The Plum Tree and the Rose is the third album by singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid. It is a collection of traditional centuries-old material and original songs.
Reception
Hot Press referred to the release as "an album that should feature on many end-of-year best-ofs." AllMusic's J. Poet commented about McQuaid's vocal on the album, stating it is "full of the tremulous emotion every parent feels".
Track listing
- Lift You Up and Let You Fly (S.McQuaid) - 3:10
- Hardwick's Lofty Towers (S.McQuaid) - 3:43
- Solid Air (J.Martyn) - 5:04
- Kenilworth (S.McQuaid) - 3:03
- In Derby Cathedral (S.McQuaid) - 5:03
- The Sun Goes On Rising (Sarah McQuaid & Gerry OâÂÂBeirne)- 4:14
- SâÂÂAnc Fuy Belha Ni Prezada (Cadenet, c. 1200, arr. Sarah McQuaid & Gerry OâÂÂBeirne) - 4:14
- Can She Excuse My Wrongs (John Dowland, published in 1597 in The First Booke Of Songes, arr. S.McQuaid) - 4:25
- New Oysters New(Thomas Ravenscroft, published in 1609 in Pammelia: Mvsicks Miscellanie, arr. S.McQuaid) - 1:00
- So Much Rain (Sarah McQuaid & Gerry OâÂÂBeirne) - 4:10
- What Are We Going to Do (Sarah McQuaid & Gerry OâÂÂBeirne) - 2:57
- The Plum Tree and the Rose (S.McQuaid) - 4:29
- In Gratitude I Sing (S.McQuaid) - 1:02
Personnel
- Sarah McQuaid: vocals [1âÂÂ13], guitar [1âÂÂ6, 9âÂÂ13], shruti box [7]
- Gerry OâÂÂBeirne: tiple [1, 7], 12-string guitar [1, 5], guitar [2], vocals [13]
- Rod McVey: keyboards [1âÂÂ2, 5âÂÂ7, 10âÂÂ11]
- Trevor Hutchinson: double bass [1âÂÂ2, 4âÂÂ6, 10âÂÂ11]
- Bill Blackmore: flugelhorn [1], trumpet [3, 5]
- Rosie Shipley: fiddle [2]
- Máire Breatnach: fiddle [2, 4]
- Liam Bradley: percussion [4âÂÂ6, 11]
- Noel Eccles: percussion [4, 7]
- Niamh Parsons, Tom Barry: vocals [9, 13]
- Frances Hutchinson, Emer NàBhrádaigh: vocals [13]
Production
- Produced by Gerry O'Beirne
- Engineered by Trevor Hutchinson
- Recorded and mixed at Marguerite Studios, Glasnevin, Dublin
- Mastered by Sander van der Heide at Polyhymnia International, Baarn, The Netherlands
- Design and original cover artwork by Mary Guinan
- Photography by Colm Henry
Technical
- McQuaid plays:
- a 1965 Martin D-28 [5,10]
- her custom-made guitar by Andy Manson [1âÂÂ4, 6âÂÂ13]
- Both guitars are fitted with Fishman Matrix pickups
- John Pearse strings
- DADGAD tuning
References