Iolair

Iolair were Norman Stewart from Easter Ross and Janice Clark from Aberdeen. Janice's aunt, Lindy Cheyne, was a founder member of Aberdeen Folk-Song Club and introduced her to the scene at an early age. There she listened to some of the giants in Scots song: Jeannie Robertson, Lizzie Higgins, Jimmie MacBeath, etc. Her yuonger sisters Jenny and Kathleen followed janice into the Scots music field (Jenny was once the singer in The Battlefield Band).

Norman Stewart was surrounded by Gaelic music and song as a child, and when he was in Edinburgh he frequented Sandy Bell's Bar in the company of Hamish Henderson and other highly influential people. Norman met and later married Janice Clark at a North-East ceilidh and the partnership produced one record, detailed below.

Any further information would be gratefully received (email me).

Records:

Iolair (Celtic Music CM003, 1980)

Side One: The Kings Command; Gaudie Rins; Sitting In the Stern of a Boat; Shirra Dam; Glasgow Gaelic Club/The Blackberry Bush; Sandwood Down to Kyle; Laddie Lie Near Me
Side Two: Ciaora/The Wee Man from Skye; Cirichree; As I Went Into Inverness-shire; The Poachers; Yellow Haired Laddie; John MacMillan of Barra/MacLeod of Mull (MacLeod); Fishermans Wife

All songs traditional except where indicated

Janice Clark (vocals); Norman Stewart (vocals)
with Christine Martin (fiddle)