Deborah Packard | Peter Cairney | John Mock | Bill Vendier Deborah Packard has had a longstanding affinity for the vocal arts; her family is laced with singers, musicians, and readers of drama and poetry. Her fondest memories include a great-aunt teaching her the Scottish border ballad "Raggle Taggle Gypsies" on an island in Maine, and a farmer grandfather supplying a steady enterainment of folk songs in English and French Canadian. Fascinated by the union of story-telling and music, she has performed both musically and as a dramatic reader. Deborah's fondness for Celtic folk music lead to a collaboration with Scottish guitarist Peter Cairney in Nashville. Within a year, the two had joined with fellow New Englanders John Mock and Bill Verdier to from Isla - a group that compliments Deborah's voice in a musical seting akin to her heritage and her love of words and melody. Scottish guitarist Peter Cairney's professional career began in 1971 with Contraband - a folk-rock group recording on Transatlantic Records. Contraband consisted of Cairney, founding members of Ossian, and Mae McKenna - a top U.K. session singer and solo perfomer. Peter would later tour with Mae over an eight year period throughout Europe, the U.K., and Japan. He can be heard on her Night Fallers album as well as the other projects she produced for Virgin Japan. In addition, Peter's guitar work has been featured on John O'Kane's Solid Ground, and Scottish composer William Jackson's the Wellpark Suite. He toured with the Scottish Orchestra of New Music for several years - performing the Wellpark Suite and other pieces. Throughout numerous tours and recording projects with British country, pop an soul acts, Peter has held true to his folk roots - evidenced here by his participation in Isla. Multi-instrumentalist John Mock has recorded or performed as guitarist, percussionist, pennywhistler, and mandolin player for such notable acts as James Taylor, Mark O'Conner, Maura O'Connell, Rosanne Cash, Sylvia Hutton, Nanci Griffith, Melissa Manchester, Michael Johnson and Kathy Mattea. He has written symphonic arrangements for Kathy which have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, DC), the Atlanta Symphony, and the Nashville Symphony, among others. Aside from tour dates, studio sessions, and producing, John has recently recorded his first solo album of orginal instrumental music. In 1996, he was commissioned by the Nashville Chamber Orchestra (NCO) to compose a work featuring violin soloist with Celtic band and strings. The result was The Stone, which the NCO recorded for inclusion on their new CD with Warner Bros. Records. John plays bodhran, pennywhistle and mandolin in Isla, furthering his knowledge and passion for Celtic music. Violinist Bill Verdier began classical studies at an early age and had already toured England with the Bridgeport Connecticut Youth Symphony Orchestra upon arriving in New Hampshire in 1977. While working toward a B.A. in Music Education he was introduced to the other violin, or "fiddle" styles - namely folk, swing and rock. Bill returned to Connecticut in 1981 to perform, teach, and host a weekly program on WPKN in Bridgeport. With the station's vast ethnic music collection at his disposal, he developed a strong affinity for Celtic music and began performing in and around the New York City area on violin, mandolin and guitar. Bill moved to Nashville with music partner Maureen Barrett and joined the traditional Irish band The Rogues. One year later, he was introduced to Deborah Packard, Peter Cairney, and John Mock, and became Isla's fiddle player. top of page