Ainsley Hamill Lead vocals/harmony vocals, Eilidh Firth Fiddle Edward Seaman Highland bagpipes (track 10), border bagpipes (tracks 1, 3 & 9), whistles (tracks 1, 3, 6 & 9), bouzouki (tracks 2, 5 & 8) Colin Greeves Highland bagpipes (track 1), smallpipes (tracks 6 & 9), whistles (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 & 10), clarinet (track 5) Alistair Iain Paterson Piano, synth glockenspiel (track 5), synth bass (track 6) Barluath Additional musicians: Source At the Royal Conservatoire we are creating the future for performance. We provide vocational education at the highest Peter Webster Acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 3, 5 & 9) professional level in dance, drama, music, production, and Dara Stewart Double bass (tracks 2 & 7), screen. We offer an extraordinary blend of intensive tuition, electric bass (1, 3, 5, 8 & 9) world-class facilities, a full performance schedule, the space to collaborate across the disciplines, teaching from renowned John Lowrie Drumkit (tracks 1 & 9), cajon (track 3), staff and international industry practitioners, and unrivalled percussion (track 6) professional partnerships. Find out more at www.rcs.ac.uk David Foley Bódhran (track 8)

Special thanks to Bob Whitney, Phil Cunningham, Kenna Campbell, Mairi Barluath MacInnes and Jenn Butterworth for their artistic direction and encouragement. Source

We also appreciate the support of John Wallace and Joshua Dickson Produced by Phil Cunningham at The Royal Conservatoire of , as well as Nimbus Alliance All tracks recorded, engineered, for giving us this wonderful opportunity. mixed and mastered by Bob Whitney for The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland/Nimbus Alliance Big thanks to Peter Webster, John Lowrie, Dara Stewart and David Design & Photography by MadeBrave.com Foley for their exceptional musical contributions, and the craic! We would also like to thank Andrew Dobbie and MadeBrave for the photography, album artwork and design. Recorded at RCS Recording Studio A © 2012 Royal Conservatoire of Scotland We are grateful for the unending encouragement and motivation 100 Renfrew Street constantly provided by our friends and family, especially Uncle Glasgow Robert for his kind contributions. G2 3DB +44 (0)141 332 4101 And one last thank you to Amy-Beth Jordan for the Coca-Cola chocolate cake (and support). www.rcs.ac.uk

08 All lyrics available at www.barluath.com NI 6206 [LEFT TO RIGHT] Eilidh Firth – fiddle, Colin Greeves – pipes and whistles, Ainsley Hamill – vocals, Alistair Iain Paterson – piano, The Story So Far Edward Seaman – pipes, whistles and bouzouki

On a cold night in January After the performance, the young group decided that they wanted to work together 2010, a group of four as a band. They invited Eilidh Firth to join musicians from the Royal the band for their first tour of Scotland in the summer of 2011, and with this exciting Conservatoire of Scotland combination of musicians they have gathered to sound check for wowed audiences from Portmahomack to their first gig. Colin Greeves Washington DC. At Celtic Connections 2012 they were presented with a prestigious had recruited childhood Danny Kyle Open Stage award. friend Eddie Seaman, they Barluath were delighted to be given the were joined by Ainsley opportunity by John Wallace, Principal Hamill and Alistair Iain of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the RSAMD), to record their debut Paterson to play Partick Folk album on the recently formed alliance with Club’s annual Burns Supper. the Nimbus record label. You hold the result of this exciting project in your hands.

It’s been a lot of hard work but at the same time great fun and a truly memorable experience. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much we’ve enjoyed making it!

Barluath August 2012

02 07 1. The Fox Hunter - Fear a bhios trip to in the 1970s. It appears as fada gun phòsadh (On a man who is late in “Nead na Lachan sa Mhúta” in ‘Cas Amhráin’, marrying), Fear an Dùin Mhòr (The Laird a little book of songs compiled in the same of Dunmore) The Cat and the Dog, Nead na decade for use in schools in Ireland. lach as a’ luachair (The Wild Duck’s Nest is Among the Reeds) (all traditional) 2. The Lambs on the Green Hills [ARR: A. HAMILL, E. FIRTH, A. PATERSON, C. – Traditional GREEVES. E. SEAMAN] [ARR: A. PATERSON, A. HAMILL, C. GREEVES, The last tune in this set of puirt-à-beul is a E. SEAMAN, E. FIRTH] light-hearted version of the Irish slip jig “The Fox Hunter”. This was learnt from Kenna This is a traditional song of thwarted Campbell, who came across it whilst on a love, and is based on the version sung by Emmylou Harris and the Chieftains.

