|
...........................................................................................................
Things evolve. It’s simply a form of growth. The Cottars have come a long way, starting as children performing to a hometown audience, through their teen years when they toured the world and shared stages with the biggest names in the business. Now they have evolved again, into young adults, mature in their skills with new faces and outlooks. Even with their relative youth still apparent, it seems that The Cottars have been a part of Canada’s East Coast music scene for years. They have the nominations and the hardware to prove it, including East Coast Music Awards and Nova Scotia Music Industry Awards. They have the road record to prove it as well: tours throughout Canada, shows in Europe and thirty-eight U.S. states, two tours of Japan and appearances at major festivals around the world. Joining the original Cottars members Ciarán and Fiona MacGillivray are two new band members Claire Pettit and Bruce Timmons. Claire is a fiddler and singer from Warwick Valley, NY. She adds a fresh bloom to the combination with her new style, different tune selection and lovely voice. While her roots aren’t in Cape Breton, Claire’s family has developed a strong love for the place during trips to the island, where her parents have a small house near the shores of Lake Ainslie on the island’s sunset coast. On the other hand, Bruce is a veteran guitarist with a wealth of skill and experience; both on stage and in the studio. Highly respected among his peers, he can fall into any style, from straight Celtic to something far heavier, and feel right at home.
This quartet,
Ciarán and Fiona, Claire and Bruce, has become the evolutionary
culmination that is now The Cottars. “Oidhche Mhath Leibh” is a familiar Gaelic parting song, known in English as “Goodnight To You.” This number receives a new treatment, not far from the original, but enough for it to stand out on its own. Fittingly, it’s the last cut on the CD, a great way to say goodbye. The Cottars have also taken the time to dig around through the obscure, coming up with things that may not be well known but fit the mood and the moment of the CD. “Leave Tomorrow Till It Comes,” is a song from Glenn Yarbrough that was recorded for an animated movie based on Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, done years before the successful Peter Jackson movies. Ciarán had that movie and loved the song. “Seagull,” from Steeleye Span’s Peter Knight, originally appeared on the group’s 1989 Tempted and Tried recording. A song heralding a commonly played game, it gets a fresh lift and a spirited rendition, a fresh dose of fiddle and some nice harmonies. Meanwhile, Mark Knopfler is best known for his works with Dire Straits, as a guitarist, vocalist and writer. It’s his last skill that The Cottars call on, putting a bluegrass tinge to his “Fare Thee Well, Northumberland” and nicely splicing in a fiddle composition by Claire in the process. The group started out wanting a nice tune to use as a bridge. After Claire heard the song for the first time, she was inspired to write the companion piece in just a few minutes. And speaking of writers, Fiona has come into her own with this CD, adding two new and beautiful songs to the mix. Ciarán told me that he and Fiona approach a song from very different directions: he hears the music first, the structure of the notes and the chords; she hears the words. She is quick to agree that for her the words are paramount. She’s done a lot of writing, but only a few of her songs have gone beyond her own eyes and ears. She confides that she does some of her best composing in that time between the realities of the day and the gentleness of the night; her mind is cleared and she just reacts to the layer of consciousness that remains. “On A Pier” came about that way, arriving in her mind in a matter of minutes. It has an “old” sound, emphasized even more by the distinctive and deliberate piano. While “Hymn For N” has a similar tempo and texture, it exudes an unspoken sensuality, unexpected from one so young. The identity of “N” is never discussed or revealed. It could be somebody…or it could be nobody. Taken together, the whole concept of Feast gives you a wonderful progression in music and sound, from the recently written “Overture,” through the interesting mix of modern and traditional, to the lovely traditional Gaelic piece that says goodbye. Throughout the recording The Cottars provide virtually all of the music, as all are multi-talented instrumentally. It’s a wonder to watch them move effortlessly from one instrument to another with such ease. The main ingredient that distinguishes The Cottars from so many other groups is the depth of their vocal skills. Claire has just started to develop her voice in this group’s setting, while Fiona’s powerful and passion-filled voice has been heralded as spectacular for years. Considering their background, it’s no wonder that Ciarán and Fiona take such pleasure from their voices. Their home, from the time they were born, was filled with music. Their parents were (and are) singers, their father a songwriter of such renown that one of his works has been recorded over 150 times, while another has been performed or recorded in six different languages. Music was always present and not just traditional or folk, but a wide variety of styles and types, shared amongst the family and with the many friends who joined in. As you listen to this CD, think of all that has gone in to it: the history of the tunes, the process of creating the songs, the evolution of The Cottars themselves. Yes, everything evolves, and continues to evolve.
"Sparkling with
beautiful musicianship, pure singing, airy melodies, and the
contagious energy of Celtic instrumentation, they infuse
Celtic-folk-pop with a splash of youthful vibrancy."
"Exuberant
exploration of the folk tradition, with polished contemporary
overtones."
"This band
delivers an ingenious, multifaceted take on the folk music of their
native Nova Scotia. With their dynamic and riveting music,
captivating vocals, assured stage presence, and joyous step-dancing,
they preserve essential elements of their Celtic heritage. Fiona
MacGillivray, the group's lead vocalist, is blessed with a
beguilingly beautiful voice and a mature sense of phrasing well
beyond her years"
"Be they polkas,
jigs, strathspeys, or songs old and new, the band's performance
ranges from spirited and uplifting to refined and subtle—but then
you'd expect little else from Cape Breton players who, once bitten
by the musical bug, live, eat, drink, and dream music!"
"Accomplished
musicians all, of course, spinning a tale of love and loss as
adeptly as they lead the dance with a set of reels. But the
otherworldly vocals of Fiona MacGillivray, her expressive voice
belies her tender age! Sure, new teenage sensations come and go
regularly in pop music, but MacGillivray's is a voice for the ages,
and a rare treat - even on Cape Breton."
"The quartet from
Cape Breton entertained the crowd with two sizzling sets of
Celtic-infused singing, playing and dancing, on original
compositions and traditional pieces that reflected their province's
rich musical heritage."
"The material
ranges from traditional balladry to Tom Waits songs, with
performances that combine youthful exuberance and a mature
virtuosity. Though the instrumental numbers keep the dance floor
filled, the lush, supple vocals of Fiona MacGillivray give the music
its emotional depth and resonance."
|
