Description
Kate Delaney – A Moment in Time
CD review by Tony Smith
TN181 Nov 26
Kate Delaney dedicates this album to her late husband and soulmate, Gordon McIntyre, her children, Justin and Beth and her parents, John and Joyce Tierney.
Recorded between 2005 and 2007 it provides almost an hour of listening pleasure, varied in style but consistently high in quality.
‘Matt Hyland/ Wedding Dance: Macedonian Highland Fling’ is an arrangement by Delaney and Lew Kiek of traditional lyrics set to music by Kate Rusby.
Backing Delaney’s vocals are Kiek (Irish bouzouki), Tony Pyrzakowski (fiddle, as on a number of tracks) and Mara Kiek (tapan).
The bouzouki gives the track an interesting feeling, especially with the unusual rhythms.
This opening track establishes Kate as a singer of clear diction and perfect timing.
The fiddle too is evocative.
It is not difficult to imagine a circle of dancers enjoying this one.
The Scottish song ‘The Shearing’s Not for You’ was arranged by Delaney with Craig Kelly, who joined in with guitar.
Ben McAtamney plays flute and bodhran here and Mark Stevens bass.
Tony’s soulful fiddle reminds us that this tune was used for ‘Kelvin Grove’.
Hard times are harder when you are pregnant and without a husband.
Kate arranged and sang ‘Donal Og’ with Ged Corben (guitar), Oliver Cechini (pipes), Chris Wheeler (flute) and Michael Roberts (organ).
The backing provides a distant feeling.
The Ewan McVicar song ‘Shift and Spin’ was arranged by Lew for Kate’s voice.
He also plays bouzouki and sings harmony.
Tony plays fiddle and provides harmony while Mara shakes gum seed pods.
Alistair Hulett and Fatima recommended this song of romance in the mill.
Kate set words by John Shaw Neilsen for ‘Love’s Coming’.
Craig, Tony, Mark and Ben assist.
The opening fiddle solo sets it beautifully.
‘Lady of Carlisle’ was arranged by Kate and ‘the boys’.
Craig adds slide guitar to the mix for this song which has an Appalachian feel.
Dave Oakes’ ‘Uluru’ was arranged by Kate with Bob and Margaret Fagan who join her in the singing.
This fine a capella song adds variety to the album.
‘Timeless Land’, by the greatly under rated Phil Lobyl, was arranged by Michael Roberts who plays a number of instruments.
Norm Merrigan’s concertina is a feature of this very Australian track.
‘She’s the land we hold in trust’.
‘Galway’, by Oliver St John Gogarty, was set to a tune by Tony Small and arranged by Craig.
‘Miss Kate’s Homework’ was composed by Tony Pyrzakowski.
Kate sings, Craig plays guitar and the other instrumentalists join in as usual, except that Michael Roberts plays mandolin.
Paul Wookey’s ‘The Miner’s Wife’ was arranged by Michael Roberts, who supports Kate’s vocals with a number of instruments.
Andy Saunders sings harmony and Brett Hunt plays harmonica.
This is very much a Unionist’s song.
The Dobro is a feature of this song of praise to the women of Wonthaggi during a 1930s strike.
Dougie McLean’s ‘Hide in the Wind’ was arranged by Kate and Craig.
Kate adds whistle to this one, Michael cello and piano. and Chris sings harmony.
The song says that those who have left us retain an ethereal presence.
Words to ‘Dimming of the Day’ were written by Richard Thompson and arranged by Kate and Ged Corben, who plays guitar.
Kate Fagan plays melodeon and supplies harmony vocals while Michael plays bass and piano.
This song was a favourite of Gordon’s.
Dr Leon Dubinsky wrote words to ‘We Rise Again’ which was arranged by Michael and Kate.
Kate Fagan provided harmony vocals and Chris played whistle.
Kate heard it sung by the Rankin family of Nova Scotia.
‘We rise again in the face of our children, we rise again in the voices of our song’.
Even trying to avoid duplication, the list of credits for writing and arranging, and instrumental and vocal backing is lengthy.
Without doubt, the enthusiastic support Kate Delaney received indicates the esteem in which the folk community held her and her late husband.
A number of people put her in touch with others, so the networking was strong and effective.
Above all however, Kate Delaney’s true, expressive voice is the main attraction of this album of interesting songs, finely balanced and richly ornamented.
A Moment In Tune heralds the long-awaited return of singer Kate Delaney to the Australian music scene. Her interpretation of the traditional and the contemporary material on this CD shows why she has, for many years, been a popular folk performer both in Australia and overseas. “I chose these songs because they evoke treasured memories of special connections with people and places,” Kate said. “The songs also highlight the rich tradition of Folk Music, drawing on the universal themes of love, grief, and campaigning for a better world.” Kate has been a well known performer in the Australian folk music scene for many years performing at all the major festivals such as Woodford, Port Fairy and the National Folk Festival in Canberra. She has also performed on television and radio and appeared with international artists such as The Battlefield Band, Andy Irvine and Rory McLeod. She was an original member of the Larrikins with Warren Fahey and has performed with various musical combinations, as a solo artist, and with her husband and musical partner Gordon McIntyre until his death in 1999.
About the artist: Kate Delaney is well known in the Australian folk scene and has recently been joined by a group of luscious, mostly young, accomplished musicians who are anxious to strut their stuff. They perform traditional and contemporary music with Celtic, Australian, and American influences. Kate’s latest CD received four and a half stars out of five in a review in JB Hi Fi magazine and was nominated for the Radio Presenters award for 2008.
