Our Song of the Day comes via a video premiere from Aberdeenshire folksinger, Iona Fyfe, one of Scotland’s finest young ballad singers, rooted deeply in the singing traditions of the North East of Scotland.
Banks of Inverurie is her new single, released tomorrow, and features on her forthcoming new album ‘Away From My Window‘, produced by Jani Lang (Dallahan) and out 24th March 2018 which you can pre-order via her Bandcamp page from tomorrow (Tuesday, 16 January). The video, which you can watch below, was filmed by Graeme MacDonald.
Iona shared the following on the origins of the song:
I first heard this song from fellow Huntly singer, Shona Donaldson, when she was a guest at Cullerlie Traditional Singing Weekend in 2016. Shona attributed it to the singing of Gordon Easton, who, at 84 years old, recorded it on his Springthyme album, The Last of the Clydesdales. It was also sung by Jock Duncan who recorded it on his 1996 album Ye Shine Whar Ye Stan! Jock learnt it from itinerant farm worker Jimmy McBeath in 1971.
A song of rejection, the Banks of Inverurie, echoes’ the form and structure of the American folksong, The Lakes of Pontchartrain. The definite origins of the song remain unknown, but it is thought that it originated in Scotland and was brought to America by soldiers fighting for the British army in Louisiana and Canada in 1812. It could be argued that Aberdeenshire is the source region of the localised song, by its inclusion in Greig-Duncan and the song being set on the banks of the River Ury. It is also printed in two Broadside forms: The Banks of Inverury and The Banks of Inveraray. The prints are the same, with the place name the only difference. Until halfway through the 19th century, Inverurie was spelt as Inverury. One version of the broadside uses the historical spelling of Inverury, which proves that the song existed before 1866, when the town clerk made the spelling change to Inverurie official after post (and songs) got mixed up between Inverury and Inveraray, in Argyll. The Gaelic title for Inverurie is still Inbhir Uraidh, meaning “Consequence of the Ury”. Found in Robert Ford’s Vagabond Songs and Ballads of Scotland, John Ords, Greig Last Leaves, Greig-Duncan (6:1263) Roud 1415.
At twenty, Iona has established a strong voicing of place in her repertoire and was a nominee for Scots Singer of the Year at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards. She was also a finalist in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2017 and the winner of the Molloy Award at The Trip to Birmingham Irish Trad Fest 2017. Back in 2016, Neil McFadyen, in his review of East here on FRUK, spoke of how her voice and delivery were spellbinding, making the listener hang on every detail of the story. Not surprisingly, her new album is eagerly awaited, not just because of the album’s interesting concept, which you read about below, but, as you can hear above, she has an exceptional voice that continues to exceed expectations.
Iona’s 2018 debut release, “Away From My Window” is a concept album, inspired by the source and revivalist singers of Aberdeenshire. Featuring archive clips of singers such as Stanley Robertson and Lizzie Higgins, Iona aims to showcase revivalism in folksong by creating a programme of modern interpretations of old ballads and self-penned songs in a traditional style. Whilst drawing on the work of Scottish songwriters such as Michael Marra and Aidan Moffat (Arab Strap), Iona aims to showcase the universalism of folksong in an inter-genre manner. Iona will be touring her album throughout the UK in March and will perform in Fergus, Ontario in April before a tour of Germany, Austria and Italy in October (dates below).
Iona’s album launch will take place at Celtic Connections on 30th January at the Strathclyde Suite at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. The launch will see her joined by an extended all-star line-up of Charlie Grey (Charlie Grey and Joseph Peach), Tim Edey, Luc McNally (Dosca), Ross Miller (Ross Miller and Charlie Stewart), Simon Gall (Salsa Celtica), Graham Rorie (Gnoss) and Charlie Stewart (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2017).
