Faïra

The all-female folk quartet Fara hailed from the Orkney Islands off the northeastern tip of Scotland, a close-knit community whose strong Norse heritage has produced a unique and rich culture and musical tradition. The five original members were childhood friends. Fiddlers Catriona Price, Jeana Leslie (who also sang), and Louise Bichan, and pianist Jennifer Austin grew up in the capital Kirkwall and got their start in music in the high school fiddle ensemble Hadhirgaan, under the tutelage of Douglas Montgomery, a pivotal figure in Orkney's folk scene who founded the bands Salt...