Fantastic
author: Mara
One of my favorite groups and one of my favorite albums by Smithfield Fair. I have 5 of their albums. Each is fantastic in its own way
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Embracing Scottish tradition
author: Donna Fitch, SCMA Ceilidh Magazine
Overall, a worthy representation of Scottish music with an emphasis on Burns, other Scottish traditions, and the people and places that inspired the Smith's original compositions. Jan's voice displays a distinctive quality which is fascinating and paradoxical in that it is unusual, and yet it reminded me of another Celtic voice I've heard but cannot identify. It's the blend of their voices in harmony that is most impressive and their forte.
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Conjures beauty & valor
author: Maureen Williams, Keltic Fringe Magazine
Smithfield Fair brings to their own music and that of their beloved Scotland a heartfelt, melodious warmth and conjures up the beuaty, valor and pathos of their ancestral homeland.
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A stirring reminiscence
author: Martin Maclean, Scottish Travels
I stumbled across Scotland Owns Me in a friend's collection and the cover immediately nabbed my attention. It made me think of home and made me want to hear the music. I put it on immediately and the first song - The Skye Boat Song - hit me in the gut. Here were the Robert Louis Stevenson lyrics of my youth and that old familiar tune. The rest of the record was an emotional roller coaster ride for an ex-patriot Scot - from well-known tunes like Wild Mountain Thyme to the group's original songs that spoke eloquently of feelings I knew only too well. The voices were strong and soft and blended like a fine woolen to wrap me in their spell. The music wasn't especially rousing...it was more dreamlike and From Hebridean Shore fairly electrified me with memories of holidays in the western isles. Just enough piping, just enough accordion and a lot of wonderous sentiment. I thought to myself, I'll bet this often gets overlooked - it's subtle and multi-leveled. For me, it was a journey back through time to a childhood too often set aside. Scotland Owns Me was a stirring reminiscence of things essentially Scottish...and very personal.
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