Sporting Artisans - Your Source For Outdoor Art, Wildlife Art & Dog Art

I stumbled across Dougie MacLean by accident and was hooked the first time I heard him. Like Mary Black and Eva Cassidy, Dougie would not be considered a part of the "sporting lifestyle" genre, but the fact is that his haunting, beautiful melodies bring to mind the outdoors and its natural beauty. He is an aclaimed musician - coming from the Tay Valley in Perthshire Scotland. His songs r...  [Read More]

The following is a review of the debut live performance at City Hall, Perth, Scotland, May 22, 1999:

Perthshire Amber, a four-movement instrumental suite by Dougie MacLean was unveiled to huge public acclaim in its debut performance...

It is an immensely successful piece, rooted absolutely in traditional dance and melodic idioms, and characterized by MacLean's unforgettable lyrical melodies...

Carrying the bulk of the gorgeous melodies were fiddler Pete Clark and piper/whistler Graham Mulholland, whose haunting whistle solo in the slow movement, electronically enhanced, was so spellbinding you could almost sense a collective suspension of breathing in the huge audience. MacLean himself provided the rhythm and a brief vocal melody at the end.

The string writing for the BT Scottish Ensemble-expertly scored by Kevin McCrae-ranged across decorative backdrops, bustling counterpoints with the folk instruments, and powering the rhythmic engine room of the music.

An irresistible tapestry of tunes, rhythms, instrumental and orchestral colors, harmonies and textures. When can we hear it again?-The Herald (Scotland)

You can sample Dougie's songs by clicking on the songs below the photo.