Copperplate Distribution

We are delighted to announce the release of

The Holland Handkerchief
MCPCD001
BY
MARY McPARTLAN
with
Shamie Dowd, Mairtin O'Connor, Paddy Keenan, Cathal Heyden, Liam Kelly, Tom Morrow, Eddie Lynch,
Mary Staunton & Martina Goggins.
Produced : P.J. Curtis

MOJO Folk Album of 2004

BBC Music Web Site: one of the year's finest traditional albums. Reviewer: Jon Lusk

The Living Tradition: This is definitely the best vocal album I've heard this year.

Songlines: Incredible debut, and a potential Irish album of the year *****

Irishmusicreviews: She’s a great singer and The Holland Handkerchief is well deserving of your attention.

Mary McPartlan has one of the great voices of Ireland. She sings with passion, with a natural, lilting clarity, rare innate register of tunefulness, strong and tender, kind to the song and the listener. For several decades her voice has been heard in clubs and theatres, at weddings and funerals, celebrating, consoling, inspiring; and many have asked: when are you going to record an album?

Now Now The Holland Handkerchief brings her singing out of the realm of the occasional, the private to the public domain of airplay, reviews and performance. Well known as a music producer in television and theatre, she will now become known as the great singer the she is, equal to the best anywhere.
Mary has gathered around her some of Ireland's finest musicians to contribute their talents to this classic album. World renowned prouder, P.J. Curtis has a track record many would die for, producing artists of the calibre of Altan, Sharon Shannon among many others.

Now Now the general public has 13 good reasons to endorse the claims of her friends. I It took some time but with this release a major new talent has arrived

Copperplate is very proud to have this title on our roster and to help it achieve its full potential will be supporting this release with a full-scale promotional mail out to media and retail. Feedback always welcome.

Mary Mc Partlan, who has lived in Galway since the mid-Eighties, was born and reared near Drumkeeran, Co Leitrim. Her singing career began in the 1970s, with the folk duo Calypso and she has been a well-known figure on the Irish folk music scene for many years, both as a producer/director/organiser and as a singer.

She was one of the founders of the Galway singers’ club Riabhóg and she initiated, developed and co-ordinated the TG4 National Traditional Music Awards.

She co-produced two award-winning music series, FLOSC, for TG4 and was a founding member and producer of the Galway-based theatre company Skehana. She was also administrator of Galway Youth Theatre and administrator of the Galway Simon Community.

Mary performed in the Druid theatre/Sean Tyrell productions of The Midnight Court in the 1990s.

She established her own PR and arts consultancy agency, called Mac P Productions/Gael Ocáidí Teo, in the early Nineties. This company offered a creative link between the traditional, cultural and arts sectors and the business community.

· Initiated and developed a cultural exchange programme between Ireland and Argentina in 1999.

· Was commissioned by Galway Municipal Theatre to research and direct a series of traditional based art forms for Summer Shows at the Galway Town Hall theatre.

· Was commissioned by the (then) Department of Arts, Heritage, Culture and the Gaeltacht during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU in 1996 to devise and direct an Irish Cultural Performance of leading musicians, dancers, singers and writers as a special event for the meeting of European Ministers of Culture.

· In 2002, researched and directed the opening of Glór, the Irish National Music Centre in Ennis, Co Clare, presenting three generations of Clare’s distinguished musical heritage.

· Co-ordinated the singing participation from Ireland at the second International Voice Festival in Lvov in the Ukraine in 2002.

· Co-produced the documentary Nan, two half hour programmes on the life and singing of Nan Tom Teamín De Burca, which was shown on TG4 in December 2003.

· Was commissioned by the Entertainment Corporation of New York New York, Las Vegas to produce a four-hour Irish show based on the history of Irish music, song, dance and culture. This show ran for three months during the summer of 2003 at the Nine Fine Irishmen venue in Las Vegas.

· Was Music Consultant for the Scannain Dobharchu production of Lochrainn Ceol Christmas Music Special on TG4, 2003.

Her debut CD, The Holland Handkerchief, was launched in Galway on 30 January 2004.

