Petersens take on Caledonia classic

New version: The Petersens performing Caledonia in a YouTube video. From left are Katie Petersen, Emmett Franz, Julieanne Petersen, Ellen Haygood and Matt Petersen. Obscured is Karen Peterson

A refreshing version of the classic folk ballad Caledonia has been delivered by The Petersens, a bluegrass family band from the United States who I previously wrote about in this 2020 post.

While it's near impossible to better the original sung by the song's composer Dougie MacLean, this cover has an elegance of its own thanks to the waifish quality of Julianne Petersen's vocals.

The youngest member of the band combines singing duties with mandolin playing, wrapping the song in her signature delicate and fragile voice, hinting at the ethereal and bringing her own dimensions to the track.

A gem within the The Petersens, she often delivers strikingly beautiful interpretations of well-known tracks such as Coldplay's The Scientist, Sting's Fields of Gold, and The Cranberries' Dreams - the latter a wonderful tilt of the hat to the late Doleres O'Riordan. The natural vocal inflections of O'Riordan and Julianne Petersen are closely aligned.

Caledonia, which dates from 1977, is MacLean's much-loved ode to his native country, Scotland. It has found favour not only in Scotland but amongst the other Celtic nations, notably Ireland. The Petersens have an affinity for Irish and Scottish tunes and chose to record the song to celebrate St Patrick's Day. They'd originally encountered it being played at gatherings while touring in Ireland.

As a unit The Petersens have delightful chemistry and formidable musicianship, combining the sound of fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, double bass and dobro, with five prominent, confident and distinctive vocal styles.

Backing vocals on Caledonia come from Julianne Petersen's sister Ellen Haygood and Emmett Franz. All the core singing members could have brought the track alive in different ways. Matt Petersen has a ranging voice, while the aforementioned Franz continues to emerge as a solid, thoughtful singing talent.

Banjo player Haygood, the middle Petersen sister, once appeared on the TV contest show American Idol, and has a melodic and a wide-ranging vocal style.

The Petersens' musical leader is Katie Petersen, who gifts an adorably grounded presence to the band. A versatile fiddle player, she possesses the most faultless and agile singing of all. However, on Caledonia she concentrates fully on her fiddle.

I would be remiss not to mention final core playing member Karen Petersen, who provides a solid beat on the double bass.

Caledonia showcases the lilting joy of Julianne Petersen's voice and leaves one wondering how perfect it would be if The Petersens one day end up as special guests at Dougie MacLean's own Shades of Perthshire Amber festival.

Here is the official YouTube video of The Petersens performing Caledonia:

The Petersens family band together

Lockdown uplift: The Petersens have been producing musical
 moments to delight a growing following on YouTube

Whatever else might be going on at YouTube, one thing's for sure - the algorithms are getting smarter and more refined. How else would I have come across a stunningly impressive family unit playing a delightful bluegrass-styled version of John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads.

As I have mentioned in a previous post, the popular video site is now one of the best conduits for music discovery - old or new. And so it proved again as I whittled away an evening jumping from song to song and dreaming of future days when coronavirus restrictions are done and it is possible to once more venture to live shows.

The evening was drawing to a close and I decided to listen to Denver's classic, only for YouTube to suggest I first check out The Petersens' 2020 version. The who?

I took a chance and clicked on the video - and within seconds was blown away.

The Petersens are a family band. On stage they consist of three sisters, a brother, their mother, and a close friend. They play originals and cover versions with the genres of country music and bluegrass well represented, but also a sprinkling of pop and even an Irish jig.

It is stripped-back acoustics played on a less common set of instruments  The ensemble features a fiddle, double bass, mandolin, guitar, banjo and dobro. Okay, perhaps not so unusual for a group with bluegrass roots, but certainly a departure on tunes such as Fields of Gold, The Scientist, Bohemian Rhapsody and You're Still The One.

Now, back to the Take Me Home, Country Roads video. The lead vocals were handled by Katie Petersen, the eldest of the siblings. There was a pitch-perfect opening, later accompanied by backing from sister Julianne and brother Matt, and it just got better and better. 

The quartet of siblings each play an instrument, and the arrangements are completed by the double bass of mother Karen, and stylish dobro from Emmett Franz.

On this song and in other videos The Petersens achieve a refreshing melodious and harmonic sound. There is youthful energy and a depth of feeling, a reminder of the joy of live music.

The band ventured onto YouTube only last year. It was a fortuitous decision as they have expanded their reach and brought joy to tens of thousands with songs, videos and live streams during this year's extensive lockdowns.

The backstory to the band is this: the Petersens moved around a lot as dad was a member of the air force. Looking for ways to keep the family bonded, they attended a bluegrass festival and saw other families playing together - the shared musical endeavour a focus and agent for solid 'togetherness'. The Petersens, who are now based in Branson, Missouri, decided to do the same.

Singing duties are shared around, with the Petersen siblings prominent. Katie, Ellen and Matt, and dobro player Emmett are strong and tuneful. Youngest sibling Julianne has a gentler style that at times features an unusual but delightful inflection in her vocal register. In fleeting moments, such as on Fields of Gold, it is reminiscent of the late Dolores O'Riordan.

The lack of electrified or amplified instrumentation adds to the sweet pleasure of the music. All six members are competent players of their chosen instruments. Above all a tight bond and a glow of happiness surrounds the band, reflected in their infectious smiles.

In these testing times The Petersens are a wonderful example of how uplifting music can be for the spirit. The Petersens have a website at https://www.petersenband.com/

Video of The Petersens performing Take Me Home, Country Roads:

Video of The Petersens performing Fields of Gold: