Talitha MacKenzie
Album: Spiorad (Spirit)
Label: SONAS
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.talithamackenzie.com

New-York-born but living in Edinburgh since 1987, Talitha was able to build up a considerable repertoire of Gaelic songs before joining forces with Martin Swan (and at times Martin Bennett) to form the ensemble Mouth Music, who became much acclaimed for their innovative (pre-Afro Celt) world-folk fusion. After splitting from Mouth Music in 1991, Talitha continued to explore world music in parallel with Scottish music, forming women's a cappella group Sedenka and releasing solo albums, of which Spiorad was the third.

Originally released in 1996 (on Shanachie), Spiorad has been a best-seller ever since, and, prompted by the invitation to sing at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Pageant back in June of this year, Talitha has now given the album a timely reissue in splendid new remastered garb (and, I believe, from a reading of the accompanying notes, adding a few small enhancements to the texture here and there). It still sounds glorious, with its captivating tapestry of traditional and contemporary sounds setting Gaelic song within the context of world music in an inviting, uplifting and invigorating way. Elements that in 1996 were probably considered quite cutting-edge still come across superbly fresh, and even the more-than-occasional reliance on "tribal" programmed percussion (as on the poppier sound of tracks like Fill Iu O) doesn't date the music in any negative way. Celtic-meets-ethnomusicology would probably be a useful reference tag should one be needed, but that might imply a degree of pretentiousness or bandwagon-jumping; so let me reassure you, there's no trace of either here, just a joyous desire to communicate the charms of Gaelic song in a modern setting.

Talitha takes an obvious delight in this challenge, and her gorgeous singing soars aloft over the lively musical arrangements, within which Chris Birkett (who was responsible for the original mixes of the album) also makes key contributions playing an impressive array of instruments and supplying backing vocals. The bulk of Talitha's selections are drawn from, or directly based on, traditional Gaelic songs or song-forms; the standout tracks for me form a group of three just past the disc's mid-point: the atmosphere-laden lament Grigogair and the lovely A Fhleasgaich Oig following the re-composed, intriguingly episodic title track, for which Talitha has taking the opportunity to compose new words, re-casting it (out of a Gaelic waulking song) as a poignant love song addressed to her late husband Iain (many of whose fine photographic images adorn the album artwork) and incorporating a pibroch passage played on his great-uncle's own bagpipes.

Talitha's expressive vocalising is not only virtuosic but simply breathtaking, as can be heard elsewhere on the disc too, notably on a brilliant rendition of the despairing lament Fear A'Bhata (The Boatman), which for most of its length has only the sound of waves for company. Gaelic material aside, the disc also includes treatments of other musics and embraces different cultural influences. For example, the Breton dance-song Changerais-tu? is given a sparky, fun foot-steppingarrangement that probably owes as much to the McGarrigles as La Bottine Souriante, while the Serbian Ajde Jano is blessed with new lyrics by Talitha (it has even become an anti-war anthem in eastern Europe).

The enclosed booklet is both beautiful and nigh exemplary, containing full texts and translations and personnel credits. Spiorad is a thoroughly enchanting album, fully deserving of this high-profile re-release.

David Kidman