Press Reaction:

Folk North West 05.05
There are some singers that leave you gasping for breath when you first hear them sing. I was listening to a radio programme a couple of months ago and on came a female artist with an astounding interpretation of Shane McGowan's composition, "Rainy Night in Soho". Such was her interpretation she instantly made the song her own and has knocked spots of the formidable Pogues original. The artist in question was Mary McPartlan and I just had to get hold of the album.

Well I soon discovered she's certainly not a one-song wonder. The CD is a great collection of thirteen mainly traditional (such as "The Holland Handkerchief", "As I roved out", "Peat Bog Soldiers" and "Johnny Lovely Johnny" and modern contemporary songs (Tim O'Brien's "John Riley", Thom Moore's great song, "Saw You Running" loving rearranged by McPartlan with the help of the brilliant Sligo musician Shamie O'Dowd (who as well as vocally accompanying her plays a range of guitars fiddles and harmonicas). There's also "Aura Lee", the tune of which crossed the Atlantic and somehow got thrown back as "Love Me Tender". To add to her versatile singing talents she has gathered around her some of Ireland's finest musicians and producer, P J Curtis.

Mary McPartlan has lived in Galway since the mid 1980s and her singing career began in the 1970s. She has been a well-known figure on the Irish folk scene but surprisingly, 'The Holland Handkerchief' is her first CD. One thing is sure it won't be her last. Mary has won some ecstatic reviews for this album and it's easy to see why. Quite simply, she is one the best vocal talents to emerge from a country that is renowned for its strength in depth of singing talent and easily bears favourable comparisons with the likes of Dolores Keane and Maura O'Connell.
Lewis Jones

Fairoaks Entertainments OnLine

"Brilliant new voice breaks onto the scene, abetted by Ireland's finest sidemen to produce a classic debut album".

· According to the sleeve notes, Mary has been a mainstay of the Irish music scene for several decades singing at music venues, theatres and clubs. It's only now however that she's got around to recording her debut CD. The combination of Mary's stunning voice and the cream of Irish session musicians has certainly produced an album rich in texture, spirit and soul. Special mention should go to Shamie O'Dowd's haunting arrangements, which really get the best out of Mary's voice…

· The opening title track contains some sterling Uilleann Pipe work from Paddy Keenan and energetic acoustic guitar playing from Shamie O'Dowd. Mary rings plenty of angst out of the song's lyrics ~ a ghostly tale of a returning lost love. "Rainy Night In Soho" is an absolute gem from the pen of the legend that is Shane McGowan ~ a deeply touching song that is probably the best composition on the album…

· Shamie's sparse arrangements allow Mary's peerless vocals plenty of room to take the centre stage where they rightly belong. The traditional "Johnny Lovely Johnny" is punctuated by some exquisite whistle and fiddle interplay from Liam Kelly and Tom Morrow respectively. "The Tide Full In" has the air of an old fashioned sea shanty while Mary and pianist Eddie Lynch ring ever ounce of passion out of that old chestnut "Ladybird"…

"Lord Gregory" ~ a song which exists in several different versions is here given a mesmerising accapella performance by Mary. "John Riley" is a rousing Tim O'Brien/Guy Clarke tune, powered along by Shamie's harmonica riffs while "Lovely Sailor Boy" is a rather sad and introspective song telling the story of a young lass searching for her lost sailor boyfriend. The tempo then "ups" considerably on track 9, "As I Roved Out/Joe O'Dowd's Barndance" as the band and Mary collectively let their hair down ~ I defy anyone to keep there feet still listening to this tune! Once again Liam Kelly and Tom Morrow take the honours for some splendid flute and fiddle playing…

· "Peat Bog Soldiers" with it's slow, atmospheric fiddle and keyboard work is a song tinged with sadness. Mary sings with great restraint and the overall effect makes the hairs on your arms stand on end! "Saw You Running" and "Aura Lee" are both Gospel/Jazz tinged tunes and only go to prove that Mary can handle any style of music. The album concludes quietly and serenely with the traditional "Slieve Gallion Braes" another accapella song sung by Mary backed by Mary Staunton and Martina Goggin…

