Joy Dunlop

Joy Dunlop's first album Dùsgadh/Awakening came out in 2010, followed in 2012 by Fiere, a collaboration with harp and fiddle duo Twelfth Night that showcased English and Gaelic verse by, or about, women. Both attracted even more admirers for this singer and step-dancer who combines performance and touring, at home and abroad, with jobs in the Gaelic sector. Joy has worked in language development, tutoring, broadcasting and journalism, a mix typical of today's active, professional young Gaels. Many of them - like Joy - are graduates of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic college on Skye and they have musical skills galore too. In fact, it's hard to keep up with the flood of CDs by Gaelic soloists and bands - though, I have to confess, my own listening preference these days is an unaccompanied voice and more likely from fifty or more years ago.
However, the idea behind this recording got me intrigued because it's about place and people, the heart of any tradition. Faileasan/Reflections did not start out as a CD, but rather as a quest by Joy to research the songs of her native Argyll whose Gaelic heritage, she feels, has often been overshadowed by the more northerly areas of the Highlands and Islands. (My family roots are in Argyll and I agree with that, on a number of levels.) The project also highlights an enthusiastic commitment to local talent. After gathering material, Joy first took a group of Argyll musicians on a tour of community halls and the success of that led to the album, with studio recording, backing instrumentation and vocals, photography and cover design also all from within Argyll.

All but one of the eleven tracks are accompanied but the words - ever crucial - do come over well. Joy's diction is immaculate, her voice clear, bell-like, beautiful. Instruments are border and smallpipes, whistle, fiddle, bass, guitar, percussion, accordion, harmonium, piano. I like the effective use of the last on tracks 2 and 7. The choice of material is wide, with a little of the unexpected too. A couple of songs are popular on the ceilidh circuit: Buain na rainich taobh Loch Èite/Cutting Bracken beside Loch Etive and Eilean Luinn in praise of the island of Luing. But Joy's notes are careful always to say who made the song, plus where or from whom she first heard it, whether in a local village hall when she was younger or from an archive tape in the School of Scottish Studies. An example of the latter is the short, lyrical love song Hi il ò 's na hug i hò ro made by a Duncan Macqueen from Seil island and sung by a farm manager, Peter MacDougall, to Calum Maclean in 1953. And in a mouth music set, where original authorship is often unknown, Joy's favourite piece does have a known maker, an Iain MacEachern from Islay who tells a neat little 'boy trying to court elusive girl' story in just a few lines.

So, any notion that Gaelic songs are shrouded in misty anonymity is firmly dispelled, perhaps most strikingly for me in the opening track. For here is Lachlan Livingstone, the last official bard and piper to Maclaine of Lochbuie in Mull. Lachlan died in 1901 and, along with praise poetry for the Clan Chief, he also put into verse countless local events and characters - as did three of his grandsons in the nearby island of Lismore. A few years ago I helped Lachlan's great-granddaughter publish the work of this Hebridean song-making dynasty. And I learned then that Lachlan was also adept at the wry, the light-hearted, the bitingly satirical - types of Gaelic song not always widely heard. So I was pleased to see the choice of Ma Phòsas mi idir, cha ghabh mi tè mhòr/If I marry at all, I won't wed a big girl. Lachlan was quite a short man and Joy adds her own humourous aside to the notes. Elegantly tall herself, she enjoys the irony of singing the disheartened poet's lines, where only a bride 'closer to the ground' would suit!

The only unaccompanied track is Cumha Chailein Ghlinn Iubhair/Lament for Colin of Glenure by the renowned 18th century Argyll bard Duncan Bàn MacIntyre. This is a big song, in every way, rich in language and emotion. It is about an actual, controversial, event in 1752, the aftermath of Culloden. Drive south over Ballachulish bridge into Appin and you can spot the knoll above the loch where the bones of James Stewart (wrongly arrested, they say, for Glenure's murder) were left swaying on the gibbet for years as a warning to any remaining Jacobites.

