Sylvia Barnes’ pedigree in traditional music is a long and distinguished one. Together with her late husband Jim, she formed the vocal nucleus of the influential Glasgow band Kentiern and was one of the elite group of female vocalists to sing with The Battlefield Band before moving to England in the 1980s. Sylvia fronted several bands during this time and continued to perform as a duo with Jim, becoming firm favorites with folk club and festival audiences throughout the country and abroad. They released a number of well-received recordings.
Sylvia continues to be in demand as a solo singer, being a frequent guest at singing festivals in this country and in Ireland and was recognized as Scots Singer of The Year at The Scots Trad Awards of 2006. Among the very top flight of Scots singers, Sylvia is a dramatic performer with a wonderful voice. She can render passion, humor, and gentle sentiment with equal ease and has been described as “one of the finest ballad singers of her generation.”
Her solo album The Colour of Amber (2007) was recorded by lan McCalman at Kevock Digital Studios, Lasswade and was produced by Sandy Stannage, who also played guitar on the album. The other musicians who added accompaniment were Jennifer and Hazel Wrigley (fiddle and guitar/piano respectively) plus Frank McLaughin (small pipes and whistle).
In 2013, Sylvia released an album with Sandy Stanage. Both had been working together since the 1970s, when they were founder members of Kentigern.
Sylvia was inducted to the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame. She was recognized for her substantial contribution to Scottish traditional music, particularly in song preservation and performance.
Discography:
Jim and Sylvia Barnes – Mungo Jumbo (Cerberus Sounds, 1991)
The Colour Of Amber (Greentrax, 2007)
Tickets to the Void (2013)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.