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Maggie MacInnes
Maggie MacInnes is one of Scotland's foremost Gaelic singers and clarsach players.
She comes from a long line of singers from the island of Barra in the Outer
Hebrides of Scotland and through her haunting, expressive singing and sympathetic
arrangements, Maggie helps to bring the beauties of this music to an ever widening
audience.
Maggie has been involved in various groups over the years such as Ossian, Fuaim
and Eclipse First and has travelled widely with her music touring in many parts
of Europe, U.S.A. and Canada. She also appears frequently on Radio and Television
and has made various recordings over the years.
Autumn 1998 saw the release of Maggie's first solo C.D. "Eilean Mara"
on Dunkeld Records (DUNCD022) which was co-produced by Dougie MacLean and received
great critical acclaim. On 1st May 2001, Maggie released her second solo C.D.
which is called "Spiorad Beatha ("The Spirit of Life") on her
own new label "Marram", which features some of Scotland's finest musicians
such as Charlie McKerron (of Capercaillie), Brian McAlpine (formerly of Iron
Horse), Sean O'Rourke (formerly of JSD Band), Marie Fielding, Paul Jennings,
and Keith Easdale along with her mother, Flora, on backing vocals. This recording
has already been a great success for Maggie and as well as using a variety of
Scottish distributors, she has licensed it for distribution purposes to record
companies in Japan (The King Record Company) and Canada (R2,Toronto). Both of
Maggie's solo CDs are also available for purchase at the on-line shop.
In 2001 Maggie performed regularly at various festivals at home, in Ireland
and in Italy as well as being invited to Russia for the 1st International Festival
of Celtic Music and Dance of Moscow where she was accompanied by the flute and
saxophone player, Sean O'Rourke and the percussion player, Frank MacGuire. In
2002, Maggie performed at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, The Edinburgh
International Harp Festival, The Marymass Folk Festival, Irvine, The National
Folk Festival, Ayr, and she was one of those chosen to take part in a two week
tour of Scotland called The Scottish Women Tour which was sponsored by the Celtic
Connections Festival and The Scottish Arts Council. This tour involved Scots
and Gaelic singers coming together to showcase some of the finest songs from
the two traditions with a backing band of some of the finest Scottish musicians
under the musical direction of Brian McNeill, Head of Scottish Music in the
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
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