Cassie & Maggie are here to fix your holiday playlist
December 5, 2022 6:59 AM Subscribe
Sisters from Nova Scotia Cassie (fiddle) and Maggie (piano and guitar) MacDonald play traditional and original music, and they're a breath of fresh air. Their sound is like...Solas, but less stern, plus sibling harmony, and also sometimes they stepdance for percussion. They both have lovely voices.
Start with "Star in the East" [SLYT] and "Little Road to Bethlehem" [SLYT]. Then go get their Christmas album"A Very Very Cassie and Maggie Christmas" on Bandcamp and play it to chase away the gray winter days.
They research songs to find original versions and alternate melodies. "Old Lang Syne," for example, is sung with an older melody but the the more familiar one can be heard in the music, and they include a Gaelic verse in "Silent Night" that's followed by its translation back into English, which shows how songs evolve as they cross into new languages.
Their live show is light and fun, so get out the house in the next four weeks and see them live if you can: gigs in December 2022
After the holidays end, play "Hangman" to liven your steps.
They research songs to find original versions and alternate melodies. "Old Lang Syne," for example, is sung with an older melody but the the more familiar one can be heard in the music, and they include a Gaelic verse in "Silent Night" that's followed by its translation back into English, which shows how songs evolve as they cross into new languages.
Their live show is light and fun, so get out the house in the next four weeks and see them live if you can: gigs in December 2022
After the holidays end, play "Hangman" to liven your steps.
Yes, yes! When I saw them this past weekend, they specifically mentioned the song's shape-singing origins.
They really know their stuff, and it's so awesome to have musicians with knowledge of their music's own past.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:05 AM on December 5, 2022
They really know their stuff, and it's so awesome to have musicians with knowledge of their music's own past.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:05 AM on December 5, 2022
Well I just learned about a local festival from their concert listings - which is great!
posted by zenon at 8:36 AM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by zenon at 8:36 AM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
My favorite version of ornamentation and rhythm for the Star in the East tune is from Tollie Lee.
I feel like the LA Choral Lab does a really excellent version too that highlights the big gorgeous minor harmonies.
Here's a good shape-note recording of the same tune that really captures the raw haunting sound of the tune, if with a kinda crunchy recording quality.
If you'd like to listen to more shape-note Christmas tunes, the Shenandoah Harmony tunebook has a playlist on Soundcloud. I'm partial to Frewsburg.
posted by cnidaria at 10:26 AM on December 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
I feel like the LA Choral Lab does a really excellent version too that highlights the big gorgeous minor harmonies.
Here's a good shape-note recording of the same tune that really captures the raw haunting sound of the tune, if with a kinda crunchy recording quality.
If you'd like to listen to more shape-note Christmas tunes, the Shenandoah Harmony tunebook has a playlist on Soundcloud. I'm partial to Frewsburg.
posted by cnidaria at 10:26 AM on December 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
Christmas music is not my thing, but Cassie and Maggie are extremely my thing and I will be purchasing their non-Christmas album. Thanks for introducing me to them!
posted by humbug at 11:17 AM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by humbug at 11:17 AM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Oh hey, they have two non-Christmas albums. Bought both, happily listening now.
posted by humbug at 5:58 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by humbug at 5:58 PM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Tooting my own horn: please note I have nothing to sell.
Here is my version of Star of the East which I call Brightest and Best; the only difference is that I go to a major key for the chorus.
Enjoy, and browse my other quirky videos.
Andy Alexis playing "Brightest and Best"
posted by ndlxs at 6:58 AM on December 6, 2022 [4 favorites]
Here is my version of Star of the East which I call Brightest and Best; the only difference is that I go to a major key for the chorus.
Enjoy, and browse my other quirky videos.
Andy Alexis playing "Brightest and Best"
posted by ndlxs at 6:58 AM on December 6, 2022 [4 favorites]
Cassie and Maggie are the real deal - I first met them at the Goderich Celtic Festival when they were in their mid-teens, and had the privilege of playing in a few sessions with them since - they were living here in Toronto just before COVID. Lovely people as well as talented.
posted by TomFrog at 8:51 AM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by TomFrog at 8:51 AM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
ndlxs, that's some lovely picking. Those banjos sound like a whole band when you get going!
posted by wenestvedt at 12:09 PM on December 6, 2022
posted by wenestvedt at 12:09 PM on December 6, 2022
I bought their Christmas CD, thanks for sharing!
posted by wintermind at 1:46 PM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by wintermind at 1:46 PM on December 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by Richard Saunders at 7:23 AM on December 5, 2022 [1 favorite]