06 03 3. The Pentland Incident – Heart 5. Billy Gray (Norman Blake) 7. The Selkie (Ainsley Hamill) 9. The Poshability – The Poshability Shaped Wood (Michael McGoldrick/Vertical (Eilidh Firth), The Siamese Strawberry (Colin Music), Rushin’ Dressing (Liz Carroll/ [ARR: A. PATERSON, E. FIRTH, E. SEAMAN, A. [ARR: A. HAMILL, A. PATERSON, C. GREEVES, Greeves), Lord McConnel of Loch Earne and Grown Your Own Music/Bucks Music HAMILL, C. GREEVES] E. FIRTH] L o c h e n d ( A l l a n M a c D o n a l d ) Group Ltd.), The Pentland Incident (Alistair Iain Paterson) Norman Blake has had an impressive career This song by Ainsley tells the story of the [ARR: C. GREEVES, E. FIRTH, E. SEAMAN, A. in the American music scene, having written ‘selkie’, a mythical seal-like creature, who PATERSON, P. WEBSTER] [ARR: E. FIRTH, A. PATERSON, C. GREEVES, and recorded many great songs. Eddie first wins the heart of a human. The human steals E. SEAMAN] heard this particular one on a Planxty album her skin so that she cannot leave him, but he ‘The Poshability’ was written by Eilidh under its alternative name, “True Love soon realises that their love will never be. following a memorable mispronunciation, The first tune was written by flute player Knows no Season”. The song is about a girl’s and Colin’s inspiration for the second tune extraordinaire Michael McGoldrick and is love for a cowboy by the name of Billy Gray. came upon discovering one of nature’s followed with a great reel from American- For our arrangement of this song, Alistair 8. The Trooper and the Maid – greatest feats - a conjoined strawberry! Irish fiddler Liz Carroll. Alistair composed has extended his talents to include the The Trooper and the Maid (Traditional), Renowned piper Allan MacDonald the final tune after an altercation between playing of the synth glockenspiel! Curtains For Hamill (Eilidh Firth/Colin composed ‘Lord McConnel of Loch Earne car and ditch on the Pentland Road on the Greeves) and Lochend’ for Cathal McConnell, a Isle of Lewis. founding member of seminal group The 6. Devil in the Kitchen - Siud mar [ARR: A. HAMILL, E. FIRTH, C. GREEVES, A. Boys of the Lough. chaidh an càl a dholaidh (That’s how the PATERSON, E. SEAMAN] 4. Ora Turais (Prayer for Cabbage was Ruined) The Devil in the Travelling) - (Text: Traditional, Music: Kitchen, Biodag Dhomhnaill ‘ic Alasdair This is a slightly racy song that we first 10. Crò Chinn t-Sàile (The Fold Ainsley Hamill) (Donald MacAlasdair’s Dirk), Cairistion’ heard from The Tannahill Weavers. It deals of Kintail) - Crò Chinn t-Sàile/Lament for nighean Eóghainn (Cairistiona Ewen’s with the tale of a young soldier arriving at D u n c a n M a c R a e o f K i n t a i l ( t r a d i t i o n a l ) [ARR: A. HAMILL, A. PATERSON] daughter) (all traditional) a girl’s house late one night, and the events that ensue. The song is paired with a tune [ARR: A. HAMILL, E. SEAMAN, E. FIRTH, This ancient hymn is sourced from [ARR: A. HAMILL, C. GREEVES, E. SEAMAN, E. Eilidh and Colin wrote for our singer Ainsley C. GREEVES] Carmichael’s ‘Carmina Gadelica’ FIRTH, A. PATERSON] after an uninspiring tale about her living but is so old that the tune has been lost in room curtains. This song was also learnt from Kenna the passage of time. It was sung by the family This set of puirt-à-beul incorporates some Campbell, and tells the story of a and friends of a pilgrim before he embarked well-known pipe strathspeys and reels on a soldier’s desire to return home after the upon a journey. The song’s purpose was variety of themes, ranging from cabbages to inconclusive Battle of Sherrifmuir in 1715. to protect and uphold him on his travels, Donald MacAlasdair’s dirk. This piobaireachd was composed following however, he never does return. Duncan Macrae’s tragic drowning in the early 18th century when he was attempting to cross the River Conag which was in flood.

04 05 ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE OF SCOTLAND • BARLUATH NI 6206

G2 3DB Glasgow www.rcs.ac.uk +44 (0)141 332 4101 332 +44 (0)141 100 Renfrew Street 100 Renfrew Source Produced by Phil Cunningham by Produced All tracks recorded, engineered, engineered, recorded, All tracks Recorded at RCS Recording Studio A Recording RCS at Recorded 2012 Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Conservatoire 2012 Royal Barluath © mixed and mastered by Bob Whitney for for Bob Whitney by and mastered mixed Design & Photography by MadeBrave.com by Design & Photography Lead vocals/harmony vocals, vocals, Lead vocals/harmony 10), border bagpipesHighland (track 9), whistles 1, 3 & bagpipes (tracks 6 & 9), bouzouki 1, 3, (tracks 2, 5 & 8) (tracks 1), Highland bagpipes (track 6 & 9), whistlessmallpipes (tracks 8 & 10), 7, 5, 1, 2, 3, (tracks 5) clarinet (track glockenspiel synth Piano, 6) bass (track 5), synth (track

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland/Nimbus Alliance Conservatoire The Royal Eilidh Firth Fiddle Colin Greeves Hamill Ainsley 2012 Wyastone Estate Limited Wyastone Estate 2012 Limited Wyastone Estate 2012 Edward Seaman Edward Made in the UK by Nimbus Records P © http://www.wyastone.co.uk Alistair Paterson Iain The Poshability of Kintail) (The Fold Chinn t-Sàile Crò The Trooper and the Maid The Trooper Devil in the Kitchen Devil The Selkie (Prayer for Travelling) for (Prayer Turais Ora Gray Billy The Lambs Hills on the Green Incident The Pentland The Fox Hunter Hunter The Fox

1. 7. 5. 3. 9. 2. 8. 6. 4. 10.

www.barluath.com

ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE OF SCOTLAND • BARLUATH NI 6206