Reviews

A Shirt of Silk or Snow

Label: Fellside Recordings; 2010

Wendy Weatherby is a talented singer, a brilliant cellist and an experienced stage performer in different theatres. She has worked with some of the finest Scottish musicians and published five albums as a solo artist. On her latest CD “A shirt of silk or snow” Weatherby recorded five traditional songs, four original tracks as well as four historical songs (Robert Burns, William Motherwell, Robert Tannahill) and a cover version. She was joined by Stevie Lawrence (bouzouki, guitar, whistle, percussion), James Ross (acoustic piano), Pete Clark (fiddle, viola), Bruce Adams (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Linda Adams (guitar, banjo, concertina, vocals).

It starts off with the traditional "Helen O'Kirkconnel", here performed as a beautiful piano ballad with Weatherby's wonderful singing. Burns wrote "Willie Wastle" and Weatherby interprets it solo with breathtaking cello accompaniment. The banjo and guitar driven traditional song "The Gardener" stands out with the two hauntingly beautiful voices and Weatherby's instrumental set "Paddy Parish/Alick's Reel/Jim Trease's" is a perfect showcase for the brilliant musicians. Bodhràn and fiddle set the pace, bouzouki and cello join in and create an awesome sound, somewhere between intoxicating dance tune and classic elegance. Singer/songwriter David Scott wrote the beautiful words for the sad Weatherby song "Yet shall you live" and she sings them with much devotion accompanied only by the soft tones of the piano before viola and cello add their tender playing. Weatherby's cello playing on "Tam's Swagger/Time or Tide/Witches' Dance", another of her great compositions, is awe-inspiring.

Weatherby's reputation as one of Scotland's best musicians and singers will be confirmed by this outstanding CD. The line-up is excellent and the arrangements are perfect.

Adolf 'gorhand' Goriup (FolkWorld)

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Imagine the scene: One of those hot early summer days where the clouds pass fleetingly across the endless blue sky; a deckchair in the shade of the willow tree; a glass of something red; a reviewer –eyes closed- listening to a special CD on his i-pod.

Thoughts of changing governments, the world cup and work are far from his mind. A special time as Wendy Weatherby creates music for that summer day. This reviewer is under the spell of her cello and voice ably supported by Stevie Lawrence (bouzouki etc), Pete Clark (fiddle and viola), Bruce Adams (trumpet) and James Ross on piano. Linda Adams also provides a few other instruments including a nice bit of banjo. It’s all excellently produced by Paul Adams and Wendy, and has the sort of clarity of sound others could well take note of.

A Shirt of Silk or Snow consists of mostly songs, many of which have good strong story lines, some are reworkings of standards. Some are traditional, others like Alan Reid’s The Riccarton Tollman’s Daughter feel as if they should be. There are Child ballads including Alison Gross which is about as far removed from Steeleye Span’s folk rock version as is possible.

Of the instrumentals the piece written for the Celtic Connections festival in 2004, on which the cello is allowed to shine, makes the hairs on my back stand up. The piece is called Stratus which seems relevant as the clouds over my garden seem to be getting a bit darker.

Wendy’s CD finishes with Robert Tannahill’s I’ll Lay Me On The Wint’ry Lea - surely the clouds can’t be bringing snow!  All good things come to an end but there is always the repeat button - even if sunny days are a bit rare!

Dave Beeby (Living Tradition)

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Though Wendy is deeply immersed in both the Scots tradition and the songs of Robert Burns, much of her long and varied performing career has been spent away from the folk scene in a range of other concert and theatre performances, ranging from jazz, when she worked with Dick Lee and Hamish Moore, through to her outstanding and memorable contribution to the classic Govan Shipyard production of The Ship by Bill Bryden. Wendy has also taught both cello and voice at the RSAMD and The National Centre of Excellence at Plockton. This is definitely our loss, as she is an outstanding performer with a distinctive individual approach, and this album gives good insights into her huge talents. Generally, it is her beautiful voice tackling the ballads that shines through in this selection with ‘The Bonny Hind’ sung to fiddle and cello contrasting strongly with ‘The Gardener’ to banjo and concertina standing out among them. She also sings well with the piano taking the main accompanying role on ‘Sir Patrick Spens’ and ‘Alison Gross’, though the latter suffers from over-arrangement; but throughout she shows that she has the ear for wonderful tunes.

