Manx folk quartet Birlinn Jiarg are pleased to announce the release of their debut album 'Seamount'! The album was engineered and produced by renowned musician and producer Angus Lyon (Blazin' Fiddles, the Halton Quartet) at his Gran's House studio in rural Lanarkshire and mastered by Iain Hutchison at GloWorm Recording in Glasgow. 'Seamount' showcases the band's unique sound and features many of their innovative settings of old Manx tunes as well as their own compositions.
Birlinn Jiarg was brought together by multi-instrumentalist Beccy Hurst to perform the traditional Manx music she grew up with as well as her own compositions. Having performed with various Manx bands and dance teams over the years, Beccy moved to England to study on the Folk Degree at Newcastle University.
At the center of Birlinn Jiarg’s sound is the combination of Beccy’s whistle and concertina playing and the clarinet and flute of Freya Rae (Freya Rae and Louis Bingham, Tom Kitching Band). The unusual combination of low whistle and clarinet was what originally inspired the band’s formation and sets Birlinn Jiarg’s sound apart from more traditional line-ups.
Having performed in a duo with Beccy for a few years, Scottish guitarist and bouzouki player Alasdair Paul (Pons Aelius, Kimber/Paul) was a natural choice for Birlinn Jiarg. Completing the quartet’s line-up is bodhránist Callum Younger (Pons Aelius, Trio FCT). Callum and Alasdair have worked together on a variety of projects and their inventive and powerful accompaniment provides a great platform for Beccy's and Freya’s melodic interplay.
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about
Tra Va Mee Aeg as Lajer/Tra Va Ruggit Creest (Manx trad.)
credits
from Seamount,
released November 10, 2016
Beccy Hurst - Whistle
Freya Rae - Clarinet
Alasdair Paul - Bouzouki/Guitar
Callum Younger - Bodhrán
supported by 7 fans who also own “Tra Va Mee Aeg as Lajer”
Listening to this album's rich, beautiful melodies and spirited performances feels like seeing a fantastical other-world emerge from the Earth itself. The emotions running through "A Mermaid at Fearn" are so complex and genuine it could convince anyone that mermaids are really out there. Gyakuten
supported by 7 fans who also own “Tra Va Mee Aeg as Lajer”
Brilliant tunes, played brilliantly. Great recording too - well worth listening with headphones to take advantage of the stereo fun.
Don't miss the sister album Tunes from the Goodman Manuscripts Rory C