Celtic Women in Music

Desmond Maley is the music librarian at the J.W. Tate Library,
Huntington College, Laurentian University, and the editor of Newsletter
of the Canadian Association of Music Libraries, Archives, and
Documentation Centres.

This intelligent and earnest inquiry into the multifaceted nature of
Celtic music profiles 30 prominent singers and instrumentalists from
Ireland, Scotland, England, Canada, and the United States. An incisive,
brief biography prefaces each interview in which the musician reflects
on her career as well as on the sources and inspiration of the genre.

Singer Mairéid Sullivan, who was born in Ireland but now lives in
California, tells us the impetus for Celtic Women in Music came from an
interview (also included in this book) she gave following the release of
her second album For Love’s Caress—A Celtic Journey. Sullivan’s
own skills as an interviewer are evident in the quality of these
conversations. The longest—and possibly best—dialogue is with Irish
harpist Mбire Nн Chathasaigh. But rather than highlight one or two
musicians, it is better to point to the themes that recur throughout.
These include the genre’s historical roots, innovations in vocal and
instrumental technique, the spiritual dimension of the music (including
its relationship with the Catholic Church), poetry and language, the
significance of Celtic music today, cross-fertilization of musical
styles, and the struggle to balance artistic commitment with family
responsibilities.

The only conspicuous absence from the Canadian contingent interviewed,
which includes Eileen McGann, Loreena McKennitt (who submitted written
responses), and Mary Jane Lamond, is the fiddle virtuoso Natalie
MacMaster. Perhaps this omission will be remedied in the forthcoming
second volume that Sullivan mentions on her Web site (maireid.com). Even
as it stands, this book is excellent reading for anyone with an interest
in women’s studies or Celtic music. Color and black-and-white
photographs, discographies, and lists of recommended readings and
Internet sites complete the presentation.