Cadal Cuain

The RSAMD student from the island of Lewis won the title BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2007 after a moving and beautiful performance at The City Halls is Glasgow during Celtic Connections Festival. As Simon Thoumire the event organiser said, “She lifted the room with her lyrical, thoughtful Gaelic singing. It was simply beautiful”. There are some lovely songs on this CD, including the title track Cadal Cuain (Sea Sleep) a girl’s heartbroken lament for her drowned sweetheart. It was lovely to hear Catriona with her Grandmother Christy on track 7 sing Oran Dealchaidh (a song of parting). It was Christy who taught Catriona to sing Gaelic songs. Ironically the song is about a young man who leaves the Isle of Berneray in North Uist to make a new life on in Bernera in Lewis, which is what Christy herself did 50 years ago!