'S fhad' an sealladh/Distant is my view has a nice touch in a pre-track archival sample of Vatersay's Nan MacKinnon singing a few lines. Not so well known is the other waulking song 'S Daor a cheannaich mi 'phòg/Dearly did I buy the kiss. I remember being rivetted to the earphones myself on first hearing the same original tape. I knew who Dugald MacCormick was, born in the south end of Mull in 1877 and a distant relative of my own, but his whole conversation with Calum Maclean put the songs into a real, still imaginable, community context. Dugald heard this one as a teenager in Tormor, near his home; the singing was led by Flora Seton (Mrs MacNeil); and it was the last waulking he witnessed in the Ross of Mull. (The abandoned granite quarries of Tormor are fascinating to walk through and several houses are still occupied. Listen for the echoes of Flora and her chorus if you're ever there.) This lilting tune is enjoyable to sing but I'd only heard it once before on disc, where the arrangement was quite ornate and so zippily fast that you feared the tweed would fly clean off the board! So my preference here would have been for a very spare accompaniment, or none. But Joy's version does have the steady, melodious rhythm I recall from Dugald's strong delivery, allowing the vivid phrases to come through: the girl would remember that kiss in the barn all her life, until laid out in a narrow coffin, draped in dark silk, hammered down tight ...

Crònan Charsàig/Carsàig's Lullaby is new to me and and has a charming story behind it. After a day on a beach in 1958, a father composed a tune to lull his young daughter to sleep, to words by a friend. And closer to our own times, too, slightly unexpectedly, are two tracks using the poetry of 20th century Gaelic poets, both highly esteemed. But the inclusion of these masterfully crafted, lyrical words are absolutely in the spirit of this whole project about a place and its bards.

Sorley Maclean's complex love poem An Roghainn/The Choice is set to music by Donald Shaw. Joy just fell for the song as soon as she heard it and performs it with great tenderness. Sorley (brother of folklorist Calum) taught in Tobermory early in his career and he often said how affected he had been by the many ruined settlements in that part of Mull.

Iain Crichton Smith was born in Lewis but spent over forty years in Argyll, half them in Oban as a teacher and latterly in Taynuilt. Shortly before his death, in 1998, he wrote verses about his adopted village especially for the local Gaelic choir, of which Joy is a member. The tune is by Mary Ann Kennedy. This makes a celebratory and moving final track, evoking a landscape of deer on the heights, rose-red berries on the slopes, sounds of the dove in the distance, glimpses of swan on the water, all 'in the shelter of Ben Cruachan'. It makes me want to head straight back there. This album is more than a list of songs, but gives a real sense of a part of Scotland rich in history and culture, helped by the informative notes. (Just a wee caveat about those, perhaps, as they are typeset very small indeed, and in reverse print, so a little hard for older eyes ...) Calum Maclean once wrote that the material he found in Mull, just one of Argyll's islands, was second only to that from South Uist and Benbecula. So there's much more still to unearth and I look forward to the next project! - Mustrad

If I had to describe Joy Dunlop's vocals in a word, that word would have to be radiant! Originally from Argyll and now leaving in Glasgow, Dunlop is a fluent Gaelic speaker who not only sings, but also acts and dances. She has been making quite a name for herself these past few years, being involved with several projects, including a collaborative EP with duo, Twelfth Day. I am very pleased to report that her latest album, Reflections, is first class.

The repertoire choices made on this album are extremely appropriate and work to Dunlop's advantage. There are some songs that potentially could be of some interest to the listener and I urge you to read the sleeve notes, as it is worth a flick through at least. The second track, "An Roghainn", is a perfect example of this. The lyrics of this song come from the poet, Sorley MacLean; however the music of this comes from the talents of Donald Shaw, who plays on the track. The tonal quality of her voice is as clear as crystal, showcasing to the listener how beautiful the actual melody of this song is. Her attention to detail concerning phrasing is highly admirable and to some extent informs the lyrics, which adds tremendous feeling.

Another example of class repertoire choice is the set of Argyll mouth music, (track 6). On this, Joy Dunlop demonstrates a strong core of a traditional style. Even at faster paced music, Dunlop shows that she can maintain her fantastic tone and great diction. As an arranger of music, that track makes it abundantly clear that this mighty singer is a well rounded musician. She obvious has put a lot of thought and time into the way the music is ordered and that is something that shows throughout the album. Track 6 also features the talents of Rona Wilkie on fiddle, (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2012) and Lorne McDougall, (Three times BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Finalist), both incredible instrumentalists in their own right.

