METAGAMA
An Atlantic Odyssey
One could refer to this quite easily as a magnum opus, bringing together a stellar cast of musicians and vocal artists, Musician Liza Mullholland and writer Donald S. Murray, provided the initial inspiration for the project, subsequently bringing on board Gaelic actor and writer Dolina MacLennan, singer and piper Calum Alex Macmillan, fiddler Charlie McKerron, singer-songwriter Willie Campbell, cellist Christine Hanson, and artist Doug Robertson, making up what is in performance terms, a formidable crew. The musical tracks are interspersed with narration by the actors.
Named after one of the carriage ships used to carry approximately 1500 emigrants and originally conceived as a project to commemorate the centenary of mass migration from the Hebrides to Canada in 1923 & 24, leaving a huge hole in the communities of the islands. Besides the aforementioned narrative tracks, there are a further 19 musical offerings of both Traditional Gaelic and new songs in English, contributed by the ensemble members.
Full of emotion, musically ranging from acapella, through sparse instrumentation to more full blooded arrangements, the work tells of the experiences of the young migrants, including themes of homelessness and separation, tragedy and loss, but also the good times, they eventually came to experience as they gradually migrated further after initially reaching Canada.
There is of course, time for reflection on the experiences of those who were left behind, giving depth to a story of a little known period in history, but one that still resonates on the islands today, as demonstrated by the interest in and successes of the concerts and tour that predate the release of the album. Culminating in a sellout concert at Celtic Connections 2024, the CD combines live tracks from the latter event with studio recordings.
A story worth listening to in both song and word and as might be expected and is certainly welcome, the disc is packaged with accompanying information.
