Just read that name now there is a singer for you!
Reviewed by Donald Teplyske
Mary Kathleen Burke may be new to our ears, but it takes just one listen to fall for this raven-haired Scots-Irish vocalist.
By electing to open her debut album with the standard Black is the Colour, Burke allows listeners to become accustomed to her strong voice within a comfortable context.
Other popular numbers are included- and beautifully rendered- such as A Woman’s Heart and Ae Fond Kiss. Songs from Donovan and Iris Dement also receive generous treatments.
As satisfying as these performances are, it is on less familiar numbers that Burke comes into her own. Although she didn’t write it, A Song in her Heart is based on Burke’s experiences and life paths, and the message resonates.
Beyond the traditional numbers Burke arranged, the only song to carry her own writing credit is My Scotsman and Thee; this song is the likes of which careers are built upon. Having left Ireland and fallen for a man who will not forsake his home so that she might return to hers, Burke’s song strikes the balance between yearning lament and reflective acceptance. Staggering!
The instrumentation throughout the 14 tracks is mostly sparse and soothing, ideally complementary to Burke’s voice.
If you like the Celtic folk music, one should consider exploring A Song in Her Heart. Visit http://www.myspace.com/maryk1 for a sampling.
Donald Teplyske is a local freelance writer who contributes a twice-monthly column on roots music. If you know a roots music event of which he should be aware, contact him at fervorcoulee@shaw.ca
Celtic Life A living Culture. Review
Celtic Life A living Culture.
Review by John Ferguson of Mc Ginty
Mary Kathleen Burke is a native of Northern Ireland who moved to Scotland as a teenager and has been in music most of her adult life.Now in her fourties,she has released her first solo recording for Greentrax.
She sings in a clear ,pure voicewith just a hint of an accent from her youthful homeand its somewhat evident that her singing background is in country music.A Song in her heart has been well recievedafter only a short release periodand several of the songs are getting considerable airplay.That is probably because it is such a pleasent recording.
The song list is well chosen and she sings each song with heartfelt passion. A long list ofcollaboritive musicians help make it such a fine CD. A song in her heart is a beautiful introducory album by Mary Kathleen Burke Review by John Ferguson of Mc Ginty
www.celticlife.ca.
Net Rythnms Review David Kidman March 2008
Mary Kathleen Burke - A Song In Her Heart (Greentrax)
Co. Derry-born but now residing in Scotland, Mary has been singing from an early age, and yet amazingly, this (a self-produced EP aside) is her debut recording. Although she plays guitar and keyboards outside of this album, the objective of said CD is to showcase Mary's vocal talent, which is considerable. Forthright, passionate and confident in tone, Mary is always sure of where she's taking a song, and she never leaves you in any doubt about her commitment to the songs and how much they mean to her.
As a collection of such songs, it's a convincing mix of recent (and mostly acknowledged classic) compositions and adaptations of traditional material, and she sings them all well and with an attractive sense of affectionate nostalgia. Especially successful, I thought, were Mary's versions of the two Frankie Hepburn songs (James and Trust), a heartfelt The Home I Left Behind, the Kate Rusby-originated (I Wonder What Is Keeping) My True Love, and her nicely-observed cover of A Woman's Heart (a hard act to follow indeed). Mary's is much the accessible contemporary-popular-folk approach: the radio-playlist-friendly mode of which is certainly very appealing, eminently tasteful rather than cutting-edge - and nothing wrong with that.
As far as I'm concerned, the musical settings here almost deserve equal billing, for they shine and surround Mary's voice with (for the most part) a restrained and yet powerful blend of acoustic instrumentation, principally based around a guitar part which is gently augmented by a further guitar line, with keyboard, flute, whistle, cello and fiddle embellishments that are perfectly judged for both the song and the singer.
The supporting cast is of uniformly high calibre, and includes fiddlers Chuck Fleming and Alastair McCulloch, accordionist Gordon McCulloch, and producer David McNee (guitars, bouzouki, piano etc.). Perhaps on some tracks Mary's professed desire to keep things simple is contradicted by the abundant richness of the settings, but if you warm to Mary's style (as I quickly did) then you'll find this less of a drawback, for her accomplishment is a real virtue. The recording - although originating at different sessions in London and Glasgow - enjoys a fine uniformity of sound, glossy but not overly so and with a keen eye for crispness of internal detailing that puts it in the classier bracket straightaway.
www.greentrax.com
David Kidman March 2008
Review by Nicky Rossiter Irish music magazine.
