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In
1976 when Alison McMorland released her first solo album "Belt wi'
Colours Three" as part of Tangent's series of recorded Scottish
traditional music, she was already a household name within the folk
revival. Hamish Henderson hailed her as "one of the principal modern
interpreters of an ancestral ballad singing tradition who unites
scrupulous traditional fidelity with versatile and creative artistry."
And Dick Gaughan in reviewing the album said, "She sings with as
much authority and experience as singers decades her senior ...
she is, in her field, one of the greatest singers to emerge and
her importance cannot be too greatly stressed." High praise indeed
for such a young singer!
On the traditional performance side,
Alison would say herself that the start of her public singing productivity
began in earnest when she won the women's traditional singing trophy
at Kinross Folk Festival in 1971. Judged by Sheila Stewart, who
had been the previous year's winner (and before her Lizzie Higgins
and Belle Stewart). The award gave her immediate recognition. But
even more important was the fact she was spotted by Hamish Henderson
who at this point took her under his wing. Hamish encouraged her
to explore in the deepest possible way the richness of Scots songs.
He made available the School of Scottish Studies archives and introduced
her to such luminaries as Lucy Stewart, Jane Turriff and Betsy Whyte.
As Alison says, "He's a giant of a man. I owe an immense amount
to him."
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