Originally published by Music Direct (MDR 29) in 1992, this six-movement suite has been given a deserved new lease in a superior print from Hawthorns. A preface giving brief explanations & the Norse titles should help players evoke the moods of these haunting songs and fiddle tunes. The rousing jig that opens the suite is about the fishing-fields of Foula. The utter contrast of ‘Minnie O’Shirva’s Cradle Song’ that follows is very moving, beginning with a long bass solo. A darker tone is produced by another lullaby, this time a protection against evil spirits. Next we have ‘Shame faa da Laird’ who is castigated for sending the young girls’ lovers away from them to work, a simple setting of the tune that relates closely to ‘Villikins and his Dinah’. Two spinning songs conclude the set, both introducing some enlivening triplet motion into basically four-square settings, the final one making an exciting finish. Agreeable, playable music that is sure to delight.
Paul Clark: Recorder Magazine, Summer 2000Back to Opening page
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