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Elly Roberts reviews
Shoeshine
- March 2007
- Rating: 8/10
In 2006, Julie Fowlis won newcomer at the BBC Folk Awards.
The album title, a noun pronounced kuli means treasury, sanctuary, retreatand secret hiding place. This release follows her 2005 CD Mar A Tha Mo Chridhe(As My Heart Is).
Sung entirely in Scottish Gaelic, the beauty here lies with the delivery andthe fabulous simplicity of the music and singing. Not many would tackle itthis way. Some of it ballads, some of it gentle foot-tappers like track 5,Puirt-a-beul Set are set to stories of ships and lullabies which shehas learned from others or covered.
One in particular, track 9, is a song written by Finlay Morrison about men whowere promised land, A Land Fit For Heroes, if they went to fight duringWW1. Ones who returned got nothing. Another is about a boat, the Lochmor.Written by Peter Morrison, it tells the story about a memorable journey onthe well known boat that served the Hebrides and the west coast of Scotland.
The lullaby, track 12, is sung as a warning shot for the intending sleeper whomight be a guest or Hugh (in Ireland), “Aoidh, dont sleep at all / Youllget no peace with the raid underway / Ensure your sharp sword is on your thigh /And take to the hills immediately.”
Song 7, My Own Donald, written by Neil MacLeod of Skye, Fowlis learnedfrom Flora MacNeil for a BBC Scotland radio series called Trad Roots. Songsfrom Uist, tracks 1 & 2, were introduced into the set after she got togetherwith some pals in Glasgow. The elopement of Jessie of Balranald, and this isone of many about her. She was engaged to marry Cooper, but used her engagementcelebrations to elope on the ship Eliza Jane with a McDonald man from Skye.
All the songs are beautifully presented vocally, which makes for a wonderfullistening experience. If youre further interested in knowing more about thesegreat stories, visit her website, linked below, click on songs, see the songtitles and click on lyrics.
Its also a delight to hear real instruments being played with such style andtechnique.
An absolute delight from start to finish.
Weblink:juliefowlis.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Hug air a Bhonaid Mhoir (Celebrate The Great Bonnet)
2. Mo Ghruagach (My Brown Haired Lass)
3. An t-Aparan Goirids an t-Aparan Ur : Oran do Sheasaidh Bhaile Raghnaill
(The Short Apron And The New Apron : Song for Jessie of Balranald
4. Ille Dhuinn,S Toigh Lean Thu (Brown-haired Lad, Im Fond Of You)
5. Puirt-a-beul Set (Im Fond of Potatoes And Butter)
6. Set Of Jigs
7. Mo Dhomhnallan Fhein (My Own Donald)
8. Turas san Lochmor (A Journey In The Lochmor)
9. Oran nan Raiders (O, What Heroes There Are)
10. Bodaich Odhar Hoghaigearraidh (The Dun Coloured Old Men of Hoghaigearraidh)
11. Mo Bheannachd dhan Bhaillidh Ur (My Compliments To The New Bailiff /Factor)
12. Aoidh, Na Dean Cadal Idir (Aoidh, Dont Sleep At All)
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.