Christine has been a central figure to the folk scene in Scotland, mainly as a singer, but also as educator, academic, choir leader and all-round mover and shaker. She is known and respected for her solo singing, but also for her partnership with Janet Russell and a number of groups, most notably, Chantan. She is of a number of performers whose profile is much higher in Scotland than in the south.

This album of a mature performer seems much broader in repertoire than those of her earlier releases. there are a couple of her own compositions here and if these were to be judged on their own, the performance and the accompaniment would to these ears place it in the English language equivalent of the Francophone chansonniere.

Elsewhere in a wide variety of fine performances there is love, clearly, in her way with two traditional songs The Back of Reres Hill and Braes o Balqhidder, ranging through settings of poems by Violet Jacob to Scots songwriters like Alistair Hulett, Alison McMorland and the the album’s opening track which is also the finest, a lovely interpretation of that beautiful song Just Another Rolling Stone one of the magnificent compositions of Michael Marra.

there also needs to be a mention for her accompanists throughout the album who bring thought and originality to their contributions whilst still enhancing what the singer brings to the song.

Vic Smith Around Kent Folk Issue 92 (April/May 2019)