Returning to live on the Isle of Man led a musician to record her own album of Manx traditional music.

Inspired by the landscape of the island, and by the mystical ’otherworld’ of Manx folklore, Christa McCartney has released her album, ’Shee’, a collection of her own versions of 15 traditional tunes and folk songs played mainly on the harp and piano.

Christa, a musician, conductor and music teacher, said she was moved to create her own soundtrack after returning to the island to live, following a spell living in Switzerland.

Driven back by homesickness, she felt compelled to put her feelings about returning home into music, and later collected the pieces into one very personal and tranquil album which, Christa says, ’invokes the magical and mystical qualities of our island.

She said: ’I’ve lived here for more than 20 years, and when I think of home, I think of the Isle of Man.

’I had the need to come back here. Essentially the album is the story of me discovering the Isle of Man and what it means to me.

’It is called "Shee", which means peace in Manx.

’But ’the Shee’ can also mean the "other folk", the mooinjey veggey, which I liked to have included in there too.

’Also, "she", as I had to come back here to build myself back up to who I am. The title, for me, has all those three connotations.

’It is all part of me putting my life back together and finding things here, and just being back in touch with Manx-ness.’

The album was created by recording little fragments at a time, with Christa handling all the instrumentation and vocal work, and having them crafted into one continuous stream of music by Gypo Buggane, at the Ballagroove studios, Ballasalla.

’I would go down and see Gypo and I would go down to the studio and play for a couple of hours here and there, while he recorded it,’ she said.

’I would also say some lines in Manx, about the glens, the hills or the sea, and it just all came together.

’It took me about a year to record altogether. Gypo, who is an absolute genius with the production side of things, would say "we’ll loop that", or "we’ll echo that, or stick a bit of this in".

’At the beginning, there is the Padjer Columb Killey, or St Columba’s Prayer, which is a well-known Manx tune that I speak the words to. It is almost a call to be calm and peaceful.

’I think it is best listened to at night, next to a fire with a glass of whiskey. If you don’t fall into a restful sleep at the end of it, I have not done my job.’

The album also features art work created by the illustrator Julia Ashby Smyth.

’Shee’ is available as a CD from Manx National Heritage shops, Laxey Woollen Mills, Mostly Manx and the Bridge Book Shops, and also online from christamccartneymusic.com.

by Mike Wade

twitter:@iomnewspapers