Brona McVittie - The Man In The Mountain

  by Nicky Crewe

published: 13 / 9 / 2020

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Brona McVittie’s first album, 'We Are The Wildlife', released in 2018, established her credentials. She hails from Northern Ireland. Her musical background includes time spent touring and recording as singer and harpist with the London Lasses. She is currently musical director of the Mourne Community Choir. With her first album she wove together her own musical influences and inspirations, including Juana Molina and Bert Jansch. Poetry informed her songwriting and choice of traditional, in particular the poems of W B Yeats. This second album develops the pattern. Once more she is working with Myles Cochran as co-producer and steel guitarist Lyrics reference Siegfried Sassoon in 'Glamour Obscures Her Gaze', and Pablo Neruda in 'Secretly, Between the Shadow and the Soul'. Wordsworth’s presence is heard in 'So Be It When I Shall Grow Old' and Henry Williamson in the instrumental 'Strange and Forgotten Things of The Moor'. The track 'The Man in the Mountain' explores the legend and landscape of Finn McCool. She gives us a mesmerising version of traditional song, 'The Lark in the Clear Air' with her collaboration with avant garde Norwegian composer Arve Henriksen. Electronica duo Isan, (Robin Saville and Antony Ryan) add their magic to a version of the traditional song 'Eileen Aroon', and on 'Falling for Icarus'. There’s a delicacy to her singing which reminds me of fellow Irish singer Cara Dillon, and of Lesley Duncan and Vashti Bunyan. There are psych folk influences from recent times and memories of Sixties and Seventies folk experimentation with traditional forms. Once more, Brona McVittie establishes her well deserved place in contemporary music as she weaves together deep and mysterious aspects of folklore with a reverence for the natural world and an appreciation of poetry that can transport us to a magical realm. It’s never been more important to connect with what lies beyond and beneath through sound and words, through beautiful singing and fascinating arrangements. Brona McVittie is a perfect guide.

Track Listing:-

1 The Green Man
2 Falling for Icarus
3 The Man in the Mountain
4 Secretly Between the Shadow and the Soul
5 So Be It When I Shall Grow Old
6 Eileen Aroon
7 The Lark in the Clear Air
8 In the Secret Garden
9 Strange and Forgotten Things of the Moor
10 When Glamour Hid Her Gaze

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/brona.mcvittie
https://twitter.com/bronamcvittie
http://bronamcvittie.corkbots.com/

Have a Listen:-

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