female vocalists

["Thomas F. Neely" <tneely@mwc.vak12ed.edu>]

I bought Sarah McClachlan's _Solace_ yesterday, based on all of
the discussion in this newsgroup, and can happily report that I
like it very much.  It has raised my curiosity about all of you
folks.  I am wondering how many of y'all are old farts like me
(38) and have arrived at Kate from the Pentangle and Fairport
sound that first stirred my love of female singers?  It seems
to me that a lot of you are aficionados of beautiful female
voices like myself.  Since I first heard Jacqui McShee and
Sandy Denny I have searched for other female voices that have
the same magic; sampling Celtic music, i.e. Dolores Keane, Mary
Black, Maura O'Connell, Clannad, etc. and other folk
traditions.  I even bought a couple of Flora Purim albums at
one point, even though I don't listen to much jazz.  The
discovery of Kate was an absolute high point.  I first heard
"Wuthering Heights" while driving down Interstate 81 near
Bristol, VA, and nearly drove off the road.  (Had to be a
college station in that neck of the woods.)  Along those lines,
I am enjoying very much the discussions among the newsgroup and
have learned a great deal.  I'd like to bring up a couple of
names that I am curious about, to seek your assistance.  What
can you tell me about Kristy McColl and Shona Laing?

Tom Neely