Lydia McCauley’s music is best described as beautiful and passionate. Her songwriting is shaped by Celtic, Medieval, and Appalachian music—and her own pilgrimages around the world. This combination portrays a journey through the past and into the present as Lydia’s songs take her listener to an inward landscape, where the simple truths of her lyrics illumine the soul.
Born in Seattle and raised in the southeastern United States, Lydia grew up studying classical music as a child. When she was sixteen, her family moved to the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee and it was there that she began learning about the Celtic music that had been brought over the waters from the British Isles. She documented folk music from the Appalachian region at Berea College in Kentucky while working at festivals and at the school’s museum. The echoes of the British Isles were what truly inspired Lydia. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and co-producer Kurt Scherer.
Lydia McCauley’s music is a combination of contemporary sounds mixed with an older tradition that is categorized as New Age or Folk. As with most songwriters, her music follows the dynamic journey of her own life and is pretty true to form. This means that each album is crafted from the experiences of the particular year in which it was written.
Lydia grew up playing music from the age of five. Her early years studying piano and singing in choirs gave her a good base for songwriting, which began when Lydia was eighteen. In the mid 1990’s Lydia formed her own music label, Brimstone Music, and launched a professional career as a touring and recording artist. With the companionship of her husband/co-producer Kurt Scherer, Lydia has released six full-length albums that receive distribution across North America. Lydia’s band tours with her in the U.S. and Canada. She also performs with RIVER, a three-composer concert program which features Nancy Rumbel, Jami Sieber, and Lydia McCauley.
Lydia McCauley and her talented ensemble tour the U.S. and Canada, performing by candlelight in Cathedrals, making appearances on television, at festivals, performing art centers and other venues.
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 Foreign Lander | 
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Listener Comments
Member Name: Aaediwen
Date Posted: 06-Jan-2005
Comments: I just got Foreignlander in yesterday. I'm quite impressed! I remember some time ago, I started seeing Lydia McCauley listed as a featured artist here, but I'd not heard any of her work and must have kept missing it. I finally requested some of her work, and am glad I did. Yet another wonderful CD added to my library thanks to Highlander Radio"One Morning in May": Makes me think of 'The Nightingale' from [I]Celtic Pride[/I]. The story is definately the same"Swallow's Return": This song quite stunned me when I heard it that first time. Insturmental tracks tend to be a harder sell for me than others, indeed, it wasn't until nearly y2k what I found insturmentals that I actually liked. This one, however, carrys me away on a cloud May have to see if I can learn it once I get into playing a keyboard."Pretty Saro": has a fun feel to it. Still rather longing, and a sad story, fitting with the rest of the CD. But the way she comes across with it gives the song itself a fun feel."The Cuckoo": I can see how some might not care for some of how this song is done, and indeed, in some contexts I wouldn't like the style in how this song is done here. In this siuation though, it just seems to work Just what happens, I guess, when you can't trust love anymore"Barbara Allen": My quest ends here! I'd been looking for a good Celtic recording of this song since I first heard of it in the movie [I]Songcatcher[/I], and here it is! A wonderful story, and well done. That said even though I can't feel the rocking rythem of the song quite as much as I expected after watching Songcather, and Lydia also is not quite as strong with the accents as Donnie Dover is on "Brother Green", which uses the same melody. It's a slightly different style than I expected, but that doesn't keep it from being quite wonderful. Plus, I've not got a version of this song in my library, at long last It also helped spur a stream that I'm still working on, and which may get posted here once it's finished."Stella": My mind seems to have passed over this one so far. Definately not something to run from. Generally, however, when I miss a song like that it's generally because it isn't going to peak my interest. Not horribly bad, but not special either. Just doesn't stand out."The River Trilogy": "Skye Boat Song". I listened a little closer to make sure that's not all this was, and there does appear to be more to it than just that, after all, it is labeled as a trilogy. I'll need yet to read the liner notes for more information on this track. It does have a plesent rendition of Skye Boat Song in it though, although unless I'm mistaken, the body of water in that is a little more than a river."I Will Give My Love an Apple": Interesting song here I like the feel of it. Something you can sing along with. Also, the seemingly paradoxical metaphors are great Lydia's delivery is fun to listen to as she dances through each line."Softly and Tenderly": Sounds nice, so I won't likely run. But the song itself is a little too Christian for me. sounds like it's trying to preach to me. Don't get me wrong, I like Christianity, and I do believe in what is taught. But if music is going to preach Christ to me, I'd rather it be in Church, not in the random slot of my library. As I said, though. it does sound pretty."ForeignLander" I like the overall feel of this song, but I keep getting lost and my mind wanders before I really get into what it says. I'm going to need to go through this song paying attention to every word, I think."Soldier Boy": Fun! fun! fun! A bit different from the rest of the CD. Hop-skipping and fun. Doesn't have the nice even flow typical of the rest of the CD. Certainly has one ready to dance. I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell you what kind of dance tune this is, and that may be in the liner notes which I've not yet read. Fun though "Margaret's Waltz": Another one I've missed about every time I've listened to the CD so far"Lover's Lament": Haunting and wonderful. I still need to fix up a playlist of just laments, an idea triggered by this song after hearing it here on Highlander.... "Ohh hush my love, you will break my heart, Nor let me hear you cry. for the best of friends will have to part, and so must you and I"Definate earworm material. Wonderful song, which I've come to loveMost likely pattern to program my CD player on this disc: 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13
Member Name: Macfive
Date Posted: 07-Nov-2004
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