· This debut album from Mary McPartlan bodes well for the future and it's indeed gratifying to hear the emergence of another fine traditional Folk vocalist. Full marks must also go to the backing musicians who certainly add warmth and depth to the songs. I'd have to single out Liam Kelly and Tom Morrow for special praise as they are top-class musicians who both play as if their lives depended on it! Star Rating: ****

Top Track(s): "Rainy Night In Soho", "Johnny Lovely Johnny" & "As I Roved Out…"

BBC Music Web Site

"This tasteful and varied selection of largely traditional Irish songs puts her in the same league as Dolores Keane and Niamh Parsons".

With this debut album arriving in her 50th year, you could say Mary McPartlan has been a little backward in coming forward as a singer. A busy
career in theatre and TV production is one of the reasons that her remarkable lived-in voice has so far only been heard in a few back-street clubs of Galway and the surrounding area, but The Holland Handkerchief is likely to change that.

Her tendency to bend notes betrays a fondness for both the blues and sean-nós, and this tasteful and varied selection of largely traditional Irish songs puts her in the same league as Dolores Keane and Niamh Parsons.

An obvious highlight is the charged, spooky title track which kicks off the disc, establishing her as a compelling story teller. The version of Shane McGowan's wonderful "Rainy Night In Soho" is effectively understated, and it's interesting to compare her take on "Aura Lee" - full of sentiment, though never sentimental - with that of fellow Galway singer Sean Keane. On the more upbeat side, "As I Roved Out/Joe ODowd's Barndance"
strays into the kind of territory frequented by The Dubliners, and "Saw You Running" could almost be Kirsty MacColl. "Slieve Gallion Braes" is the
oldest song in her repertoire; performed with just two backing singers, it harks back to her early days in the mid 70's, when she was part of a duo called Calypso.

The other arrangements include everything from the stark unaccompanied take on "Lord Gregory" to the driving electric folk rock of "The Holland Handkerchief", and come courtesy of Dervish's excellent fiddler/guitarist Shamie ODowd. Having initiated Ireland's TG4 National Music Awards in the mid 1990's, Mary had the luxury of being able to call on a who's who of Ireland's traditional music scene to play for her. So the starry cast of
session musicians includes the likes of Uilleann piper Paddy Keenan and accordionist Mairtín OConnor, who help to make this
one of the year's finest traditional albums. Reviewer: Jon Lusk

The Living Tradition Sept/OCT.04 www.folkmusic.net
This is definitely the best vocal album I've heard this year.
Mary McPartland is from Co. Leitrim, a county that's not had it's proper recognition as a musical treasure house. She now lives in Galway, is a music producer and director, and founder of the Riabhog Singers Club. She has a big voice, not in the Shirley Bassey sense, but well rounded and mature with a great deal of confidence in her chosen material. She handles each song as if it's an old friend; at times tenderly, at others robustly.
Accompanied at times by such fine musicians as Paddy Keenan, Mairtin O' Connor, Cathal Hayden and others of that stamp, this is a tour de force
for her.

Not all of the songs are traditional Irish; there's Shane McGowan's 'Rainy Night in Soho', 'Saw You Running', and even 'Aura Lee'. And they all work for her. I was interested in 'John Riley', a song about the Irish soldiers of the little known San Patricio Brigade of the 19th century Mexican army. At the start of 'As I Roved Out', I thought this was a Galway City version of 'The Spanish Lady'. In fact it's a feminist reply to the old story of the fellow who tells a girl he'll give all sorts of goodies if she'll marry him; in this case she sends him off with a flea in his ear.

On one of my own favourites, 'Slieve Gallion Braes', McPartlan is accompanied by two great singers, Mary Staunton and Martina Goggin. This is one the best tracks on the CD. The best is a haunting version of 'Lord Gregory', where she does an even better job than the great Dolly MacMahon. That takes some admitting, because I've loved Dolly's version for decades. And she was a Furey before she married Ciaran MacMathuna, so there's an amount of kindred feeling there too.

