Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan - Adoon Winding Nith

(December 2009) 11 tracks: Adoon Winding Nith * Silver Tassie * The Soldier's Return * Craigieburn Wood * Gowden Locks O Anna * Soldier Laddie * Gala Water * Whistle Ower The Lave O It * Lassie Lie Near Me * The Plooman * A Man's A Man For A' That.

2009 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns.

It was also the year that the Scottish Government named Year of Homecoming, inviting people from Scotland and beyond to celebrate Scotland's contributions to the world. With Jamie's Scottish ancestry and Emily being born and raised only ten miles from Burns' Dumfriesshire home of Ellisland Farm, it seemed fitting to make their contribution to the homecoming year an album of Robert Burns songs.

They started out with the intention to only include songs Burns wrote in or about Dumfriesshire, but as they delved deeper with their search the album became a collection of lesser-known songs written by Burns, songs he collected, and a few in there for no reason other than that Emily and Jamie enjoy singing and playing them!

There are no broken hearts, no sad endings, just songs celebrating love, beauty and good times. From the delicate Gowden Locks O Anna, which Burns said was 'the best love song I ever composed in my life' to the jolly Whistle O'er The Lave O It, Smith and McClennan display their versatility as a duo.

Their imaginative choice of instrumentation and approach to arranging ensures each track sounds fresh to the listener's ear, be it original Burns or new settings of songs such as their powerful Soldier's Return and lullaby version of Lassie Lie Near Me.

With Duncan Lyall (bass).