Reviews
". . . divine trad. Irish singer and flautist." TIME OUT
"one of the UK's most accomplished and beautiful singers". ents24.com
"Maggie's a damnably fine flute player as well as quite simply one of the loveliest singers in the entire world" David Kidman netrhythms
"How good it was to hear Maggie Boyle not only in superb voice but also given an unusual opportunity to prove yet again what a thrilling flautist she is." Nigel Schofield, Tykes
Gweebarra
"Maggie Boyle tackles largely traditional song with a full-blooded ardour that'll come as a shock to those weaned on the flaky New Age nonsense sold to us as Celtic music through most of the '90s. . .Boyle gets right inside the songs in the uncompromising manner of the best storytellers." Colin Irwin, FOLK ROOTS
"....vocals that should be protected like crown jewels." Pete Fyfe, ROCK 'N' REEL
"..on Gweebarra her exquisite singing shows maturity and sophistication giving what is, without doubt, her best recording ever. . . . a sheer joy." Mel Howley, LIVING TRADITION
"A cracking album." Mike Harding, FOLK ON TWO
Ship of Fools
". . . it's the vocal contribution of Maggie Boyle that marks this album as a first rate traditional folk-meets-digital-technology exercise" Q MAGAZINE
". . . Amazing. . as the audience left there was only stunned silent admiration." EVENT MAGAZINE
". . . displays the beautiful two part vocal arrangements of Tilston and Boyle." FRETS MAGAZINE USA
Sergeant Early's Dream
". . . I must mention Maggie Boyle, whose hauntingly beautiful voice is not easily forgotten and whose renditions of Eighteen Years Old and Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair did far more than just enhance the dancing or provide storylines for it." DANCE THEATRE JOURNAL.
". . . This multi-emotional work is given impact thanks to The Chieftains with singer Maggie Boyle. The renowned Irish folk musicians play the songs on-stage in a fluid, highly atmospheric style." CINCINNATI POST.
Of Moor and Mesa
• "Steve Tilston and Maggie Boyle's first album together is quietly and utterly seductive...superbly crafted" fROOTS
• "Of Moor And Mesa is a folk gem which grows in brilliance on subsequent plays, one which will tantalise for months to come...the combination of original and traditional material strikes a fine balance that pushes this LP towards deification as a classic record. It shines brighter than the majority of records currently vying for your attention" FOLK ON TAP
• "...a masterpiece - there's no other word for this. Steve Tilston is the finest songwriter England has ever produced. Here is his talent at its peak. He has absorbed the best of the ballad tradition into his writing, & the results are staggering ...Maggie Boyle has a voice the angels would kill for, & her vocal contributions are first class" ROCK'N'REEL
• "Steve Tilston and Maggie Boyle are one of the most compelling acts in British and Irish folk music today...his guitar and arpeggione are as lovely here as they were on his solo record Swans at Coole, and that's saying a great deal" DIRTY LINEN
• "Tilston is a powerful, sensitive songwriter and skilled guitarist. Boyle's expressive vocals dominate the Patriot Games (Paramount Pictures, 1992) film soundtrack, and the couple's new album, Of Moor and Mesa, is an example of a promise fulfilled" critic's choice, WEEKEND TELEGRAPH
• "If there's such a thing as a perfect album, this is it !" BARBARY POST (AUSTRALIA)
All Under the Sun
"Boyle's choice of traditional songs is another step up, with the epic "Fair Annie" a match for anything recorded by the great Anne Briggs." Colin Harper,Q Magazine
This is a wonderful collection of articulate Steve Tilston and Maggie Boyle songs and traditional pieces. All Under the Sun is deftly performed on acoustic instruments to accentuate Tilston's skilled fingerpicking, Boyle's rich and expressive Irish voice, and their collective thoughtful songwriting. It also boasts the services of Fairport Convention bassist Dave Pegg, multi-instrumentalist Maartin Allcock, and percussionist Dave Mattacks along with Tony Hinnigan, whose cello and charango adds welcome layering to the sometimes sparsely arranged music. Boyle also demonstrates her command of the Irish flute on several selections, but her duet with Tilston (guitar) on "The Threepenny Bit" is particularly noteworthy. Tilston's "Here's to Tom Paine," which was later covered by Fairport on Who Knows Where the Time Goes?, makes its debut here. In a surprising twist they conclude the album with the oft-covered country-pop number "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I."
Live Reviews
“…Maggie's voice and passionate commitment to communication shone through the erstwhile shackles of the idiom, and penetrated to assuage those dark recesses of pain that we might have thought unfathomable.” More…… http://www.btinternet.com/~elphagreen/NMN/MaggieBreview.html
“A musician of supreme charm and elegance.” FOLK ON THE MOOR
". . . exquisite flute playing with beautiful voice and lyrics." fROOTS review of Cambridge Festival