This is definitely the best vocal album I've heard this year. The only thing I find strange is that this is McPartlan's first album. I hope she soon makes more; I can hardly wait. Mick Furey

Songlines Sept/Oct.04
Incredible debut, and a potential Irish album of the year *****

Rarely can there have been a debut album as compelling as The Holland Handkerchief, released by the Leitrim-born, Galway-based singer, Mary McPartlan.
Then there's a dazzling largely unaccompanied vocal performance of 'Slieve Gallion Braes' to close an equally
alluring album and one that should already be considered as Irish album of the year! Geoff Wallis

The Daily Telegraph 7.06.04 & www.telegraph.co.uk
Why would someone want her first CD to sound as if might have been issued 30 years ago? The answer in the case of Mary McPartlan is that her freshness as a recording artist is misleading. If Peat Bog Soldiers is one of several examples of songs that recall the smoky, beery folk clubs of the 1970s, it is worth remembering that McPartlan was, by then, already singing in public.
During her career as a music producer, and despite the fact that she never got round to making a record of her own, McPartlan's robust and supremely expressive voice was no secret to those in the know.
Her overdue debut, The Holland Handkerchief, is instantly enjoyable. McPartlan's singing is mature and assured and the respect she commands among Irish musicians is clear from the presence of session men of the calibre of Mairtin O'Connor and Shamie O'Dowd.
While it may be a little late to suggest the dawning of a bright new career, McPartlan can feel she has delivered the album that was always in her, without ever resembling an old pro going through the paces. Colin Randall

Live Ireland Web Site
We love this album. This is a great voice. Strong, clear alto. The regular reader will know we favor the altos, mostly because we first fell in love with traditional music through the singing of Dolores Keane. This, plus the fact we are sick of quivering, nasal, sopranos weakening the tradition. Mc Partlan is a strong, intelligent talent with great chops. The more we listen, the better she gets. Repeat here. We adore this album, and this voice. You will, too. Great backup musicians make this a stunner. More! Bill Margeson

Now then, we get loads of CDs here and to be frank a lot of them are tosh. But occasionally, very occasionally, one comes in and knocks our socks off. One of these rare records is The Holland Handkerchief by Mary McPartlan (MacP 001), I know little about her, bur dear Lord, she can sing.
She's Irish, is equally at home on trad and contemporary songs and has grouped top-line musicians around her. There are hints of the great Delores Keane in the rich, unforced vocals of Mary McPartlan's, Holland Handkerchief.
She sings with the instinctive soul of a genuine traditional singer, although it has a very fresh sound, with Paddy Keenan and Mairtin O'Connor among the superb backing musicians.Yet, best of all is her radical rework of Shane McGowan's, Rainy Night in Soho, changing the song entirely. TOPS. COLIN IRWIN

The Irish Times 5.02.04
The sleeve notes hint at a meitheal coming together for the making of this heart-stopping CD from music producer - and now, finally, recording artist - Mary McPartlan. And it's a heavy meitheal band with a difference: shot through with enough vim, vigour and unfettered passion to fuel those lethal marathon singing sessions that lop years off your life while adding wings to the spirit.

McPartlan's voice is gloriously, earthy, as she breathes in her material for all their life-giving powers.

Shamie O'Dowd's multi-instrumental contributions are a revelation of style and panache, his and McPartlan's vocal harmonies gelling fearlessly.

Mairtin O'Connor, Paddy Keenan and James Blennerhasset cosset and challenge with grinning ease. But the songs rule: The Tide Full In is a perfect snapshot of voice, geography and history in faultless synchrony. Siobhan Long

The Hot Press 20.03.04
Those of us in the trade have long been familiar with Mary McPartlan as a producer, director, PR ace and general impresario. But there was something else about Mary that only a select group of friends and acquaintances knew: the lady can sing.

