In the early years of this website's existence, before I was married or had children or gardens to worry about, I reviewed CDs at an astonishing rate and, consequently, CDs regularly overflowed my mailbox. Then, life took a turn and, in so many ways, became richer and fuller ... but reviews were written less frequently and, sad to say, a great number of CDs ended up in boxes with the silent vow that I would find time someday to get to them. Every now and then, I keep that promise....

Oran Ur do Mhuile is the end product of a songwriting competition celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Mull Local Mod, described as a "cultural feast of Gaelic music and song" held annually in Tobermory, Scotland. (Tobermory is the capital of the Isle of Mull in the Scottish Inner Hebrides.) According to a press release that came with the CD (and which I still had, more than 15 years later!) entries for the contest came from all over Scotland, and "assessors had a difficult task in choosing a shortlist from the four categories for the final."

The CD contains nine finalists, each song written with Mull as its inspiration and featured at a live event in Tobermory on Nov. 8, 2008. They are largely contemplative in tone, although listeners will need to have Gaelic in their repertoire to understand the lyrics. They're performed by young singers Kirsty N. MacKinnon and Alasdair C. Whyte, both Mull natives, plus one sung by an even younger Shannon MacLean.

Mary Ann Kennedy, a major figure in Scottish music circles, served as musical director for the project and also provided backing vocals and played the clarsach (harp) on several tracks. Other musicians on the album were Gillian Frame on fiddle and viola, Findlay Napier on guitar, Douglas Millar on piano, and Davy Cattanach on drums and percussion.

Crafted as a love letter to Mull and its musical and poetic traditions, Oran Ur do Mhuile remains a lovely postcard from 2008's anniversary celebration. The music remains beautiful, and the sentiment is obviously heartfelt. This CD isn't easy to find -- try here -- but maybe a trip to Mull is in order....

[ visit the Mod Ionadach An Dreolluinn website ]