~ This review was very lengthy and wonderfully detailed. I will only quote brief segments here:

"A new CD from Moira Cameron is always a treat to look forward to...[She] has made this recording, as she says, to 'pay honour to my sources...' This CD is as fine a tribute as anyone could wish for."

Regarding 'In the Month of January': "...a haunting Scottish traditional song performed at a very slow tempo, but it works; in fact, it's gorgeous, and really showcases Moira's voice at her very best - clear, soaring and controlled..."

Regarding 'Lamkin': "...a revenge ballad and one of the hardest traditional ballads to sing owing to its unrelenting grimness, but Moira's interpretation gloriously succeeds, being chilling and compelling without going over the top, and driving inexorably to its gruesome climax..."

Regarding 'Tamlyn': "...The final track...is 'Tamlyn', another fine Child ballad...This [version] has some splendid words; for example, when the heroine turns to ask her bewitched seducer his name 'she nothing saw and nothing heard and all the woods grew dim'. Later, when the Fairy Court notice her there...'the thunder rolled across the sky and the stars they blazed like day'. And Moira sings 'it', not 'him', when describing the fearsome shapes and objects Tamlyn is turned into as Margaret struggles to hold him and the Elfin Court tries to make her let go. All these bring out and emphasize the otherworldliness and weirdness of the story more than other versions, and Moira keeps our attention through it all..."

Canadian Folk Music, Spring 2008 Vol. 42.1
Published by the Canadian Society for Musical Traditions
Review written by Rosaleen Gregory
 

Moira Cameron followed up her first album, One Evening as I Rambled..., with a second featuring more of the same. That's not to say it's not fresh and new; it simply is another example of excellent balladeering. Cameron, a native of Toronto who relocated to the Northwest Territories, has a talent for telling stories in song, drawing largely on the British Isles for her source materials, and she does it well indeed.  "Crafty Maid's Policy," for instance, is a variation on the old tale of a woman who lures a man off his horse for a bit of fun, then gallops away on his steed. "Daemon Lover" tells of a woman lured away from her husband and child by the aspect of her former love -- a decision with dire consequences. "Love Henry" shows what woe a tease may bring when directed at a jealous woman. 

Except for a bit of guitar (Steve Lacey) and cello (Chic Callas), the instrumentation here is all Cameron, and she does nice work accentuating the songs without ever overwhelming her own voice. She does some particularly nice work on "Barbara Allen," playing the Appalachian dulcimer throughout and inserting some striking lines of the alto recorder for extra effect. Her autoharp and recorder work nicely with Callas's cello on a song of untimely pregnancy, "Willie of Winsbury."  Often, however, Cameron sings purely a cappella, as in "Lady Diamond," "Brown Girl," "Martha" and "Jock O'Hazeldean." She sings a cappella twice (double-tracked) for a tale of a woman's seafaring and revenge in "Bold William Taylor." "Elfin Knight" and "Well Below the Valley" both make excellent use of Cameron's backing singers (Lorelei Andrews, Susan Keogh, Steve Lacey, Dawn Lacey and Steve Goff) on the repetitive chorus lines. There are a few instrumentals as well. On "Grit's Tune," Cameron double-tracks her Appalachian dulcimer for a lovely, lively duet with herself. She plays hammered dulcimer, soprano recorder, spoons and egg (along with Lacey's guitar) on the bouncy "Jenny Lind Polka/Halting March." All in all, it's another fine recording from an excellent Canadian balladeer. Anyone with a love for these old story-songs should pay heed to Cameron's voice; she tells them very well. Rambles Online Reviews (written by Tom Knapp)

One Evening as I Rambled... begins with a dance suited for sedately dancing in Renaissance finery, "Ronde/Gavotte." Close your eyes and you can see the swirl of colors as nobles and courtiers swirl about the room to the tune, which features Moira on bowed psaltry and recorders. Next, Moira sings the story of the "Outlandish Knight" (Childe Ballad #4), a song about greed, betrayed love, a quick-witted female victim and an amazingly stupid would-be thief. It features no instrument but Moira's voice, and she sings it strongly, with a storyteller's flair. She exhibits similar style with songs including "Banks of Primroses" and "Shepherd's Song." She provides both melody and harmony on the recorders for the O'Carolan tune "Morgan Megan," her delicate playing lightly accompanied by her husband, Steve Goff, on guitar. "Banks of Airdrie-O" tells of the meeting of three sisters and a brutish robber who means to steal more than their gold -- with predictably tragic results. Moira sings the story, while a choir consisting of Steve Lacey, Dawn Lacey, Lorelei Andrew and Laryssa Wolansky give the a cappella tune a cathedral air -- a vocal combination I hope she revisits on future albums. It is followed by the spare and stately dance tune, "Bransle de Champaigne," which again features Moira on bowed psaltry and recorder. Although the slightly shrill tone of the psaltry isn't for everyone, it neatly captures the feel of ancient halls and storytelling minstrels.

Moira regains a lighthearted note with "Johnny Be Fair," a quick ditty familiar on Renaissance faire circuits about a roving father, a frustrated daughter, a patient mother and a cunning punchline. Steve Lacey adds a punchy guitar line to the tune. Next is Nova Scotian song "Drimindown," another lovely a cappella piece spotlighting Moira's solo vocal skills. The album concludes with an atmospheric rendition of "Reynardine," also a cappella and echoing beautifully, as if sung in a Great Hall or cathedral. The song is paired with the gruesome spoken story, "Mr. Fox," which would best be told at night by firelight. Moira's speaking voice is well-suited to the tale. The final, musical farewell is another courtly dance tune, "Gathering Peascods," played by Moira on Appalachian dulcimer and recorders.

I had no idea what to expect when I first put Moira's debut album, One Evening as I Rambled, into my stereo. That I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement; I'm left wondering how I went so long without hearing this marvelous performer. Rambles Online reviews by Tom Knapp

Sands of the Shore

Song Titles:

Details:

Lament of a Miner's Wife (©2000 M. Cameron - SOCAN)

(see video link above)

A Week Before Easter (English Traditional)

(see video link above)

Lilies Among the Bushes

Song Titles:

Details:

recorder, hammered dulcimer, percussion; Steve Lacey on guitar

One Evening as I Rambled...

Song Titles:

Details:

vocals; Chorus: Steve & Dawn Lacey, Lorelei Andrews, Laryssa Wolansky

MP4 ~ YouTube

MP4 ~ YouTube

Northern Remembrance:

MP4 ~ YouTube

available upon request