Angus Macleod was born into a long line of traditional singers and story tellers. Both his grandfather and great grandmother were interpreters of Gaelic song, entertaining at ceilidhs throughout the Lewis Settlement in Ontario's Huron Township. Angus' early memories of his grandfather are of a kindly old gentleman singing to him in a strange awkward tongue. At the time, young Angus thought that the old man was making up his own special language. "I was in my teens before my father explained to me that my grandfather was really singing in Gaelic." As a child, Angus spent his summers in Huron Township where his great aunts told him stories of a not so distant past; stories about pioneer life in the backwoods of Canada and tales of a far away island off the coast of Scotland. "They spoke about the Isle of Lewis like it was home - almost like our family was on some kind of extended leave of absence from the island " says Angus. "They spun yarns about people with nicknames like Black Murdo and Red Malcolm and talked about events that must have occurred a hundred years earlier - just like they happened yesterday!". These early years made a lasting impression on Angus and have been a constant influence on his professional and personal life. "I think I was always keenly aware of where my family came from and it has affected almost every aspect of my life - the books I read, the people I associate with and the music I listen to."

Angus' interest in traditional music, although deeply rooted in his childhood, first became apparent when as a teenager he heard music from the British Folk Revival of the 1960's. "I was blown away by it. When listening to the songs, they sounded strangely familiar." The music had stirred long forgotten memories within Angus of warm summer evenings by Lake Huron's shores when his father and uncles would sing the traditional songs of their Hebridean homeland - their voices echoing melodiously across the water.This is perhaps when Angus had his first glimpse at The Silent Ones CD.

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Last update: Monday, February 18, 2002 at 8:51:48 PM