Then there are her composed tunes played on the cello. She demonstrates a range of exciting accompaniments to Pete Clark’s fiddle on one set of reels written for a show based on Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Grey Granite, but even more special is the set of three tunes, led on cello, that she wrote for a staging of Robert Burns’ ‘Tam O’Shanter’, though perhaps the middle one is too close to ‘Farewell To Whisky’ to be considered Wendy’s composition. This album only augments a long-held opinion that Wendy is a remarkable performer.

Vic Smith (English Folk Dance and Song Society)

A Breath on the Cold Glass

Going back well over a century, the cello was in common use in Scotland along with the fiddle. That's died out, at least for the most part, but Wendy Weatherby certainly keeps the spirit of it vibrantly alive on this disc, which mixes traditional and contemporary compositions, as well as her delightful singing. She delves into the Nathaniel Gow tune book for "Coilsfield House," a longtime Scots favorite, but she's equally adept on her own material, such as the lively "Ballachulish Tango," where she brings electric cello into play. On "The Learig" by Robert Burns, her singing is captivating, delving right to the heart of the words. The cello has a wonderful autumnal darkness, which Weatherby uses well on "Happed in Mist" (which is also her best vocal performance on the disc). Closing with the title cut, this is a distinguished album. It might not have the outgoing gaiety often associated with traditional Scottish music, the flaring fiddles and dances, but that's fine. This is an artist's expression, and music is wide enough to embrace all, especially when it's this good.

Chris Nickson (Sing Out)

Two Loves

When my cousin took up the cello I had grave doubts as to whether it was a musical instrument or not! Some years later I came across Fred Katz playing cello in the Chico Hamilton Quintet and I changed my mind. Katz had made it part of modern jazz and now, for me anyway, Wendy Weatherby has done the same for traditional music. I had caught snippets of Wendy's music over the years but this was the first time I had sat down and listened to her uninterrupted. What a joy it has been and what a lot I have missed in the 20 years since Wendy graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Her pedigree is impeccable, having worked and recorded with Billy Jackson, Carol Laula, Mairi MacInnes, Savourna Stevenson, Andy Shanks and Jim Russell to mention just a few. Her film, theatre and television appearances also add strength to her bow.

Two Loves is – almost – a solo album and follows on from the excellent A Breath on the Cold Glass, previously reviewed in The Living Tradition. I say 'almost' as Wendy is ably supported by James Ross on piano and accordion, and Stevie Lawrence on guitar and just about everything else!

The CD opens with an over-dubbed cello 'quartet' playing Bonny at Morn as an introduction to the song. Not only is Wendy a superb instrumentalist but she can also sing with great feeling. She sings the song unaccompanied before reintroducing the cello. Wandering Willie is another unaccompanied track throughout, with double tracked vocal harmonies. The highlight of the CD for me is the singing of Cruel Mother intertwined with James Ross on piano playing Hamish Moore's Round Dawn. The depth of feeling between voice and piano suit the song perfectly. Church on Sunday skips along with guitar and piano with Wendy playing the title track – Two Loves – as instrumental and how well it works. The final song on the CD is John Tam's Hold Back the Tide from Bill Bryden's epic venture 'The Ship' performed at the Harland and Wolff engine shed in Govan. Wendy actually  performed in this production some 13 years ago. The song leads into Phil Cunningham's tune The Ruby. Now to the purely instrumentals, of which there are eight;

The Hybrid Set is an exciting set of reels with the cello, piano, concertina and percussion, all blending beautifully giving just the right amount of light and shade. Duplin House is a slow air from the Niel Gow collection. The piano and cello capture the impression of the 'big hoose'. Temple Locks is a fast reel written by Stevie Lawrence (who doesn't even play on the track!). Wendy and James slow the reel down with great effect, which show off this beautiful tune.

