Recording: Isla Craig

Artist: Isla Craig

Songs: Faraway Blue + Bold Poachers [traditional, feat. Martha Farquhar-McDonnell]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), June 24, 2018.

Isla Craig - Faraway Blue

Isla Craig - Bold Poachers

The release of Isla Craig's The Becoming (on vinyl from Pleasence Records) felt like a worthy occasion for celebration. Perhaps because I'd been watching these songs emerge for several years now it felt especially joyful to witness this culmination and this beginning. Soulful excursions with slick, languid grooves, the tunes were delivered with a stageful of friends and close collaborators, including her band with Evan Cartwright (drums), Bram Gielen (bass) and Johnny Spence (synth) augmented by Jonathan Adjemian (synth) and Vic Cheong (backing vox) throughout. There were also guest turns from Colin Fisher on sax plus a duet with Martha Farquhar-McDonnell — the latter on a Steeleye Span-inspired number linking folksongs of the bygone forest emerald green with the folksongs of the city we're in today.

[Isla Craig will be performing at the second annual Venus Fest, on Saturday, September 22nd at The Opera House alongside Bully, Partner and Vallens.]

Recording: Martha Farquhar-McDonnell

Artist: Martha Farquhar-McDonnell

Songs: The Singing Bird (with Isla Craig) [traditional] + Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair [trad. arr. Martha Farquhar-McDonnell]

Recorded at Church of St. Andrew by-the-lake, June 5, 2016.

Martha Farquhar-McDonnell with Isla Craig - My Singing Bird

Martha Farquhar-McDonnell - Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair

One of the city's most beautiful voices can finally be heard on its own by a wider crowd. Martha Farquhar-McDonnell is perhaps best known as one-third of Kith & Kin, a vocal trio that she sings in alongside her mother and sister. (Their annual Christmas Wassails at the Music Gallery are always highlights of the season.) Under the guidance of vocal ace Alex Samaras (and his new High Park Records imprint), she has recorded My Singing Bird, a collection of unaccompanied vocal music in the Irish sean-nós style.

A lifelong resident of Toronto Island, the album was recorded in the beautiful cottage-like Church of St. Andrew by-the-lake, and she returned there to celebrate its release. Most of the album was tackled (including the title track, which was presented in a duet arrangement with Isla Craig) as well as a few other songs with some of her kith and kin. After dark clouds and a sudden cloudburst, this show was accompanied by the sounds of birds curling in from outside the church. Similarly, this music on My Singing Bird is a balm for the weary and a joyful ray of light.

Recording: GREX

Artist: GREX with Martha Farquhar-McDonnell + friends

Songs: Johnny's Gone to Hilo [traditional] + Holy Manna [composer: William Moore]

Recorded at Church of St. Andrew by-the-lake, June 5, 2016.

GREX with Martha Farquhar-McDonnell - Johnny's Gone to Hilo

GREX and friends - Holy Manna

Martha Farquhar-McDonnell's My Singing Bird has been issued by High Park Records, a new endeavour from Alex Samaras to spotlight recordings of unaccompanied vocal music. So on celebrating the album's release in the same Island church where it was recorded it was no surprise to see Samaras opening things up with his vocal ensemble GREX.

Performing as a trio, Samaras, Ghislain Aucoin and Ryan Brouwer tackled a couple church-appropriate numbers (including the glorious "Kviria") but the set was also structured to include not only Martha Farquhar-McDonnell (as heard on the sea-shanty "Johnny's Gone to Hilo", recorded by The McGarrigles as well as many others) but also her mother and sister and frequent singing partners Isla Craig and Robin Dann on an old shape-note number. Beautiful stuff and a totally joyful set.