This album is a total and utter triumph! It is certainly my favourite album of Gaelic song to have emerged in recent years, bringing out some extraordinarily vibrant colours within some sublime repertoire. I look forward to listening to more from this stunning virtuoso in years to come. A HIGHLY RECOMMENDABLE album! - Fatea

One is bound to get the impression that Folker has formed a Joy Dunlop fan club since her cooperation with Twelfth Day was already ‘very special’ in issue no 05/2012. We definitely have to deny that if meant in the ‘fanatical’ sense. But it is correct when the stress is laid on ‘fantastic’. Joy Dunlop’s debut Dùsgadh (Awakening) already had everything a good album needs, the succeeding record is just – that’s right – fantastic. Faileasan – Reflections is the complete package, beginning with the wrapping – the atmospheric woodland photographs, the Gaelic texts and information and their translations make one wish the day of downloads only into a very far future. Immediately at the start one is drawn gently but irresistibly into the world of the artist Joy Dunlop, with the border pipes dominating the sound of the song ‘If I Marry At All, I Won’t Marry A Big Girl’ – humorously, since the lady isn’t exactly tiny herself. She is encompassed with first class musicians and singers, in the first place. From Capercaillie and Celtic Connections head Donald Shaw to Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle) and Lorne MacDougal (pipes, whistle) and to the Gaelic Singer of the Year 2012, Riona Whyte. Such quality pays off, literally audibly. Yet all this would be nothing without the singing of Joy Dunlop – the Gaelic Singer of the Year 2010 and 2011! Nearly interminable seems the list of adjectives used by critics trying to do justice to her voice: hypnotizing, dulcet, bewitching, balmy, smooth, exhilarating. Or as used by the Folker: clear, expressive, variable and controlled. All this is accurate and yet only words. One has to experience the mostly melancholic emotions this singing calls forth for oneself. One perfect example for this is the pure a cappella indulgence of ‘Lament For Colin Of Glenure’, an ode to her home country Argyll. Faileasan – Reflections comes pretty close to what is commonly called perfection. - Folker Magazine

WORLD
JOY DUNLOP

Faileason / Reflections (Sradag Music)

****

There’s been a real resurgence in Scottish Gaelic music in the past few years — headlined by Julie Fowlis — and Joy Dunlop is one of the newer names. She’s picked songs from her native Argyll, sings them in a pure, ringing voice and also recorded them there. The arrangements — with guitar, piano, drums, pipes — are light and transparent. One of the most haunting tracks, An Roghainn, sets a poem by Sorley Maclean to a gorgeous tune by Donald Shaw. Another, about a man not wanting to marry a tall girl, which opens the album, must be tongue in cheek as Joy Dunlop strikingly towers over anyone alongside her on stage. - London Evening Standard

Next up is Joy Dunlop's third CD, Faileasan (Reflections). Dunlop is from Argyll, Scotland, which means 'coast of the Gaels' and naturally enough sings in Scottish Gaelic. She made this CD a showcase of her home region, selecting songs, musicians, producers, and even a design team from the area. Luckily, there's plenty of homegrown talent, and the result shimmers with impeccable musicianship and clean modern production. Dunlop chooses a wide selection of songs, from eighteenth-century laments to modern love poetry. The best known genres of folksong from the region are represented, from waulking songs (work chants used by women in fulling cloth) to Puirt-a-beul (sung dance tunes). Dunlop's research at Edinburgh's famed School of Scottish Studies led her to several gems largely unknown on the folk revival scene. Even these old Gaelic folksongs often have known authors, and Dunlop provides a booklet of notes giving the provenance and lyrics of each song in both English and Gaelic. (You might need a magnifying glass to read it, though!) If you're not a folk nerd, you can just enjoy Dunlop's sweet voice supported by guitars, accordions, fiddles, whistles, bagpipes and the occasional piano, bass and drums. The arrangements go from uncluttered modern Celtic to piano ballad with tin whistle breaks. This is the rare disc that will fly with both the Gaelic scholar and the modern music fan -- give it a try! - Huffington Post

Dùsgadh (“Awakening”) is the debut album from Joy Dunlop. As befits the Gaelic development officer in Bute, Argyll and the Islands for The Gaelic Association, the lyrics for are performed entirely in that language.

The sparse instrumental accompaniments on the album are well judged as they allow Dunlop’s pure and powerful vocals to really shine through. The music is highly evocative, spiriting the listener away to the wild coastline and mountains of the islands that inspired it.

As a non-Gaelic speaking listener, I found it difficult to relate to the tales in these songs using the translated lyrics in the cover notes. A great strength of the album, however is that this doesn’t really matter – the vocals as music are clear, emotionally charged and allow the imagination free rein. From the strong opening of ‘Nach truagh leat mi ‘s tu ‘n’ Eirinn’ to the beautiful ‘Thig am bata’, this is an excellent piece of work throughout, and a fascinating introduction to traditional Gaelic music. - Bright Young Folk

Joy Dunlop emerges from the Gaelic culture in which she has been immersed throughout her life to present her debut album, Dùsgadh (Awakening). Born and bred in the Argyll village of Connel, and educated at the Scottish Gaelic College, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Joy boasts an understanding of the Gaelic language and culture that is both instinctive and scholarly. Having spent her early years winning much acclaim at local Fèisean and Mòds, Joy has shown her appreciation to the Gaelic community with a commitment that has seen her involved in the teaching of both Gaelic language and song, bringing her youthful energy and zeal to the promotion and development of Gaelic culture, both at home and overseas.

