Biography


Singer and Celtic harp player Maggie MacInnes was born in Glasgow but comes from a long line of Gaelic singers from the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides and learned most of her Gaelic songs from her mother the highly acclaimed traditional singer, Flora MacNeil.

Maggie MacInnes and Mum, Flora MacNeil

Maggie has been involved in various groups over the years such as Ossian, Fuaim, Eclipse First and The Maggie MacInnes Band and has travelled widely with her music touring in many parts of Europe, U.S.A., and Canada. She has composed music for BBC documentaries and has acted as music producer and performed in many Gaelic language television and radio programmes.

In 2002 Maggie was given a “New Voices” commission by Glasgow’s prestigious Celtic Connections Festival and she went on to compose a piece called “Oran na Mna”(A Woman’s Song) which was later made into an album of the same name and was the inspiration for an Eight part Television Series on BBC Alba (also of the same name). That same year, Maggie put together a show which toured in Ayrshire and was part of the Burns and A’ That Festival and Celtic Connections Festival called “Burns and the Gaels” . This show examined the links between the poetry of Robert Burns and the Gaelic musical tradition. Maggie sings many Scots songs in addition to her Gaelic repertoire and she currently lives in Ayrshire near the birthplace of Robert Burns.

In 2004 Maggie was voted Best Gaelic Singer of the Year in the BBC Scots Trad Music Awards. She has recorded Six Solo CDs on her own Marram Music Record Label and performs regularly at home and abroad.

In 2010 Maggie recorded with Colum Sands, a wonderful singer/songwriter from Rostrevor in Northern Ireland and she went on to perform often with Colum with a show called “The Seedboat” which looks at the links, stories and songs which connect Scotland and Ireland.

In addition to her many solo performances, Maggie has been working regularly over the years with some of Scotland’s finest musicians, including Brian McAlpine on keyboards and accordion and Anna Massie on guitar, fiddle and backing vocals. In last couple of years Maggie has had the pleasure of performing with her two very talented sons, Ruaraidh and Calum Park (on fiddle, guitar and backing vocals). Brian, Anna, Calum and Ruaraidh feature on Maggie’s latest release in 2020, called Port Bàn. Also accompanying Maggie on the album is the highly respected musician and Producer, Angus Lyon(piano and accordion) and Chris Waite (Percussion and Whistle). This album was released at the prestigious Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow in January, 2020.




“Maggie performs these great and rare songs with an emotion and an intimacy that surely can only come from her in-the-blood proximity to these songs in their original domestic rather than concert hall setting. This brings to her performance an uncontrived naturalness and at times raw heartfeltness that is nothing short of captivating.”

– P. Urpeth, Hi-Arts Concert Review


Discography;-

Port Bàn (Marram Music) – 2020
The Seedboat (Spring Records) – 2010
A Fàgail Mhiughalaidh (Marram Music) – 2009
Òran na Mnà (Marram Music) – 2008
Peaceful Ground (Marram Music) – 2004
Spiorad Beatha (Marram Music) – 2001
Eilean Mara (Marram Music) – 1998
Eclipse First (Iona Records) – 1989
“Cairistiona” along with the late George Jackson of Ossian (Iona Records) – 1984