Catriona McDonaldOver The Moon Peerie Angel Productions ****Folk tradition brought neatly up-to-dateOf course, it helps that Catriona McDonald is beguilingly beautiful. But, luckily, her playing matches up to her looks.

This is the Shetland fiddler’s second solo album on her own label Peerie Angel Productions. Winning the BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition Award whilst still studying classical music at the Royal College of Music, McDonald went back to the fiddle (thank goodness) and performed with all-female fiddle group String Sisters and folk super-group Unusual Suspects before releasing her debut, BOLD, in 2000.

Featuring David Milligan on piano, Conrad Ivitsky on double bass and James Mackintosh on drums and percussion, OVER THE MOON is a lovely collection of invigorated old classics and new compositions.

McDonald cuts past the usual endless fiddle tunes to some really novel arrangements and some innovative new compositions. It’s hard to tell whether McDonald is at her best when she’s whizzing through Shetland dance tunes or lilting her way through airs. Either way, her playing is warm and generous. McDonald and Milligan have a really nice musical rapport and the percussion brings the songs up-to-date without hamming them up or losing any of their traditional charm. Hazel Davis

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