Anna Murray
Anna was brought up on the Isle of Lewis. She learned from a young age to sing in her native language of Gaelic and started to play the highland bagpipes at ten. She plays the small pipes, the highland pipes and is a noted Gaelic singer. Anna has taught both the small pipes and singing in the United States.
Early Mod successes, television appearances and requests for her performing at ceilidhs all over the islands led to her debut recording 'Out of the Blue'. This offers a contemporary angle on Gaelic song and piping. 'Into Indigo' her second recording followed in a similar musical vein with greater song content and introducing many new tunes played on both Highland and small pipes.
'Into Indigo' was listed as one of the top ten folk albums of the year (1997) in Mojo Magazine. It was the only Scottish album to be included in the category. It also received favourable reviews in other publications such as Q Magazine and the Herald. Here are two of the reviews:
Q Magazine This quietly sensational album from a young Scots Gaelic singer
and instrumentalist. Masterful on the Highland pipes and small pipes, Murray
coaxes rare emotional expression from her instruments, and has the backing of a
full band and benefit of highly original arrangements to effectively soften that
old accessibility question.
(Colin Harper)
HighlyAccomplished * *
*
Glasgow Herald "Steamy Tun es from Hot Pipes "
A blow by blow account,
Anna Murray isn't afraid to take piping and Gaelic song into all sorts of new
situations ... Murray takes piping and Gaelic song into all sorts of steamy
situations, including Dolina Mackay, a guitar-riffing, Hammond-spluttering,
Hebridean Booker T and the MGs blast that is sure to give some of her
competition judges kittens.
(RobAdams)
Anna was composer and musical director for'Lazy Bed' by Iain Crichton Smith which toured with the Traverse Theatre. She appeared in the Edinburgh Festival and the fringe. Anna lives in Lewis with her young family and is currently working on projects for radio and television.
The release of Anna's third recording on the Lochshore label of KRL 'Tri Nithean' - Three Things coincides with her performance at Celtic Connections 2000.
