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Lydia McCauley
Lydia McCauley’s music is described as beautiful, mystical, intriguing,
crystal, passionate. Her songwriting is shaped by Celtic, Medieval, and Appalachian
music—and her own pilgrimages around the world. This combination portrays
a beautiful journey through the past and into the present as Lydia’s passionate
and clear vocals take her listener to an inward landscape, where the simple truths
of her lyrics illumine the soul.
Born in Seattle and raised in the southeastern United States, Lydia grew up studying classical music as a child. When she was sixteen, her family moved to the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee and it was there that she began learning about the Celtic music that had been brought over the waters from the British Isles. She documented folk music from the Appalachian region at Berea College in Kentucky while working at festivals and at the school’s museum. The echoes of the British Isles were what truly inspired Lydia, but it would be years before she found her family’s history in Ireland, and before she could journey to Scotland and England. She moved to the Pacific Northwest, started a family, taught piano, and continued to contemplate the modal sounds of antiquity. Pilgrimages to Europe and an interest in Medieval music lit a fire under her developing songwriting skills. In 1995, Lydia began a professional career in the music industry which has blossomed considerably since the release of her first album, SABBATH DAY’S JOURNEY and has received further acclaim with her second recording, ENTRANCES. She manages her own independent label, Brimstone Music, distributing her recordings to merchants and radio stations in several countries. Lydia McCauley and her talented ensemble have toured the West Coast of the U.S. and British Columbia, performing by candlelight in Cathedrals, making appearances on television, at festivals, performing art centers and other venues. In addition to their moving performances, Lydia’s CD recordings are reaching appreciative audiences throughout North America and are increasingly making their way into Europe and Japan with rave reviews."We booked a major international studio, traveled by caravan north to Canada, illuminated the studio with 100 candles, played music for two days, and recorded vocals for the next two," explains Lydia as she describes the intense time-limits on the actual recording of ENTRANCES. One would not be able to tell that the album was recorded so quickly, judging from the lush instrumentation and layered sound. "The band was in fine form and good humor. The candles and music transformed the room into a beautiful space." - A mystical space that one can sense throughout the album's ten tracks. "McCauley's music is reminiscent of the soft, filtered light one experiences upon entering an ancient cathedral, or a dense green forest. Her diverse band layers historical music tradition alongside more contemporary New Age modes of sound with an eclectic blend of instruments ranging from the doumbek to the Irish flute. McCauley's rich vocals are woven throughout, bringing the clear, simple truths of her lyrics to the listener with a purity akin to illumination." Cecily Schmidt, THE EVERY OTHER WEEKLY "Drawing from her Appalachian background, Lydia sings an achingly lovely, simple rendition of the folk song "Black is the Color." Her own songs of the Pacific Northwest, such as "Grace Day," call out for deeper intimacy: "forgiveness is a healing of a wound between us both." Drawing inspiration from spiritual soul mates Francis of Assisi and Julian of Norwich, she creates songs around ancient words, such as these from Julian: "All shall be well, all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well." Around that one sentence she and the band have made a swirling temple of song to end the album." Margaret D. Smith, author and poet, HOLY STRUGGLE "The second CD of Lydia McCauley is a real work of beauty and love. The more you listen to this recording, the more you realize the devotion and passion put into this CD. Beside the eight original songs, there are two traditional songs on this album: 'Foggy Dew', the old English ballad, adapted by Lydia and beautifully flavored with an Appalachian taste; and the most serene, delicate version of "Come All Ye Fair" we have ever heard. Although Lydia's voice sounds great on all the songs, here she adds a deep passion. Superb." INT'L DR. NINA SIMONE SOCIETY, Roger Nupie, Antwerpen, Belgium"Lydia McCauley brings a provocative blend of mysticism, intelligence and beauty to her art. Her vocals require and deserve a careful hearing so the listener can accompany her into the far reaches of the human soul that she seeks to illuminate. Happily, her musicians follow her into these mysteries with both subtlety and power. ENTRANCES is definitely an album to be listened to again and again." Connie Dover, Taylor Park Music conniedover.com “In significantly calmer water, there is Lydia McCauley - yet another
Celtic interpreter from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. She closely follows
up her debut album “Sabbath Day’s Journey” “with one,
in atmosphere, even more together production, “Entrances.” Her music
is peaceful, thoughtful, almost fragile. The eleven pieces form a unified lyrical
suite. McCauley’s voice is catching landscape after landscape during a
journey where the sought after is always within reach. In compositions like
“Pregiera Semplice” and “The Fire” one is being transferred
to another world. ...Her voice is taking pictures from several landscapes, turning
it into great images." Gert-Ove Fridlund, Hallansposten , Gothenberg |
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