Gaelic Songs on CD
A list of CDs that feature Scottish Gaelic songs,
compiled by Ian Webster
If you know or hear of a title not on this list, send us an e-mail
with
the information and your name and we'll add it to the list and
give you credit!
Send it to:
Several years ago, a fellow student in a Gaelic class, Ian Webster,
e-mailed us the following list of vocalists and musicians who
perform in Gaelic on CD. The list is from 1995, so there will be
numerous newer releases that are not included on this list, though
the list is quite comprehensive in spite of that. Acquiring these
artists needn't be too difficult; a well-stocked record store will
carry some of them, and many more are available by mail order.
See our mail order page for Gael
Force imports in California, and Sandy/An Crann in Canada, both of
whom handle Gaelic CDs by mail order.
For further information on Gaelic song on CD, consult Craig Cockburn's excellent Scottish Gaelic and culture web site, for an article he wrote on Gaelic song, at:
www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/~craig/
Here is a list of Scottish Gaelic recordings and where to acquire them.
Capercaillie - Sidewaulk, Green Linnet GLCD1094 -- Gaelic lyrics with English translation (recording is 50-50 Gaelic-English)
Arthur Cormack - Nuair Bha Mi Og, Temple Records COMD 2016
Arthur Cormack - Ruith Na Gaoith, Temple Records COMD 2032
Alison Kinnaird & Christine Primrose - The Quiet Tradition, Temple Records COMD 2041
Eilidh MacKenzie - Eideadh Na Sgeulachd, Temple Records COMD 2048
Flora MacNeil - Craobh Nan Ubhal, Temple Records COMD 1002
Mac-Talla - Mairidh gaol is ceol, Temple Records COMD 2054
Christine Primrose - Aite Mo Ghaoll, Temple Records COMD 1006 -- CD has two more songs than cassette
Christine Primrose - 'S Tu Nam Chuimhne, Temple Records CTP 024 (cassette only)
Mary Jane Lamond - Bho Thir Nan Craobh (From the Land of the Trees), B&R Heritage Enterprises BRCD 0001
Mouth Music - Mouth Music, Rykodisc RCD 10196
Talitha MacKenzie appears only on this Mouth Music recording
Talitha MacKenzie - Solas, Riverboat Records TUGCD1007 & Shanachie 79804 --
The Riverboat release has Gaelic lyrics and English translation, the
Shanachie release has only the English translation
Mairi MacInnes - Causeway, Lismor LCOM 9018 -- No lyrics
Mairi MacInnes - "This Feeling Inside", Greentrax CDTRAX 092 -- Gaelic Lyrics with English Translation
Catherine-Ann MacPhee - Canan Nan Gaidheal, Greentrax CDTRAX 009 -- English translation only
Catherine-Ann MacPhee - Chi Mi'n Geamhradh, Greentrax CDTRAX 038 -- Gaelic lyrics with English translation
Catherine-Ann MacPhee - Mhairi Mhor, Greentrax CDTRAX -- ???????
Scottish Tradition 2: Music from the Western Isles, Greentrax CDTRAX 9002
Scottish Tradition 3: Waulking Songs from Barra, Greentrax CDTRAX 9003
Scottish Tradition 6: Gaelic Psalms from Lewis, Greentrax CDTRAX 9006
Scottish Tradition 7: Calum Ruadh - Bard of Skye, Greentrax CTRAX 9007
Scottish Tradition 8: James Campbell of Kintail - Gaelic Songs, Greentrax CTRAX 9008
Scottish Tradition 13: Calum & Annie Johnston, Greentrax CTRAX 9013
Scottish Tradition 14: Gaelic Stories told by Peter Morrison, Greentrax CTRAX 9014
Tannas - Oighreachd (Heritage), KRL Lochsmore CDLDL 1217 Gaelic lyrics & English translation
Temple Records are distributed in North America by Flying Fish Records (tel. 1-800-394-3474, 10am-5pm CST). You can occasionally find Temple releases at Stonestown Galleria Tower Records but almost always at Down Home Music (tel. 1-510-525-2129) in El Cerrito, CA, which is a folk music specialty store. The lyrics & translation you must write to Scotland for.
Aite Mo Ghaol by Christine Primrose doesn't have any lyric sheet available, and Flora MacNeil's, Craobh Nan Ubhal has only a partial one.
The Scottish Tradition series and other Greentrax recordings are available through Sound Delivery (1-800-888-8574). I bought some of mine at a booth at the Scottish Gathering and Games in Pleasanton. Each recording has a corresponding booklet that is available for 1 pound, if you write Greentrax in Scotland. If you wish, I could xerox copies of my booklets. If you choose to collect the booklets yourself, you might buy two international reply coupons per booklet and write a letter explaining that the coupons are in lieu of the 1 pound. It has worked for me, but be sure to include an extra international reply coupon per booklet to cover the return postage.
The Mary Jane Lamond recording can be purchased from Celtic Heritage (call collect 1-902-835-6244). Celtic Heritage also sells recordings by the Barra MacNeils and Rankin Family, which also feature Gaelic songs. Celtic Heritage also has some of the Scottish Tradition series.
Capercaillie, Mouth Music, and Talitha MacKenzie recordings can be picked up at Tower Records or ordered by dialing the phoneservice at 1-800-648-4844.
Tannas and Mairi MacInnes's Lismor recording can probably be found at Down Home Music.
Well, that is my brief, but by no means complete, list of Gaelic recordings that are easily obtainable and not of the "concert hall" format.
Note: Capercaillie has two other titles, CROSSWINDS and SECRET PEOPLE, available from Green Linnet. There are two tapes available from Fiddlers Crossing, P.O. Box 92226, Pasadena, CA 91109-2226, tel. (818) 792-6323, FAX (818) 793-9401. These tapes are the Tappan Sisters: When Teacher Wasn't Looking and The MacDonald Sisters: Songs of the Islands.
Suas Leis a' Ghàidhlig!
Up with Gaelic!
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