicest surprises I've received recently. An accomplished singer, piper and lilter, Rona Lightfoot personifies the music of South Uist. Many of the ten Gaelic songs here come from Rona's family repertoire and are still not widely known. The three sets of pipe tunes are all familiar melodies, but Rona's settings and style are uniquely evocative of the South Uist Gaelic tradition. It's hard to believe that this is a debut recording.
One of the most intriguing and impressive tracks on Eadarainn is the trio of lilted pipe tunes, perfect examples of "canntaireachd", the old method of learning the pipes without written music. Rona's vocal renditions of Roderick MacDonald's Strathspey, The Spinning Wheel, and The Duntroon Reel are expertly delivered in what is sadly a dying art. Iain MacDonald's small pipes match the vocals note for note, underlining the close relationship between piping and singing. Another aspect of this relationship is illustrated in the "puirt-a-beul" Gille Bhàin set to a well-known dance tune. Rona gives us two "puirt-a-beul" tracks on this album: the other one is a pair of powerful but neglected old reels.
Iain MacDonald's contribution to this recording is worth emphasising. As well as playing large and small Scottish pipes, flutes, whistles, concertina, bodhrán and jaw harp, Iain has definitely excelled in the role of producer: the full and vibrant sound of this album shows the strength and character of South Uist music at its best. The collaborations between Iain and Rona are among the highlights of Eadarainn: Rona's pipes and Iain's Bb flute on Maol Donn, Rona's vocals and Iain's piping on Eadarainn Mòr Ruadh, and the Canntaireachd track. Maol Donn is a microcosm of Rona's art, with singing, piping and cainntaireachd all combined.
The backing vocals, fiddle, piano, accordion and clarsach are almost gilding the lily on what is already an outstanding album. I hope we'll hear much more from Rona Lightfoot in future, especially her old-style piping which is under-represented on this CD.
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