The Tiree Songbook

DOUBLE CD

(December 20917)

This double album features songs and tunes linked to Tiree, performed by singers and musicians from the Islands and friends.

The Tiree Songbook was originally commissioned by The Tiree Association for A’ Bhuain 2016, Tiree's Homecoming Week for island descendants worldwide. It was reprised at Celtic Connections 2017.

The Songbook team would like to thank The Tiree Association for its generous and unstinting support of the project throughout, and also the Tiree Windfall Fund for its invaluable financial support.

Recorded at An Talla, Tiree, May 2016 (A’ Bhuain); Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, January 2017 (Celtic Connections); Watercolour Music, Ardgour, May/September 2017; Crois Geur Studio, Kilmoluaig, Tiree, July 2017; National Piping Centre, Glasgow, September 2017.

The Tiree Songbook - Winners of the MG ALba Scots Trad Music Awards Community Project of The Year 2017.

CD1: Pipe Set * Chuir Iad An T-Suil A Pilot * Cumha Do Dh'Iain Domhnallach * 'Se Tiriodh An Eilean As Boidhche * Box And Fiddle Set: Maraiche Nan Cuantan / Glencoe Division / Ben Williams Of Tiree / Eoghainn Iain Alasdair BEM)* Marbhrann Do Mhrs Noble * An Tir Iosal Lurach * Cachaileith To Corrairigh * Oran Nam Priosanach * Lag Nan Cruachan * Hornpipes And Jigs: (Bernie And Steptoe's Festival Spree / Speedy's Jig / Kenny MacDonald's Jig.

CD2: Calum Salum's Salute To The Seals (Urlar) * A Chaluim Bhig * Aisling Cuimhn' * Oran Nan Grudairean * Bithibh Aotrom * The 'Sgirisdeach Srt * Tha Mi Fo Churaim * Donald Campbell Set * Mo Ghaoil Thar Chaich * Calum Salum's Salute To The Seals (complete).

Includes a booklet with photos courtesy of An Iodhlann and their contributors.

House Band: Euan Burton (upright bass), Donald-Iain Brown (vocals), Marie Fielding (fiddle), James Graham (vocals), Mary Ann Kennedy (piano, clàrsach, vocals), Calum MacCrimmon (pipes, whistles), Anna Massie (guitar, mandolin), Linda MacLeod (vocals), Ian Smith (accordion, vocals).

Island Singers: Iain Brown, Ishbel Campbell, Murdina MacLean, Bernard Smith.

The Cachaileith to Corrairigh Pipers: John C. Campbell, Alastair Campbell, Anne Johnston, Finlay Johnston, Gordon Rowan, Kyle Rowan.

Guest Accordionists: Campbell Brown, Daniel Gillespie, Angus MacPhail.

The Tiree Songbook - Winners of the MG ALba Scots Trad Music Awards Community Project of TThe Year 2017

"The blue book of Na Bàird Thirisdeach has been part of our lives since we were born. If we didn’t receive it as a Gaelic prize at school, it was certainly on the bookshelves in our homes and from an early age, and still today, it is a point of reference for us leafing through its pages to sing many of the clever and insightful lyrics composed by our forebear poets. It has been uplifting and the greatest privilege for us to take those lyrics and tunes and to create this CD. And to highlight that the bardic craft is still practiced, we have included two songs from three of our 20th & 21st century poets – Flora and Angus MacPhail, and the late Niall Brownlie. There is no way that we can repay the bards of yesterday and today for the wonderful words they have shared with us. Beyond our bardic tradition, Tiree has been synonymous with the playing of the bagpipes and it was our great pleasure to bring together our pipers who are connected by two locations and families – the Cachaileith (Sinclairs) and Corrairigh (Campbells) – our Cachaileith to Corrairigh Pipers. We cannot express how much pride and pleasure it has given us to bring together this CD, something that started with A’ Bhuain (The Homecoming) some 10 years ago. The concert that we had in the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow in January 2017 was beyond special and will remain with each of us, for many reasons, for ever. Making this CD has been a special creative journey. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed producing it. This CD is dedicated to the memory of Bernie Smith: a great singer and one of the many Tiree heroes who have been taken away from us, all too early." Donald-Iain Brown; John Campbell; Mary Ann Kennedy; Ian Smith.

"The Tiree Songbook is a perfect example of a community project, connecting a Gaelic island and global diaspora community with its precious song heritage, connecting its own unique and highly regarded professional and community musicians and singers with other truly great Scottish traditional musicians and singers, and putting a small island with a big musical heart on stage, at the core of its own home turf and on the big stage for an audience around the world." Iain Brown.