10:56am Thursday 25th June 2009
WITH her sensitive interpretations of traditional works and well crafted original pieces, Cara Dillon has gained fans across the world.
Dillon originally came to the public's attention by winning the All Ireland Singing Trophy at the age of 14. She went on to sing with Oige, De Dannan and Equation – where she met husband and musical collaborator Sam Lakeman.
Her voice (described by Q magazine as being “quite possibly the world’s most beautiful female voice”), coupled with Lakeman's rippling piano, made her self-titled debut album of mainly traditional works a success, while their second and third albums Sweet Liberty and After the Morning featured mainly their own work and won rapturous reviews. Sweet Liberty featured a version of Tommy Sand’s There Were Roses, a painful, moving piece on Irish sectarianism.
After the Morning’s lead single Never in a Million Years was released exclusively as an iTunes download and reached 39 in their Top 100.
Dillon’s fourth solo effort Hill of Thieves, released earlier this year, has been by far her most successful album in terms of chart position, reaching number seven on the UK Indie Album chart and number one on iTunes and Amazon's folk charts.
Hill of Thieves has again garnered good reviews and marks a return for Dillon and Lakeman to more traditional material.
Cara Dillon comes to the Alban Arena on Saturday, July 4, at 7.30pm. Tickets: 01727 844488, www.alban-arena.co.uk (£17.50).
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