- scottish harp music written and arranged by catriona mckay for harp | guitar | fiddle | strings and electroacoustics
nominated album of the year at the 2008 scots trad music awards
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Fiddlers˚ Bid
Fiddle - Andrew Gifford
Fiddle - Kevin Henderson
Fiddle - Maurice Henderson
Fiddle - Chris Stout
Piano/Clarsach - Catriona McKay
Guitar - Fionan de Barra
Bass - Jonathan Ritch
All Dressed in Yellow (2009) - our new cd is available to buy from us now - recorded in British Grove Studio, London.
"a ground-breaking recording... delivered in the now trade mark Bid style" Shetland Times
Fiddlers˚ Bid are internationally respected as leading exponents of their unique musical heritage and rich fiddle tradition and are global ambassadors for Shetland. A dynamic four fiddle front line joins with a powerhouse of piano, bass, guitar and Scottish harp to create a display of stunning virtuosity.
Since their formation in 1991, the "flying fiddles and furious talent" of Fiddlers Bid have astounded audiences all over the world with their expressive, high energy music and performance. "Beware: Fiddlers Bid is infectious and habit-forming."
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Catriona McKay & Olov Johansson
Scottish Harp & Swedish Nyckelharpa
cd available! - foogy (2009)
Catriona & Olov met for the first time in Stockholm 2002 at a concert they shared with their bands, Väsen from Sweden and Shetland based Fiddlers’ Bid. Backstage before the concert Catriona asked Olov “Do you know this one?” and played Eric Sahlström’s Spelmansglädje, the most played Nyckelharpa tune ever!
They both really enjoyed the sound and the music they made together that afternoon and that created a desire to further develop the collaboration. The next opportunity to play was at the Celtic Connections 2007 concert Fiddlers’ Bid International and since then they have met regularly. After a very fun tour of Sweden in the summer of 2008 they decided to make a cd.
‘FOOGY’ is a recording of traditional and new music from Scotland and Sweden by Catriona McKay and Olov Johansson. It presents their way of making music and explores the stunning sound of Scottish Harp and Swedish Nyckelharpa.
"...their instruments seems to liberate themselves from their original traditions and improvise a fine threaded, personal web of sound – a giving and taking where also the old melodies are given totally new dimensions. It might be a Scottish harp piece from the 18th century , or a polska after Gabriel Höök. Several of the tracks are composed by themselves. Johansson and McKay are both masterful instrumentalists, but it’s the way they listen to each other and play together that is the big reward, the ability to exchange solo-space and to vary the playing from the most ethereal and lyrical to the driving dance rhythms in the Foogy Set."
Ulf Gustavsson, Upsala Nya Tidningen
For more information and to buy foogy go to www.myspace.com/olovjohanssoncatrionamckay
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Strange Rainbow
Catriona McKay (harp) and Alistair MacDonald (laptop/live electronics)
Strange Rainbow play in imaginary worlds where the familiar dissolves into the unfamiliar.
This is a very deliberate meeting of traditions. Catriona plays a customised clarsach with sounds processed by Alistair MacDonald's laptop, along with soundscapes drawn from the environment.
As a duo they make music that seems at once dislocated and greatly concerned with roots and connections; a rendering of traditional musical language refracted through contemporary performance technique, and then again through the transformations of live electronics to explore new, unimagined colours.
new cd out 1st nov 2009 - recorded in Battlehill Wood, Huntly, Scotland, midsummer weekend 09
skimmerin' (2009)
strange rainbow playing live
invisible from land and sea (2008)
available from www.strangerainbow.co.uk
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Catriona McKay & Chris Stout
Scottish Harp & Shetland Fiddle
Having performed and developed their musical identities together for 15 years now (!!) Catriona McKay, Scottish harp and Chris Stout, Shetland fiddle continue to evolve and create a sound and style “operating at a rarefied level of expertise” (The Herald). They recorded their first duo cd “Laebrack” in 2005 and have been part of many other projects together over the years as trustworthy collaborators.
The crafting of their voice as a duo which blends “elemental intensity with graceful eloquence” (The Herald) has drawn them to explore new music and new ideas for this partnership of traditional instruments - “sensual, throaty fiddle lines...harp is deliciously angular and haughty” (Irish Times)
Shhhh.....New CD is being recorded this month!!!
Laebrack (2005)
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Chris Stout Theory
With a unique driving vision influenced by his island roots, the outrageously talented and big warm hearted cheeky personality of Chris Stout embodies the extraordinary meeting place of the atlantic ocean and north sea - which is of course where his island of birth is located - Fair Isle, Shetland!
Devil's Advocate (2007)
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Historien om en Gut
music for Peter Lykke-Seest’s 1919 norwegian silent film by catriona mckay | premiered in the Haugesund at the Norwegian International Film Festival 08 | more info at www.catrionamckay.co.uk
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Embracing the Unknown (2009)
- new compositions by contemporary classical composers for the unusual combination of John Kenny, trombone and Catriona McKay, harp with the Edinburgh String Quartet - a project dreamt up and masterminded by the charismatic trombonist John Kenny! more info at www.carnyxscotland.co.uk
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this folk-carol on myspace... Poem 230 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (see my blog for details): CHRISTMAS SUNG SIMPLY
As gospellers have said, Beneath signalling skies, On land dusty to tread, A trough in a stable Was the strawy first-bed Of a divine baby - The forgiving Godhead.
A season for new hope - There then and here now; The yuletide of goodwill - There then and here now.
In respect of this chance, Beneath bright or dark skies, Faith's the star that we glance Attending Christ's churches And trying to enhance, With singing and ritual, Our God-loving stance.
Esperamos tus comentarios y te enviamos un saludo desde Toledo, Pepa G. Lillo y Gabriel Navalón. We hope your comments and we will send you a greeting from Toledo, Pepa & Gabriel. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ETHNOS ATRAMO >> diferentes músicas del mundo a través de un prisma vanguardista fruto del hermanamiento entre diferentes lenguas, ancestrales timbres de instrumentos y experimentales secuencias electrónicas. Más música, videos e información en www.ethnosatramo.com ETHNOS ATRAMO >> different kinds of world music through a prism vanguardist result of twinning between different languages, ancient tones of instruments and experimental electronic sequences. More music, videos and information www.ethnosatramo.com
