“The Devil’s Backbone / Ark Of Tides” is the latest traditional single from Hamish Hepburn (flute) & Jack Houston (fiddle), assembled around a Lough Swilly–inspired set of Highlands from County Donegal.
The opening Highland, composed by Jack Houston, takes its title from Cnoc Colbha (Knockalla) on the Fanad Peninsula, a striking ridge nicknamed “The Devil’s Backbone.” The mountain’s sharp profile contrasts with its role as the setting for a pilgrimage route known as “The Way of the Cross.”
The ridge aligns with Scotland’s Great Glen Fault, which continues into Donegal as the Leanann Fault. Hills north of this line in Donegal are considered geological counterparts of those south of the fault in Earra-Ghàidheal (Argyll), Scotland.
The second tune, Ark Of Tides, comes from the late Dinny “White Harra” McLaughlin of Buncrana, Inishowen, a fiddler and composer credited with sustaining traditional music in the region. Its title recalls mobile altars wheeled onto beaches during the Penal Laws, when Catholic worship could legally take place on tide marks beyond landlord control.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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