Duan Albanach Reviews

William Jackson
Duan Albanach
Mill Records MRCD018
Released November 2003

William jackson’s earlier extended compositions are well known...The Wellpark Suite and St Mungo Suite and Inchcolm. This latest offering centres on a setting of the Scottish poem Duan Albanach and is brought up to CD length by a number of shorter individual pieces.
This is very pleasant, tuneful and in places, quite memorable music.
Apart from some appropriately odd, battle-cry noises from a carnyx ( Celtic war horn ) at the outset of the main piece it’s mostly also very pretty music, with William’s own harp never far from the front of the sound. There are stirring strings on Mons Graupius, some lusty Gaelic singing from Eilidh MacKenzie on Lia Lail ( The Stone of Destiny ) and more typically tinkly harp sounds in some of the shorter individual pieces that make the CD up to full length.

So - what is this ? Is it 21st century Scotland’s answer to Vaughn Williams or an erstwhile folkies pretentions to classical grandeur ?
It’s certainly not the latter and only time will tell about the former. This sounds like rather good film score music, as does much of Vaughn Williams output. It would underpin “ Rob Roy “ rather well, if that film didn’t already have a good score. It’s not at all pretentious - it’s just good, tuneful, well-orchestrated music with definite folk roots ( remember them ? ).

Alan Murray
The Living Tradition <?/smaller><?/fontfamily>

For such a musical rendition of an often bloody, wretched history, this CD has a grand sense of life. That is evident right from the start with “Joseph on the Golden Strand,” though this is not part of Duan Albanach proper, but the opening act—a sample of what is to come—which at the best points on this CD is simply exhilaration in musical form. “An Honourable Peace” is an honourable piece—beautiful and regal.

“Mons Graupius” incorporates the carnyx, that beast-headed Celtic war trumpet from the mists of history. This is put to good advantage—where one hears all the chaos of this forgotten bloody battle where was heard one of the first quotes from a Celt—the famous “make a desert and call it peace” speech. “Mons Graupius,” taking musical twists, so well sums up the guerilla warfare that day turned into. And they still wonder what happened to that legion.

“Dalriada” is a solemn, brooding, historical prelude to the foundation of the Kingdom of Scots by Irish immigrants. Here, as elsewhere, the composer comes in on his harp, with vocals by MacKenzie.

“Dunnichen” turns into a magnificent victory march with the pipes and whistle of Iain MacDonald [and Jerry O’Sullivan] in the lead along with the orchestra. This ends with the last ghostly echo of the carnyx.

“Bannock Burn” is an ode to the peaceful landscape that once witnessed the bloody fight for freedom. This is emotionally gripping because of both this juxtaposition and the artistry that conveys it.

“Lia Fail” ends in triumph, a grand reaffirmation of the continuing life of Alba. The instrumentals and vocals all come to bear here.

Along with artists already mentioned are Alasdair Fraser, Jerry O’Sullivan, Paul Jennings, Joseph Sobol, Paul Kenny, and Cecilia Weston and the Scottish Festival Orchestra. The best of the best.