Review by Nicky Rossiter
www.irishmusicmagazine.com
Born in Derry and immersed in music from a young age, Mary moved to Scotland at the age of sixteen to pursue a musical career. Like most singers she served an apprenticeship in the venues big and small and soon developed a song writing talent. This talent produced a first song, ‘My Scotsman and Thee’, that is included on this her first album release.
The CD is lovely mixture old and new material. It combines traditional with contemporary and the songs of well-known writers with her own. Opening with ‘Black is the Colour’ she gives her very distinctive treatment to a sometimes over represented song that makes it sound fresh and new.
One of my many favourites on here is ‘My True Love’. Again we may be familiar with a version by Kate Rusby but listen Ms Burke for a new rendition. Burke has a knack for finding a ‘new hook’ in the familiar. Nowhere is this more evident than on ‘A Woman’s Heart’. Even the composer Eleanor McEvoy is quoted as finding this version “truly beautiful”.
‘The Home I Left Behind’ has her taking a song familiar at wakes and weddings in Ireland of the 1950’s and bringing it very deservedly to a wider audience. Intriguingly the title track by Tim O’Connor is noted as written after reading Mary’s biography. The result is a very strong and emotional song. Bridging the heady Sixties scene and the 21st century is ‘Catch the Wind’ originally a hit for Donovan but revitalised here. It’s a pity Robbie Burns couldn’t arrange some class of posthumous royalty cheque. So many of his songs are as fresh today as when he wrote them and with singers like Burke breathing new life into ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ they will go on forever.
Longing for home is a common theme in folk music and on this album it is epitomised by ‘My Scotsman & Thee’ with the tale of longing for home, visiting home but loving someone from another land. Sung here almost three decades after it was written by a 19-year-old Burke it sounds “hot off the presses”. This is an outstanding first album, even if she waited about 30 years to burst on the scene, and I look forward to many more.
Nicky Rossiter
Review by Michele Breeze Music Maker
I first listened to this CD to get the total feel of Mary's and presentation.It was a truly beautiful listen.As usual with Greentrax Recordings ,the sound ,mix and balance is totaly perfect and it is chocalate to the ears..Mary Kathleen Burke has a truly poignant and you can not only hear every word but feel every word..
The CD is a mix of traditional and recent songs accompanied by very sensitive musicians and sympathetic arrangements,not too much, not too little,just right.
I am fed up being bombarded by mountains of trash,posing as music,blaring out from every office of daily life ,Radio's passing cars ,supermarket music and the constant sound byttes emitting from every moving or static device invented by man.PHEW, I feel better now! and I feel even better for having listened to Mary's CD.
Tracks are varied ,from traditionaly arranged songs by Mary to original ones.
The CD starts with Mary's version of the evergreen"Black is the colour" which highlights clear and consise acoustic guitar playing and Mary's distinct Irish voice nice fiddle on this one as well. Going through the songs like " My true love" "Compared to you " about the beauty of Loch Lomand through a lovely version of an Eleanor Mc Evoy song " A womans heart".There is also a very tasty version of Donavans classic"Catch the wind".I think my favourite however is Mary's version of Iris Dements song " When my morning comes around" well produced with sympathetic arrangments,well played and executed.Great stuff!
You can catch Mary live in April 09 when she will be touring Britain with the legendary Irish singer Johnny Mc Evoy and after this CD I'm sure Mary will be swelling the ranks of her own fans. One to look out for !
Review by Michele Breeze Music Maker
Review By NORMAN CHALMERS Scotland on Sunday
Mary Kathleen Burke - A Song In Her Heart
By NORMAN CHALMERS
MARY KATHLEEN BURKE
A Song In Her Heart ***
Greentrax CDTRAX321, £11.99
She's been living in Scotland for a quarter of a century, but you can't take the Irish out of her voice, or her music. As Tanya with her band Sneaky Moon, as vocalist in Scots country outfit Nevada, and in time spent running a Scottish Country Music agency, her link to that transatlantic stream of Irish/Scots music is as strong as her vocal ability – and she includes Eleanor McEvoy's US hit 'A Woman's Heart' here. Donovan's 'Catch The Wind' makes it, as does Burns' 'Ae Fond Kiss' and various band settings of contemporary compositions among the trad.