Cannongate Breeks is a set of three jigs by Wendy, which would have anyone dancing down the High Street after a gill or two on a Saturday night. Bobbin John is a showcase for Stevie's small pipes. After the slow air the cello and piano join along with some multi-tracking by Stevie building to an exciting crescendo. Poppies from the Somme brought back  poignant memories to me after visiting the battlefields last year. Wendy evokes the horrendous futility of war in her tune for the lads who didn't come home. Laughter in the Gallery, a Strathspey played on the solo cello, disappointed me a little. I feel that John or Stevie joining in would have put the 'laughter' into the tune. Whistle o'er the Lave o't, this Burns' song and final tune in the collection, is a vehicle for James' piano with Wendy's embellishments. If Scotland can lay claim to 'the blues' this is it – a moving piece.

The more I listened to this CD the more I was captivated. Since the release of Wendy's CD A Breath on the Cold Glass she has gone from strength to strength. You must go out and listen – and buy – Two Loves. You won't be disappointed.

Andrew Webster (Living Tradition)

Sunset Song

Readers who attended the 2004 Celtic Connections Festival Commission Sunset Song will know this music well. It seems a daunting task to try and encapsulate the essence of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's epic 20th Century Scottish novel into around an hour of music. However, through narrative songs (with lyrics by the Pearlfishers' David Scott) and sensitive instrumental arrangements, Wendy Weatherby has succeeded in describing some of this novel's key themes through music: Aberdeenshire's ever-changing landscape, people and farming practices; and war's impact on the land. The thoughts and ideas of the novel's two central characters are conveyed through song by Mairi MacInnes and Rod Paterson, and their voices seem very well suited to the simple, classical style of presentation here.

Sunset Song crosses the classical/folk divide with ease, and instrumentals and songs are nicely sequenced throughout. There's a feeling of lyrical flow, whilst the overall mood created is reflective, nostalgic and sad.

Contributions by Leo McCann (box), Frank McLaughlin (small pipes) and several well-known fiddle players ensure that this music remains rooted in Scotland – the strathspeys and reels are expansively arranged and a ‘big' warm sound is achieved. Wendy's compositions pay consistent attention to melody. We hear her playing solo cello just once, on the rather stark, bleak-sounding Out of the World, and into Blawearie. Key motifs reveal themselves with each listen, and the reprise of two tunes (The Land and Ewen's Tune) enhances the feeling of ‘connection' and continuity throughout the piece. The scoring for strings, piano and oboe especially is both beautiful and melodic – Julie Fowlis in particular reveals her instrumental versatility, her oboe adding a sense of time and place and serenity. This is an imaginative work of considerable beauty, and rewards with repeated listening.

Debbie Koritsas  (Living Tradition)

Daybreak on the World’s Edge

Now here's an oddity – and a truly delightful one. Multiple Wendys on multi-tracked cello, with Rod, Mick and Lester singing – Wendy's settings of William Soutar's poetry. Do cellos work in this "folk" setting? Of course they do. There's a long history of the cello in Scots music – Niel Gow's brother often accompanied him on cello and the instrument lies in approximately the correct range for the male voice – so it works spectacularly well. This sits, however, somewhere between folk and chamber music. The word "fusion" is a detestable one, but this music really does straddle the folk-classical divide – quite deliberately, I suspect. The total absence of more normal folkie instruments and the use of singers with what a broad-minded classical enthusiast would concede are "good" voices, accentuates this. It sounds like quite hard work for the singers and a couple of the songs don't work for me too well. It is overall, however, a stunning achievement. The overwhelming majority of Wendy's arrangements and settings leave Soutar's words room to breathe – they are sufficiently sparse that they support, rather than interfere with, the poetry. File this under "intriguing", "musically very clever" and definitely NOT under "easy-listening". On second thoughts, don't file it at all – just buy it and be intrigued!                                                   

Alan Murray (Living Tradition)