Happily, thanks to this impressive debut CD, the rest of us now know it, too. Solid, strong and tender, her voice is at its best on “big” songs like Lord Gregory, Slieve Gallion Braes (in a gorgeous a cappella version with Mary Staunton and Martina Goggin on harmonies) and the powerful title track. Shane McGowan’s ode to nostalgia , Rainy Night In Soho, gets a fine airing here, too, as does the grand old chestnut Aura Lee.
Sarah McQuaid 8/10

www.Irishmusicreview.com
It is rare to discover an album whose influences are so obvious yet retains its individuality so compellingly, but such is the debut by Mary McPartlan, The Holland Handkerchief.
She’s a great singer and The Holland Handkerchief is well deserving of your attention. Geoff Wallis 17th/3/ 2004

Track 1: 5.42
THE HOLLAND HANDKERCHIEF
Trad Arr. Mary McPartlan / Shamie O’Dowd. IMRO
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Acoustic & Electric Guitar /
Electric Bass
Paddy Keenan - Uilleann Pipes - Danny Byrt - Djembe

track 2: 4.02
RAINY NIGHT IN SOHO
Shane McGowan. Perfect Music Publ.
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Acoustic / Electric Guitars
Eddie Lynch - Hammond Organ - Fergal Gallagher - String Bass

track 3: 3.57
JOHNNY LOVELY JOHNNY
Trad Arr. Mary McPartlan / Shamie O’Dowd. IMRO
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Acoustic Guitar / Harmonica /
Backing Vocals.
Liam Kelly - Whistle - Tom Morrow - Fiddle - Fergal Gallagher - String
Bass

track 4: 4.01
THE TIDE FULL IN
Words - Francis Fahy / Music Paul Mulligan. Cop. Cont.
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Acoustic Guitar / Backing Vocals
Liam Kelly - Flute - Tom Morrow - Fiddle

track 5: 5.05
LADYBIRD
Tim Edwards. Arr. Mary McPartlan / Eddie Lynch. IMRO. Mary McPartlan -
Vocals - Eddie Lynch - Piano

track 6: 3.21
LORD GREGORY
Trad. Arr. Mary McPartlan. IMRO. Mary McPartlan - Vocals

track 7: 3.31
JOHN RILEY
Tim O’Brien / Guy Clarke. Universal Music / MCA Music Publ. Ltd.
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Harmonicas / Electric Guitar -
Danny Byrt - Djembe

track 8: 3.59
LOVELY SAILOR BOY
Trad Arr. Mary McPartlan / Shamie O’Dowd / Mairtín O’Connor / Liam Kelly /
Tom Morrow. IMRO
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Acoustic Guitar - Mairtín
O’Connor - Accordion
Liam Kelly - Flute - Tom Morrow - Fiddle

track 9: 3.23
AS I ROVED OUT / Joe O’Dowd’s Barndance
Trad Arr. Mary McPartlan / Shamie O’Dowd / Inst. Joe O’Dowd. IMRO
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Acoustic Guitar - Liam Kelly -
Flute
Tom Morrow - Fiddle - Cathal Hayden - Banjo - Danny Byrt - Percussion
Mary Staunton - Backing vocals - Martina Goggin - Backing vocals

track 10: 3.33
PEAT BOG SOLDIERS
Writer Unknown. Arr. Mary McPartlan / Shamie O’Dowd. IMRO
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Fiddles / Electric Guitar -
Eddie Lynch - Keyboards

track 11: 3.50
SAW YOU RUNNING
Thom Moore. EMI Music Publ Ltd.
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Acoustic Guitar - Mairtín
O’Connor - Accordion - Liam Kelly - Flute - Tom Morrow - Fiddle - Danny Byrt - Drums / Percussion

track12: 3.51
AURA LEE
Trad Arr. Mary McPartlan / Shamie O’Dowd. IMRO
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Shamie O’Dowd - Acoustic Guitar / Slide Guitar /
Harmonica - Eddie Lynch - Piano / Hammond Organ

track 13: 2.34
SLIEVE GALLION BRAES
Trad Arr. Mary McPartlan / Shamie O’Dowd. IMRO
Mary McPartlan - Vocals - Mary Staunton - Vocals - Martina Goggin - Vocals