Joy talks with an indisputable warmth about the strength of her roots and her rural upbringing: “Argyll is a rural area with very strong Gaelic and Highland influences, made up of many small, close-knit communities. Connel itself is a very small village (there was only one other boy in my primary school class) but one with a real community spirit and a strong link to the language and culture; as a result, I’ve been involved in music and Gaelic all my life. This was a very normal thing though, most people either played instruments or sang, and we were always attending cèilidhs and dances. I was heavily involved with music and Gaelic, singing in the high school Gaelic choir, competing at music festivals, playing in classical concerts, and was also part of a band called Ceòl Gaire, with my brother Andrew and several friends. I was lucky enough to have many opportunities to perform with them around Scotland, at festivals and concerts before we all left school.”

Having been surrounded by Gaelic throughout her childhood, Joy cemented her commitment to the language after leaving school, by following an immersion honours degree in Gaelic Language and Culture at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. This was followed up by an impressive array of jobs that found Joy further exploring the reaches of Gaelic across the globe, starting closer to home as a short course organiser at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and then as a Gaelic Development Officer for An Comunn Gàidhealach (organisers of The Royal National Mòd), but also traversing the globe to promote Gaelic in places such as Cape Breton and New Zealand. Joy explains that these experiences were very much two-way traffic, learning much herself in the process: “These were all amazing jobs from which I learned so much and met so many inspirational people. I feel really honoured to have had these chances and would love to go back and re-visit them sometime in the future. I actually used a song and steps that I learned in Cape Breton on the album and have wonderful memories linked with those tracks.”

Joy has been involved in competitive Gaelic singing since an early age, and now combines her skills as both performer and organiser at events such as the Royal National Mòd, showing a sense of respect for the discipline that such events promote: “although there’s a huge amount of preparation and work involved, competing at this level is a great catalyst for never becoming complacent. The Mod is such a fantastic vehicle for Gaelic and Gaelic song; when I look at what it has done over the years to promote and protect our culture, I feel really lucky to be involved. It’s ever growing too, in number and success; choirs especially are pushing the boundaries of Gaelic choral music every year. The sense of community and inclusion help to make it one of my favourite festivals.” Joy also acknowledges the less formal aspects of music that she has been involved in, that have shaped how she hears her native music, and ultimately determined the music that would find its way on to her debut album, including playing at several festivals of international renown, and time spent on the road with harp-player Rachel Hair and guitarist, Paul Tracey.

So, it comes as no surprise that Joy should now turn to a more personal celebration of her Gaelic roots, and her debut album, Dùsgadh, is the perfect embodiment of years of osmosis and endeavour. Joy had very particular ideas about how she would go about recording this project, both in terms of selecting the songs and musicians, arranging the music, and making sure that her fellow musicians were fully engaged with the project. “Choosing songs can be one of the most difficult tasks as there’s such a plethora of beautiful and diverse songs to be found in the Gaelic culture. I decided to firstly choose songs that I love. As this is a self released and self funded album I didn’t have to follow anybody’s directions or restrict myself in any way, which was a real luxury. I wanted to have an interesting selection of songs, a mixture of subjects and styles, tempo and type. I looked for songs that would work with instrumental accompaniment and others that could stand alone. I then had to cut down my shortlist from forty-five to twelve!”

To ensure that Dùsgadh bore the sound that Joy had in mind, she hand-picked musicians from amongst Scotland’s finest and most innovative players. Particularly noticeable are the classy violin and viola arrangements performed by Patsy Reid, who deploys her classically trained sensibilities to stunning effect, lending a real depth and ensuring that the Dùsgadh stands out from the usual trad/folk sounds of the day. Joy’s brother, Andrew, adds piano and harp, and was instrumental in assisting Joy with some of the arrangements on Dùsgadh, demonstrated to particularly stunning effect on “Nochd Gun Chadal,” where the crystalline tones of Joy’s beautiful voice combine with Andrew’s gracious and elegant piano. “I do love working with my brother Andrew; through years of performing together we have a great musical bond and understanding. I chose to work with people with whom I have a strong musical and social relationship. They’re a real mix of classical, jazz and traditional players which produced a wonderful, fresh angle when interpreting the songs. Obviously I had ideas about how I wanted them to sound but everyone brought their own ideas to the table and got really involved.” The mix of styles certainly shines strongly throughout Dùsgadh, with Joy’s Gaelic song sounding equally at ease whether in more familiar surroundings, or being teased across sultry lounge-jazz arrangements, as on “Taighean Geala.”

