"She is arguably the world's greatest Gaelic singer."
Tom Morton, Scotsman
"Pourtant, seule Istibel MacAskill chante en gaelique. Cet heritage, don’t
elles sont depositaires, elles cherchent a la transmettre, car elles croient
au dynamisme de leur culture."
Telegramme
"Ishbel MacAskill possesses a vocal tone of
alluring, compelling warmth and beauty, but that’s not the only reason why
she floated effortlessly into the leading position among Gaelic singers.
What makes her so special is the magical sense of timing and phrasing the
kind of skill that made Sinatra the absolute governor in his field."
Alastair Clark
" Ishbel MacAskill’s gentle, expert command of language and perfect pitch
established her as instantly familiar. An absence of sentimentality and
contemporary political cynicism informed the intros to her songs."
Irish Times.
"The fact that she sang entirely in Gaelic became almost an irrelevance,
although it is, of course, specifically the Gaelic tradition which provides
the distinctive, ebb and flow melodies with heart tugging moods which she
interprets so convincingly."
Herald
"She has a way of lingering behind or floating over the beat that’s disarmingly
modern and effective. Her unaccompanied songs are spine-tingling."
Jim Love
"Another series which is a BBC Radio Scotland triumph is Transatlantic Sessions.
The sessions hosted by Aly Bain whose brainchild this coming together of
Scottish and American musicians was are a real pleasure to listen to. The
group included Nancy Griffiths and our own Ishbel MacAskill. The women gave
a beautiful rendition "Fair and Tender Ladies.""
WHFP
"The high points were Ishbel MacAskill’s poignant, apparently effortless
performance of "The Eternal Sound of the Sea." Her simple, unaffected but
humane singing had the air of ultimate authority."
Joy Hendry
"Finally, if (like me) you thought Ishbel MacAskill’s singing on her recent
studio album was stunning, the two live tracks here are nothing short of
a revelation."
Bob Walton, Folk Roots.
"The glorious unaccompanied singing of Ishbel MacAskill. Her work lies at
the very heart of the Gaelic tradition and she is a wonderfully pure, moving
exponent of it."
The Scotsman
"Ishbel MacAskill has an exquisite voice, and especially in the slower,
more profound melodies, a mesmerising ability to make a song her own.
"
The Herald
"The seismic throb of Alain Jenty’s bass forming a forceful, yet sensitive
backing for MacAskill’s serene, stirring, keen-edged vocals."
The Scotsman
"Ishbel MacAskill’s impeccably expressive unaccompanied
Gaelic songs were a particular highlight."
Tom Lappin
"The immaculate tones of the Gaelic singer Ishbel MacAskill filled the chapel.
She performed two of Norman MacCaig’s favourite songs, Eilean Beag Donn
a Chuain (Little Brown Island in the Ocean), and verses from a piobaireachd
which MacCaig used to play on the fiddle."
Martin Hannan
I’d put Ishbel MacAskill on a stage with any of Womad’s star turns and
know she would be as powerful, as moving, and as good dammit.
Rob Adams
"The surprise package for many people who wish to know more about Gaelic
music could well be the crystal clear tones of Ishbel Macaskill.
"
The Herald
"Ishbel MacAskill with the golden voice. I always make a point of avoiding
alcohol when I expect to hear Ishbel sing because I hate to be seen crying
in public. Her feeling for the words makes me want to rush onto the stage
and hug her."
Aimsir Eachainn
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