Ivver Entrancin Wis: OUT NOW - a suite of music for harp, viola/fiddle, cello and voices based on pieces of Shetland poetry. Lise (voice), Chris Stout (viola and fiddle), Catriona McKay (pedal harp), Abby Heyward and Wendy Weatherby (cello), Friðarey and Capella (voices).
Fair Isle: where I'm from and where I am. Stormy winters and light at midnight summers, endless sea and sky, or sometimes endless fog.
Singer, songwriter, composer, poet, steeped in the traditions and habits of harmony singing (Friðarey), crofting, fiddle music, child-bearing...
Sometimes found at festivals (music/lit./science) or on boats or under lighthouses in Orkney, Iceland, Shetland, Faroes, Norway, Glasgow, the beautiful Isle d'Ouessant in Brittany...
Poetry: published here and there ('here' NORTH IDEA 2006) and translated into Icelandic, Finnish, Latvian, Estonian, French and Norwegian.
Empty Ocean and A Place, The Sea: written and recorded with composer Damian Montagu who braved the wilds of the north with a couple of mic.s and a macbook in November 2005. They are part of Ocean Tracks: www.youtube.com/oceantracks2008 Also see Katkuda for Damian's work.
A review or two:
"I asked my table-mates for words to help describe Lise Sinclair as you'll get fed up seeing the word beautiful "wonderful, sweet, easy to listen to, a uniqueness o' the Fair Isle musicians, unlike anyone else... keeping all these adjectives in mind; Lise sings of the pain of human experience; Three Trees inspired by a magazine article on a Yugoslav woman who lost her family through the conflict, planting a tree for each and watching them flourish. Middle of Winter and It's Not Something I'm Going to Do Today and a lullaby based on a Vagaland poem. I swear I did hear a pin drop."
Karen Angus, Shetland Times
"like a golden dram of single malt"
"Moving and wonderful. Like a shell to the ear."
Gwilym Williams, New Hope International Review
hi Lise! how are you all in FI? sounded like the gig was a lovely night. shame i've not made it up this year but hopefully soon. how's things going with your album. busy here but heading off for a few days chill out to lake district! xx
It would have been great to meet you on your trip over to Brittany - next time...I'll be sure to search out your CD when I'm down in Quimper. What does the association Bretagne-Eccosse organise in general? Do they do concerts?
Where traditions are not so rare; Sea, country and works scent the air; A multitude of monuments, Planted tubs and patterned pavements.
The longish pedestrian malls; The remnants of defensive walls; "Broken-roofed buildings" are a gauge Of the respect for heritage.
Wheat, rape and pines in the fields; Estuaries guarded by shields; Long sandy beaches and wide scenes; Romantic-ruin go-betweens.
Rivers in parts licked by trees, Or fringed by boat clubs, wharfs, gantries, And crossed by practical delights - Varied spans, forming pleasing sights.
Fine churches headed at Durham; Football kits ad infinitum; Kept castles - one for study; Masonry behind masonry.
And, with moulding-works out that way, It’s somewhere for a longer stay..?
Hello m'dear, how fabby to see you at da fest! I was looking for you on Thursday in the club but couldn't find you. :o( I also met yer mummy on Monday, but she disappeard from site too. Gosh, it's hard to keep it up with everyone during the fest. Hope to catch up with you soon on email and stuff. Have a fantastic wedding and send my love to everyone there. xxxx
Thanks for stopping by. I met your mum at the festival, she was fab! She sang me the oldest Shetland song - it was like a very warm dream. Which, incidentally, is just like your music here. I've never heard anything like this before, it's very interesting - I'm hooked.
Hey Lise, howz things up on da Fair Isle. I hear a big bash in going to happen there in couple of months time. You must all be getting excited. Well, before that - are you planning of coming to the mainland Shetland for the FF. I'll be there! 'Twould be lovely to see you! Send my luv to ur mum, too. Kat x
Hello Lise, Just a little word to tell you how much I appreciate your music. It brings back so many memories of my travels through Ireland and Scotland. I look forward to more news of an upcoming CD (?) and hope that you'll make it down to Brittany one day. If you ever want me to try to find you a concert or two in Brest......Shane
Heya, just saw your light on, so I thought of dropping you a peerie hello! Don't know if you have been aware of but allegidly JCM project is bound to see the light of day in a CD form... I'm sure HF will get in touch soon, if he hasn't already. Muckle smoorikins, Kat xxx
How're things going with you? Any more Island Hops or trips to North Ron since we last met? Been back in Glasgow for a month now and all's well - the tunes are of many, and the drinks are of many more. Are you ever down the Weegie-Way? Let us know if you are....could maybe stretch to a port and brandy!
Heya Lise, I heard the JCM eve went down really well. I'm chuffed! Hope you made it back to the bonny Fair Isle eventually. I have a feeling we might hear back from Howie soon..the JCM plans await! Take care and all the best, Katarina xxx
hey lise, nice to see ya!!! lovely songs and site. good to see you're keeping up the fair isle tradition O BEING THE BUSIEST FOLK IN THE WORLD! beautiful x x x
Hello lovely Lise, Thank you for everything. Songs were fantastic and everyone really enjoyed the talk. Still amazed you got home when you did! We need to talk about Fair Isle Folk Festival! Will speak to your mum soon, been having a couple o lazy days! Come visit any time. Cheers Maz x
Yet another fantastic time was had in North Ron - it's quickly becoming the party island!
Must venture up your way at some point in the not so far off future - get the Fair Isle folk festival on the go again! Maybe that way I'd finally see Fridarey in it's full five-piece glory!
Failing that if you're ever in Glasgow let us know....unfortunately I don't know anywhere in the Big Smoke as big and scary as Holland House though. "The scariest room in the flat" just doesn't have the same ring to it!