Iona Fyfe Tour Dates
Official Celtic Connections Shows
Tickets available at www.celticconnections.com
Saturday 20th January – Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Strathclyde Suite, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2:00 pm £12.50
Thursday 25th January – A Celebration of Celtic Connections on Campus
GCU Student Association 6.30pm
Tuesday 30th January – Iona Fyfe: Away From My Window Album Launch
The Railsplitters and Iona Fyfe: Away From My Window, Strathclyde Suite,
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 7.30pm, £14.00
Friday 2nd February – 101 Scottish Songs – The Wee Red Book
101 Scottish Songs – The Wee Red Book, St Andrew’s in the Square, 7.30pm, £14.00
Saturday 3rd February – TMSA Young Trad Tour
TMSA Young Trad Tour with Nad an Ceoladair: The Musicians Nest,
Strathclyde Suite, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2.00pm, £12.50
Iona Fyfe: Away From My Window UK Tour Dates
23/01/18 Fika Café Glasgow, Headliner
08/02/18 Crieff Folk Club (Headliner)
09/02/18 Stonehaven Folk Club (Headliner)
24/03/18 Craignish Village Hall (Headliner)
25/03/18 Crafts and Things, Glenloge (Headliner)
26/03/18 Stirling Folk Club (Headliner)
27/03/18 Braemar Gallery (Headliner)
28/03/18 Deeside Inn, Ballater (Headliner)
29/03/18 Blue Lamp, Aberdeen (Headliner)
30/03/18 Drouthy Cobbler, Elgin (Headliner)
31/03/18 Logie Durno Village Hall (Headliner)
04/04/18 The Slaughtered Lamb, London (Headliner)
05/04/18 Holywell Music Room, Oxford (Headliner)
14/04/18 Eyemouth Hippodrome (Headliner)
15/04/18 South Shields Folk Club (Headliner)
16/04/18 Stockton Folk Club (Headliner)
17/04/18 Heart of Northumberland, Hexham (Headliner)
21/04/18 Garioch Fiddlers Rally, Inverurie Town Hall (Headliner)
26/04/18 Folk at The Depot, Leith (Headliner)
28/04/18 Clachaig Inn, Glencoe (Headliner)
11/05/18 Fifesing Traditional Singing Weekend
06/06/18 Folkroom, The Harrison, London (Headliner)
07/06/18 Folkroom, Brighton (Headliner)
10/06/18 Home Farm Fest, Somerset
16/06/18 Arisaig Inn (Headliner)
24/07/18 Ely Folk Festival, Cambridge
16/07/18 Pitlochry Festival Theatre, River Room (Headliner)
11/09/18 Sharps Folk Club, London (Iona Fyfe and Cameron Nixon)
12/09/18 Folkroom, The Harrison (Iona Fyfe and Cameron Nixon)
13/09/18 Folkroom, Brighton (Iona Fyfe and Cameron Nixon)
27/0918 Uxbridge Folk Club (support)
21/11/18 Collindale Folk Club, London (Headliner)
14/11/18 Epping Folk Club, London (Headliner)
16/11/18 Swindon Folksingers Club (Headliner)
17/11/18 Cellar Upstairs Folk Club, London (Headliner)
18/11/18 Global Café, Reading (Headliner)
Iona Fyfe: Away From My Window International Tour Dates
06/04/18 National Tartan Day Concert, Fergus Grand Theatre Fergus, Ontario,
08/04/18 Grand Spirits Distillery, Fergus, Ontario
18/10/18 Salzburg (A) – Oval, die Bühne im Europark
19/10/18 Öblarn (A) – KU:L
20/10/18 Oslip (A) – Cselley Mühle
21/10/18 Korneuburg (A)- Gwölb
22/10/18 Wien (A)
23/10/18 Baden (A) – Cinema Paradisow
24/10/18 St Polten (A) – Cinema Paradiso
25/10/18 Steyr (A) – Akku
26/10/18 TBC
27/10/18 Innsbruck (A) – Treibhaus
28/10/18 St Georgen a L (A) – hutKulture
29/10/18 Tricesimo (I) – Teatro Garzoni
30/10/18 Bad Ischil (A) – Lehartheater
31/10/18 Dornbirn (A) – Spielboden
01/11/18 Ravensburg (D) – Zehntscheuer
02/11/18 Winterthur (CH) – Alte Kaserne
03/11/18 Hockfilzen (A) Kulturherbst
More details here: https://ionafyfe.com/
Photo Credit: Martin Venherm