Ailein Duinn

Capercaillie-2 by HighlanderImages

Karen Matheson OBE (born 11 February 1963) is a Scottish folk singer, who frequently sings in Scottish Gaelic. She is lead singer of the group Capercaillie and was a member of Dan Ar Braz's group L'Heritage des Celtes, with whom she often sang lead vocals, either alone or jointly with Elaine Morgan. She and Morgan received much acclaim for their joint lead vocal on the Breton language song "Diwanit Bugale", the French entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. She made a cameo appearance in the 1995 movie Rob Roy singing the song "Ailein Duinn" (Dark Alan) which reached #65 in the UK Singles Chart.

She grew up in the small village of Taynuilt in Argyll. She was awarded an OBE in the 2006 New Year's honours list. Matheson also appeared as a guest musician on Spirit of the West's 1997 album Weights and Measures.

Full Flight of The Fiddle

Capercaillie by HighlanderImages

This is Charlie McKerron, the fiddle player of Capercaillie, in full flight playing "Inexile" at a concert played in Kuala Lumpur in May 2008. Capercaillie is a folk band from Scotland formed by Donald Shaw and Karen Matheson and who play a contemporary mix of celtic, gaelic and folk music.

The group originates from Argyll, a region of western Scotland and is named after the Western Capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus, a bird native to Scotland. Their 1992 EP, A Prince Among Islands, was the first Scottish Gaelic-language record to reach the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #39. Another of their singles, "Dark Alan (Ailein duinn)" reached #65 in the same listing in June 1995. The band recorded its first album, Cascade, in 1984. The albums Secret People (1993) reached #40, and To the Moon (1995) peaked at #41 in the UK Albums Chart.

They have adapted traditional Gaelic songs and music using modern production techniques, and often mix musical forms, such as "Cosich A' Ruin", which combined traditional lyrics with drum and bass.

A Throat Surely Touched by the Hand of God

Sean Connery described "her  throat as  surely touched by the hand of God" and the Billboard magazine described her as "the finest gaelic singer". 

Karen Matheson OBE (born 11 February 1963) is a Scottish folk singer, who frequently sings in Scottish Gaelic. She is lead singer of the group Capercaillie and was a member of Dan Ar Braz's group L'Heritage des Celtes, with whom she often sang lead vocals, either alone or jointly with Elaine Morgan. She and Morgan received much acclaim for their joint lead vocal on the Breton language song "Diwanit Bugale", the French entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. She made a cameo appearance in the 1995 movie Rob Roy singing the song "Ailein duinn".

She grew up in the small village of Taynuilt in Argyll. She was awarded an OBE in the 2006 New Year's honours list.

Matheson also appeared as a guest musician on Spirit of the West's 1997 album Weights and Measures.

She is married to fellow Capercaillie member Donald Shaw, and they have a son named Hector and hector is 10 years old

Loch Maree

Loch Maree (loch Ma-ruibhe in Gaelic) is a loch in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. At 20 km (12 mi) long and with a maximum width of 4 km (2.5 mi), it is the fourth largest freshwater loch in Scotland; it is the largest north of Loch Ness. Its surface area is 28.6 km² (11.0 sq mi).

Loch Maree contains five large wooded islands and over 25 smaller ones, many of which have their own lakelets. Isle Maree has the remains of a chapel, graveyard, holy well, and holy tree on it, believed to be the 8th century hermitage of Saint Máel Ruba (d. 722), who founded the monastery of Applecross in 672. The same island also contains ancient stands of oak and holly which have been linked with ancient Scottish druids. The waters of the loch were also thought to have curative effects, with being submerged in the water thought to be a cure for lunacy. All of the loch's islands are conservation areas. The largest is the only island in Britain to contain a loch that itself contains an island.

Like Loch Ness, Loch Maree has its own monster in the form of the muc-sheilch. The loch is often referred to as the most beautiful loch in the Highlands.

Capercaillie

Capercaillie are a Scottish celtic-folk band founded in the early 1980’s by Donald Shaw and fronted by Karen Matheson. They recorded their first album, Cascade, in 1984. Their 1992 EP, A Prince Among Islands, was the first Scottish Gaelic language record to reach the UK Top 40 singles chart.


Capercaillie have popularised traditional Gaelic songs and music by using modern production techniques and often mixing musical forms combining traditional lyrics with drum and bass.

In May 2008 Capercaillie played a dinner concert at the Hilton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur arranged by the Selangor St. Andrew's Society (SSAS). The evening was an incredible success and the music simply outstanding.

The crystal clear voice of Karen Matheson lived up to every expectation and also to the famous quote from Sean Connery who said she has a voice “touched by God”.