The Cuckoo’s Note was recorded by Whisht! in 2007 at Liam Clancy Studios, An Rinn, County Waterford. Engineered and mastered by Kevin Evans, the album was partly funded by the Arts Council.
I was driving to Clare and when I put in the CD I was absolutely taken by what I heard. And I was surprised, because when you hear somebody talking about a group, you presume they’re all going to be singing, or playing, together. But what I heard was a fantastic hour of solo traditional singing. And alot of people, I think, when they hear of an album of unaccompanied traditional singing, they think: that mightn’t be too easy to listen to, or I might just listen to a few songs now, and a few songs later. But let me tell you that when you listen to The Cuckoo’s Note, and just listen to the variety in the singing styles, and in the types of songs – it’s an absolutely lovely, lovely production.
It’s a lovely way, and it’s a very unusual way, I think, to present traditional singing.
Also, when we hear songs put together by local singers, there is often a tendency to stick very rigidly with local songs, for example, or maybe with songs that have been recorded by other people. But what you have on the Whisht! album, The Cuckoo’s Note, is a great mixture of some songs that we’ve all heard before, some songs that Wexford people maybe have heard before, and also some songs that none of us have probably heard before. So it’s a great mixture in that respect, and there are also a couple of Irish language songs in there as well, which was really nice to hear.
Recorded in Liam Clancy Studios, when you listen to the CD, you can really hear the result of the work and the care that went into the recording, and the post-production of the CD. And also into the sleeve-notes, which are really beautifully done.
Áine Hensey, RTÉ Radio One
… a lovely album, well worth having …
Dan Walsh, South East Radio
The word Whisht or éist means to be silent, stop or listen, and listen you will to these six top exponents of the unaccompanied song in the traditional idiom…. sixty minutes of wonderful ballad singing.
Liam Gaul, County Wexford Free Press
Lovers of Irish song will be enthralled by this album.
Geoff Wallis, www.irishmusicreview.com
It is wonderful to see the best singers in the county coming together to pool their talents for our enjoyment. Each song and singer is a delight.
Sean Ó Dubhghaill, South East Voice
Beautifully produced.
Paddy Ryan, South East Radio