UVM LANE SERIES
322 S. Prospect Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
802-656-4455
PRESS
RELEASE
For immediate release: 11/11/13
Contact: Rebecca.Stone@uvm.edu 802-656-4455/802-656-4507
Artist photos are available on the Lane Series website
THE SOUND OF FRIENDSHIP:
WENDY MACISAAC AND MARY JANE LAMOND
“Both Lamond and MacIsaac bring this music forth from deep in their souls, and they and their
collaborators bring a great sense of fun and passion to it that comes across at every turn. Highly
recommended.”
— The Green Man Review
The University of Vermont Lane Series is proud to present two beloved Cape Breton musicians, Wendy
MacIsaac and Mary Jane Lamond, who are touring together to promote their new CD, Seinn (NPR Top
10 Americana/Folk albums of the year). This concert, a powerful collaboration born of a long-time
friendship and a shared love of Celtic music, will take place on Friday, November 22nd, at 7:30pm at the
UVM Recital Hall.
Wendy MacIsaac is a fiddler, pianist, and stepdancer from Creignish, Cape Breton, Canada. She began
touring with the Cape Breton Summertime Revue in 1995 and has made the road her second home ever
since. Wendy has performed with the Chieftains, Capercaillie and Buddy MacMaster, to name a few.
Her skills as a teacher are also in high demand at festivals worldwide, whether for fiddle, piano, or
stepdancing. Wendy has been touring around the world for the past ten years as manager and member of
the five-piece instrumental group Beolach, with Mary Jane Lamond, with Ashley MacIsaac, and also as
a solo performer. She is proud to bring the traditional music of Cape Breton to far-reaching places and
has performed in Italy, Brazil, the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Eastern Europe, and all over North America.
Her recordings include The Reel Thing (1994), That’s What You Get (1996) and her latest album
Timeline (2003). Beolach has recorded a self-titled album (2001), and Wendy is also featured
prominently on the recordings of Mary Jane Lamond.
Mary Jane Lamond also hails from Cape Breton and has kept the rich heritage of the region’s Scottish
settlers alive through song and instrumentation. It was in Nova Scotia, visiting her grandparents
throughout her youth, that Lamond fell in love with the Scottish Gaelic traditions surrounding her.
While enrolled in Saint Francis Xavier University’s Celtic Studies program, Lamond released her first
album, Bho Thir Nan Craobh, a collection of traditional material that introduced her unique singing
voice and the then-unknown fiddler Ashley MacIsaac. The two also collaborated on the award-winning
radio hit ‘Sleepy Maggie.’
Lamond’s next album, Suas e!, took time-honoured Gaelic songs and combined them with contemporary
pop sounds. The album earned several Juno and East Coast Music award nominations, as well as a Much
Music Global Groove Award for the video “Bog a’Lochain.” Brain Ghaidhlig (Gaelic Songs of Cape
Breton), Lamond’s recent recording, focuses on the songs and poetry which are the cornerstones of the
Cape Breton tradition. It remains true to the simple sharing of music that is the foundation of Gaelic
culture.
Wendy’s and Mary Jane’s collaborative album Seinn reflects the great love and respect that they have
for Nova Scotia traditions and for each other. The record achieves a delicate balance between the
musical sensibilities of two artists, showcasing traditional and original compositions among the
melancholy of Gaelic song and the joy of fiddle tunes. Some of the material was learned from the
recordings of older Cape Breton singers and fiddlers; some songs were chosen from existing repertoires;
and some were written specifically for the Seinn project. The record fuses roots arrangements with a
traditional presentation, capturing the enjoyment and fun that the duo has together on and off the stage.
The concert is generously sponsored by Heritage Automotive and The Point Independent Radio. Tickets
are $25 adults/$15 students. For more information about the concert with Wendy MacIsaac and Mary
Jane Lamond or to purchase tickets, visit the Lane Series website, or call the Lane Series office, 802656-4455.
END