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“One of the things I like best about Chris Maclean’s work is its levity; even when singing the most serious song there is still a sense of light in the work. It begins with her voice which is unmistakable, clear and ethereal all at the same time. There is something too in her melodies which always return to an uplifting theme even though the song may touch upon some sorrow. And then there are her lyrics which are more often than not redemptive and positive, particularly on her new CD Feet Be Still. All in all Chris’ work seems to be about a lightness of being and grace while walking through a very complicated life. Feet Be Still.”
Ian Tamblyn, Singer Songwriter/Producer

“It all started with being the youngest in the family… always sent to bed earliest and not allowed to do the things that the older ones could do. This feeling of being excluded burgeoned into a need for independence, a voice, a way to belong. At thirteen, I bought a cheap guitar and became a picker and a campfire, dining hall and closet songstress. Fast forward through the years as the misfit daughter, more than one internal revolution and many other disquieting events I once again found solace and sense in words, images and sounds. Eventually an album called Learn to be Loved emerged and won some great reviews. Not ready to stand alone, the next seven years were spent playing in a band but a persistent inner voice said “Try again”. So, inspired by the spirit of a rugged landscape - granite, sky, water, fields, cliffs, snow - and the landscape of the interior, a new collection of images carved into songs has surfaced.” She writes with a need for kindness and caution in a mad world. She writes to quiet the thundering wheels of change, to soothe the ache of struggle and to simply make meaning out of chaos.

Chris MacLean is an award winning songwriter living in the hills of West Quebec. She has been recognized by the Ontario Arts Council as recipient of the 2008 Colleen Peterson Award for Songwriting for her song Feet Be Still (Feet Be Still 2009) ; by the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals with the 2008 Songs from the Heart Award for Best Historical Song for Sisters of Charity (Feet Be Still 2009); by CHIN Radio in 2007 with Second prize in their annual World Music Songwriting Contest for The Road to Bamako" (Galitcha Blé d’Inde Celebration 2006); and with an Honorable Mention in the Unisong International Songwriting Contest for Diamond In My Heart and The Light of Day.

Chris performs solo or with accompaniment of bass, guitars/fiddle/mandolin and percussion. She has two solo recordings, Learn to Be Loved (2000) and Feet Be Still, which will be officially released in October 2009.

In recent years Chris has had her hands in several musical pots. From 2001 until July 2009 Chris was a core member of world music ensemble GALITCHA. Her work with the group included composing, arranging, performing, creating all of the promotional collateral for the group (web and print), grant application writing and much of the tour management. She recorded two albums with Galitcha and toured extensively with the group including performances at the Festival au Désert in Timbouctou, Mali; Festival de Musique Spirituelle de Tunis (Tunisia) and Festival de Rabat and International Festival de Tetouan in Morrocco. From 2005 until 2008 Chris was a member of Frida’s Brow, a roots/folk trio who were nominated as Best Vocal Group in the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards for their self titled debut CD. Most recently, Chris has performed with THE POMELOS, a collective of female performing songwriters; TLC (Tannis Slimmon, Laura Bird and Chris) and she frequently performs and records as backup vocalist with renowned Canadian singer songwriter, IAN TAMBLYN. Chris also performs with historical storyteller Ruth Stewart-Verger and has recorded on the story/song CD 'In God Know's Where - Marie Anne Lagimodière in Story and Song '.

Chris has participated in hundres of school performances and workshops with Galitcha through MASC (Eastern Ontario and West Quebec) and ArtStarts in the Schools (British Columbia) and ART BEAT through the OCFF. She has been invited twice as a guest facilitator at the Red Cedar Song Writing Camp on Pender Island, BC – along with Mae Moore, Lester Quitzau, Shari Ulrich and David Essig  – has taught at the Ottawa Folklore Centre and currently teaches songwriting at Algonquin College in Ottawa. She continues to work honing the craft and has attended workshops with John Capek, Rick Emmet, Lisa Dalbello, FERRON, Annie Gallup, Chuck Brodsky and Jon Vesner.