The music of geographically distinct places (often with common elements within national boundaries) is, of course, the source of much of our musical nourishment, but migration and travel to find work has also led to extensive inter-mingling of songs, poetry and music, not least within the British Isles. Such musical merging has particularly been the case between the musical traditions of Ireland and Scotland, and Julie Fowlis, Éamon Doorley, Zoë Conway & John Mc Intyre – augmented on this occasion by the ubiquitous Dónal Lunny (playing bouzouki and bodhran, and co-producing) – represent a deeply rewarding and inventive sharing of those traditions. Allt Vol. II: Cuimhne, which means a memory, follows six years after their lauded, eponymous debut (see our review here).
The title track starts things off, sung as sublimely as ever by Julie Fowlis, with calming accompaniment from John’s guitar and, I assume from the deep resonance, gouzouki played by Éamon. Zoë joins on harmony vocal before adding a wistful fiddle melody. The narrator in the song – written by Scottish poet John MacLean (Julie wrote the music) – describes calling on pleasurable memories of different times of the day in preference to less aggregable conditions: “I don’t often think of storms or cold…but of calm mornings, the new sun shining…or the sultry heat of noon.’ For generations, traditional Irish and Scottish singers and musicians have made very good use of the rich Gaelic poetry tradition as a key source for songs. Like its predecessor, the album is made up of newly composed settings of Irish and Scottish Gaelic poems and tunes – the whole takes inspiration from that well of memories and recollections.
Whilst Julie has the lion’s share of lead vocals, everyone plays their part in singing on the song tracks. John sings and wrote the music for Connla, written by Pádraig Mac Seáin (Connla is a figure from Irish mythology), the melody well-suited to John’s singing, while fiddle and whistle play the tune in between verses. John’s other song, nicely framed by bouzouki, whistle and guitar, is Fidléir Ghleann Fhinne (The Glenfinn Fiddler), written by Pádraig Ó Baoighill – though it isn’t clear if the lyric refers to a real or a fictitious fiddler. It morphs into two lovely tunes – Masúrca Ghleann Fhinne / Fáilte an Fhile (Welcome the poet) – written by Zoe. Zoe also wrote the music for Suantraí Ghráinne (Gráinne’s Lullaby), written by Máire Mac an tSaoi, which she sings beautifully, with first fiddle and then whistle providing instrumental breaks.
Written by Aonghas Dubh MacNeacail, Nuair a sheas sinn is a particularly gorgeous track about emigration, as experienced by families who stayed at home. Both the melody, written by Julie and Éamon, and her vocal, are pensive, with Zoe’s fiddle accentuating the mood along the way. There’s a glorious, almost hymn-like group, a cappella singing on Lá Róúil (A Great Day), composed by Zoe and John – the harmonies are magnificent.
A short traditional, children’s nonsense-like verse – Ó Éirich, Ó Eilidh (O, rise up, o Eilidh) – is sung by Julie in the style of a waulking song (which feature on most of her recordings), the distinct rhythm carried on bodhran and bouzouki, before two, more up tempo tunes – first Ríl Dealgan a fiddle tune from Zoe and then Sliabh na gCloch composed by Éamon – fiddle and whistle weaving in and amongst. The final track, Caim Chaluim Chille Chaoim, was commissioned from the group by the Royal Irish Academy in 2021 to commemorate 1500 years since St Columba / Colm Cille. The lyrics are based on a text from a six collection of Gaelic prayers, incantations, charms and songs collected in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in the late 19th century, with a blessing from the Middle Irish period woven in. It exemplifies the quartet’s magical skill at blending traditions with a captivating, multi-layered arrangement of voices, guitar, bouzouki, violin and oboe. In the accompanying video, artist Ellis O’Connor creates paintings inspired by the music.
The sound on Allt Vol. II: Cuimhne is warm and organic, with a relaxed feel throughout. It was recorded at Black Mountain Recording Studios, which must have played a big part in that sonic outcome. The wood-panelled studio, owned by Peter Baldwin, is set in beautiful countryside in Dundalk, Co. Louth. Artists as diverse as Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh and Hozier have recorded there. The studio was intentionally modelled on the famous Fame, Muscle Shoals Sound, Sun, and Royal studios in the southern U.S.
After watching the quartet at Celtic Connections in 2022, a performance in which they were “perfectly matched in every combination,” their second album more than cements that view: it is harmonious in every aspect—magnificent vocals, classy musicianship, and absorbing airy arrangements.
Allt Vol. II: Cuimhne is out now and available as a CD and Download.