Tarbh is Simon Chadwick’s new CD of old Scottish clarsach music, presenting five large-scale compositions attributed to Raghnall Mac Ailein Òig — Ranald MacDonald of Morar.

This grandly architectural music, preserved in traditional bagpipe, fiddle and vocal settings, is here presented in new adaptions for solo clarsach.

The ringing resonance of the gold and silver strings on Simon’s replica Queen Mary harp creates a rich and evocative sound for these intricate and complex musical journeys.

To bring the music and the stories surrounding it fully to life, the CD booklet includes specially commissioned artwork by Ealasaid Gilfillan, which interprets and illustrates themes from each of the tunes in unexpected and insightful ways. These striking montage images evoke the symbolism of the tunes and the atmospheres of the West Highland landscape.

Raghnall Mac Ailein Òig — Ranald MacDonald of Morar lived in the West Highlands of Scotland, in Morar and Eigg, from 1662 to perhaps 1712. A celebrated local hero, he is the protagonist in innumerable traditional tales and stories. He is remembered in Scottish tradition as a performer on the pipes, the fiddle and the clarsach, and as the composer of some of the best examples of ceòl mór, the great music of the old Gaelic world.

Technical bits

Recorded between January and March 2013 in St Andrews, Scotland; Published 1st April 2013 by Early Gaelic Harp Info, ref. EGH 3. UPC barcode no. 887516940668 Copyright the artists and publishers etc.

To order a copy click here: Order online

For distribution, wholesale, review copies, rights, permissions, bookings etc. please send an email to enquiries@earlygaelicharp.info or contact Early Gaelic Harp Info (contact details on the order page).

Alternatively, the CD is distributed in the UK by Highlander Music and in the USA by Super D.