News
Eilean Mor's new CD
EILEAN MOR is back in the studio working on a brand new album which will include the very talented fiddle playing of Catherine Fraser and the sizzling percussion of Ed Rodrigues. This second album will include some traditional Gaelic favourites along with some new Australian/Gaelic songs. Ruth has given some texts new tunes. These texts were written by early immigrants to Australia. These are touching, poignant songs that speak of the experience of being an immigrant in a new country — the loss of country, kin and friendships, and life in a country very different to 'home'. Our new fiddler Cathy has put some toe-tapping tune sets together with the EM lads and these sets include a mix of traditional and original tunes. Ed Rodrigues joined the band after the first CD was out, so this new album will also feature his colourful and exciting drumming. The double Bills — Williams (doublebass) and Grose (guitar) — of course are here — with some funky grooves and some wonderfully lyrical guitar and bass playing that would bring a tear to a glass eye.
Catherine Fraser's fiddle school
Don't miss Catherine Fraser's fiddle school in New Zealand in April: The Southern Hemisphere International School of Scottish Fiddle, www.shissf.com
20th – 27th April 2008
Camp Kaitoke
Upper Hutt
North Island
New Zealand.
Eilean Mor at Cygnet
2008 started with the Cygnet Folk Festival. A big thank you to the organisers of this terrific festival and a very big thank you to the enthusiastic audiences. EM had a great time there and came back to Canberra on a high note (pun intended).
Eilean Mor in 2007
Eilean Mòr have had a very busy 2007 with tours to Tasmania, New Zealand and the UK, along with performances in Hong Kong on route. All the tours were terrific and another to the UK is now being planned for 2009.
Eilean Mor's CD "35 degrees south"
EILEAN MOR'S CD is available, and is attracting interest and airplay in Scotland and Australia. Click on the listen link to listen to extracts and read the lyrics. Click on the purchase link to buy the CD using the safe and secure services of PayPal, or from the online CD shops cdbaby.com, tradmusic.com, or Trad and Now. You can also download the CD or individual tracks from the iTunes store.
Eilean Mor thank the Australian Council for the Arts for assistance with the production of this CD.
Eilean Mor's 2006 Scottish tour
Eilean Mor has just returned from a successful tour of the Scottish highlands and islands. Performances were well attended and very well received — in fact, a common response from audiences was amazement that this band from Australia could have such an original sound and yet retain such a deep affinity to the traditions of the Scottish highland and islands.
Highlights included:
- twelve performances in all, including performances at the Ceilidh Place in Ullapool, at the Feis an Eilein on the Isle of Skye, at the Ionad Chaluim Chille on Islay, at the Forest Cafe in Edinburgh, and in Tarbert, Argyll.
- Overwhelming audience and media responses, particularly to the band bringing the Australian-Gaelic songs written in Australia in the mid 1800s back to Scotland.
- A special feature was Eilean Mor's collaboration on a concert at the Feis an Eilein with the internationally acclaimed singer of traditional Gaelic songs, Christine Primrose. Christine's a capella duets with Eilean Mor's Ruth Lee Martin were simply stunning. And her beautiful rendition of Gaelic songs with the sensitive accompaniment of Eilean Mor's guitarist Bill Grose were a rare treat for this audience on the Isle of Skye. Christine enjoys collaborating with Eilean Mor, whose musicianship and feel for this music has received wide acclaim in Scotland.
- Eilean Mor's CD 35 Degrees South has been receiving airplay on a variety of radio stations, including BBC Scotland, BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, Cuillin FM, Moray Firth Radio, and ABC Radio.
- Eilean Mor performed live in the studio of Cuillin FM and Ruth Lee Martin was interviewed in Gaelic on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal.
- While in Scotland, Ruth Lee Martin gave a conference paper on Gaelic song at the Rannsachadh na Gàdhlig at Sabhal Mor Ostaig which was well received by the conference's attendees.
Eilean Mor has been invited back to perform next year and plans are already underway with music promoters in Scotland for a 2007 tour.