Whilst not being afraid to experiment with innovative arrangements, Joy was equally keen to ensure that the integrity of the material remained intact: “I tried to interpret the songs in a way that exhibited them, but still worked with the words. I didn’t want to lose the meanings as the Gaelic is so compelling. In my opinion, Gaelic songs have the most powerful marriage of beautiful tunes and emotive language. For me, the words and sentiments are always to the fore and determine how I work with the song. The lyrics always tell a story; the songs are sometimes heartbreakingly sad, wonderfully clever or unashamedly passionate, and that was always in my mind when interpreting them. I actually printed off translations for all the songs when we were working on the arrangements so that everyone knew exactly what they were about; I felt that was very important.” Joy is also pretty handy on the dance floor, and wasn’t afraid to bring together her fancy footwork with her equally dextrous vocals on a set of mouth music that combines pulsing dance steps with this distinct Gaelic singing style: “The step dancing and Gaelic puirt a beul track where I explore the relationship between the rhythmic mouth music and the percussive feet sounds is probably unique, I don’t think anyone’s ever done both themselves before – not that they were recorded simultaneously, I must say!”

Joy is very down to earth, and sanguine about her hopes for Dùsgadh, wishing to add her unique portrayal to a reinvigorated canon of Gaelic music that proves ever more popular and enduring. “Hopefully it will introduce or re-introduce songs and ideas to people, and explore the inherent beauty and richness of the Gaelic song culture. I love singing these songs and hope others will get the same enjoyment out of listening to them. Gaelic language and culture is a thriving, vibrant force and one of which I’m thrilled and honoured to be a part.” And in describing her culture, Joy also manages to describe the very personal qualities that she herself brings with Dùsgadh: a vibrant collection of material that showcases the spirit of a thriving, young generation who embrace their Gaelic culture with big hearts and open minds. - Folk Radio UK

Joy Dunlop has been a strong advocate of the Gaelic language, both as a teacher and as a performer. Those roles continue on her debut release Dùsgadh (Awakening). Sung in Gaelic, with liner notes in Gaelic and English, Dùsgadh offers listeners a guided foray into the world of traditional Gaelic song.

Though the material is traditional, the delivery is fresh and vibrant, reminding the listener that this is indeed a living language. Sultry jazz grooves, string crescendos, luscious piano and even step dancing layer behind Joy’s crystalline voice. While the puirt a beul and upbeat songs are performed brilliantly, Joy’s real strength is in the songs of love and tragedy. Her voice beautifully transports us deep inside each story. We feel every nuance of love, wistfulness, despair and grief.

The standout song for me is the closing track, “Thig Am Bata,” a take on the Two Sisters tale. It is heartbreakingly poignant and left me breathless. I found it to be the perfect conclusion to this album.

Joy Dunlop’s Dùsgadh (Awakening) is an amazing debut that promises even greater things to come. - Musical Bletherings

Dùsgadh (Awakening) is the debut release from Joy Dunlop, a power in the Gaelic arena, as singer, lecturer, journalist, Mod adjudicator, TV actor and even dancer.

I feel oddly humbled about even opening my mouth about such a paragon, and I can’t help thinking that some might feel that after such hype, any performance, no matter how good, must be a let-down. Well, hard luck on the greetin’-faces, it isn’t: Joy tackles everything from laments to jaunty puirt-a-beul with assurance, confidence and elegance, backed up by a group of musicians of consummate skill. Gaelic learners will be heartened, too, to find bilingual lyrics.

Definitely one for everybody with even the slightest interest in the music of the Gael. - The Scots Magazine

By NORMAN CHALMERS
Sradag Records SRM001, £11.99
****
Dancer, actor, broadcaster, Gaelic activist, teacher, journalist and choral conductor – this talented, ambitious young woman from Connel, near Oban, has found time to record and release a first "solo" album of Gaelic songs.

Nearly all from the tradition, and instrumentally arranged with admirable skill, taste and restraint, they showcase her high, clear, expressive vocals over thoughtful piano/guitar/bass with guest strings and percussion in a richly rewarding album.

Download this: Taighean Geala - The Scotsman