4 stars

Oran ùr do Mhuile is a new album showcasing 9 new Gaelic songs by a variety of writers, composers and musicians, produced by Mary Ann Kennedy and Nick Turner. The songs were written for an exciting new competition, Òran ùr do Mhuile / A New Song for Mull, to mark the 70th anniversary of the Provincial Mull Mod.

The interesting selection of songs deal with a variety of genres; praising the Island, its beauty, its history, its language, its people and its love stories. Even a song from a very young Muileach, Shannon MacLean who doesn't praise the Island in her song, but indeed her big brother Sean!

With the exception of Shannon's song, all tracks on the album are sung by local singers Kirsty Mackinnon and Alasdair Whyte who handle well the variety of musical styles in this album. The particular highlights are 'A Mhuile nam Beann' by Allan MacDonald, performed by Kirsty and also track 1, ‘Gheibhinn Cadal Math’ (of which there are two versions!) by Angus Mackenzie and Allan MacDonald, sung by Alasdair.

'A Mhuile nam Beann' has an unforgettable melody, and is about the decline of Mull's own Gaelic dialect. Kirsty’s beautifully clear voice is well suited to the song and she performs it with the conviction which the strong words deserve.

‘Gheibhinn Cadal Math’ (track 1) is an achingly beautiful love song and Alasdair has a wonderful vulnerability in his tone which allows him to convey the song with great tenderness and sensitivity. The moving arrangement gives precedence to the poignant tone of the fiddle, making this a distinctly special track!

The album is a wonderful collection of exciting new pieces, assuring us that the writers and composers of today can contribute songs that live up to to the existing rich culture of Gaelic song.

The house band are made up of members of the Findlay Napier and the Bar Room Mountaineers band, Davy Cattanach and Mary Ann Kennedy, a group of well established and respected musicians.

Despite the fact that this project has made use of two very capable singers, using such a small number may not always allow the songs to be conveyed as best they could, as such a wide range of styles are not all going to perfectly suit just two voices.

Perhaps this is a consideration for the future of this project if it is to run again, which we very much hope it will! It’s a fantastic opportunity to create new material for our Gaelic-rich culture and to celebrate the truly beautiful and unique places that make up our country.

Copies of the album can be purchased from the Provincial Mull Mòd website which includes detailed lists of the composers, song lyrics and musicians biographies.