Grace Griffith

With a crystal-clear vocal tone that has been compared with the late Sandy Denny, Washington, D.C.-based vocalist Grace Griffith has brought the songs of the Celtic Isles to the United States. A former member of Celtic folk trio, Connemara, Griffith has continued to expand on Celtic traditions as a soloist. The Washington Area Music Association awarded her WAMMIE awards as "Best Female Vocalist" in both the Celtic and Traditional Folk categories four consecutive years. Griffith first attracted attention with Connemara, the trio that she formed in the early-1990s with fiddler Cathy Palmer and Celtic harpist Tracie Brown. The group released two memorable albums, Beyond the Horizon in 1993 and Siren Song in 1995. Griffith's debut album, Every Hue and Shade, was released on her own label in 1993. Three years later, eight tracks from the album were combined with a tune, "Sailing/Ships Are Sailing", from Connemara's album Siren Song, and a new recording of Dougie McLean's song, "Turning Away", and released as Grace. Guest instrumentalists on the album included Martin Simpson, Zan McLeod and Al Petteway. Minstrel Song followed in 2000.