| 1. Gentle Maiden |
| 2. Mna Na Heireann (Women Of Ireland) |
| 3. An Ubhal As Airde (The Highest Apple) |
| 4. Riverdance |
| 5. Limerick Is Beautiful |
| 6. Roving Galway Boy |
| 7. Softly Flows The Clare |
| 8. Tis The Last Rose Of Summer |
| 9. Come Back To Erin |
| 10. My Lagan Love |
| 11. Lark In The Clear Air |
| 12. Loch Lomond |
| 13. She Moved Through The Fair |
| 14. Flower Of Scotland |
Celtic Harp,Instrumental Classics,St. Clair Entertainment Group Inc,Easy Listening Collections,International
Average customer rating:
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Prayer: A Windham Hill Collection
Manufacturer: RCA ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000AM6L0 Release Date: 2003-09-09 |
Tracks:
- Sanctus from Requiem (Gabriel Faur-Tim Story piano, synthesizers
- The 23rd Psalm (Condit Atkinson) - Steve Erquiaga guitar
- Be Thou My Vision (Irish trad.) - Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning with John Fitzpatrick
- Holy, Holy, Holy (trad.) - Jim Brickman piano
- The Lords Prayer (Albert Hay Malotte) - Paul McCandless English horn, keyboards
- Alisas Prayer (Deborah Henson-Conant) - Deborah Henson-Conant electric Celtic harp
- Meditation (Thea Suits) - Thea Suits flute
- Ave Maria (J.S. Bach/Gounod) - Steve Erquiaga guitar
- Go Gently (Suzanne Ciani & Jeremy Lubbock) - Suzanne Ciani piano
- Offering (Tracy Silverman) - Tracy Silverman & Thea Suits
- Spanish Stairs (Paul McCandless) - Rosalba Bentivoglio voice
- Ave Verum Corpus (W.A. Mozart) - Philip Aaberg solo piano
Customer Reviews:
Music for Meditation.......2007-01-04
Be Thou My Vision.......2005-10-19
Reverent, beautiful.......2003-09-21
Things get started with Tim Story's lovely piano rendition of the "Sanctus" from Faure's Requiem. The quiet and reflective tone of that piece carries throughout the CD. Other highlights include Paul McCandless's moving "Lord's Prayer" version and Steve Erquiaga's "Ave Maria." "Prayer" is a perfect disc for background listening if you're engaged in some activity that needs harmonious yet unobtrusive accompaniment.
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The Tranquil Harp: Improvisations for Relaxation, Meditation, Integration
Paul Baker Manufacturer: Vocal Integration Concepts ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00002CFAR Release Date: 1999-09-19 |
Tracks:
- Ruby
- Carnelian
- Citrine
- Aventurine
- Azurite
- Amethyst
- Quartz
- Synthesis
Album Description
The Tranquil Harp consists of eight Celtic harp improvisations for relaxation, meditation and integration. The music was improvised, and recorded live in a concert hall without any added reverb or effects. Each track is in a different key, correlating with the frequencies of color and the energetic centers of the body. The pure harmonically rich harp sounds played at a slow regular pulse encourage alpha wave activity in the brain, resulting in greater relaxation, clarity, focus and concentration. Practical exercises are suggested for each improvisation to assist in physical, mental, emotional and spiritual integration. These improvisations were created on a Dusty Strings FH-36B Celtic harp made in Seattle, Washington.Customer Reviews:
Healing music.......2007-02-22
Tranquil harp for babies.......2006-03-21
Soothing the Mind.......2006-03-20
My Heartfelt Review for "The Tranquil Harp".......2004-05-23
Mr. Baker is such a talented person. He could have chosen to record albums using his vast knowledge and technique on the large and impressive concert harp, piano, or organ. However, for posterity, he chose to record improvisations for healing on the smaller and more personal celtic harp.
How does one capture the essence of such music in words? His two albums, "The Tranquil Harp" and "The Ladder of the Soul" are groundbreaking in their simplicity and breadth. And each one has its own unique place in my life.
"The Tranquil Harp" helped me most in my physical healing. Its music is very basic, simple, and gentle. It has brought, and continues to bring, growth and strength to every part of my physical being. To play it is to bathe in regeneration and light.
"The Ladder of the Soul" continues this healing on the emotional and spiritual planes. It connects our essence to the divine in such a way that we emerge purer and more aware of our true being and purpose in this life. This is real health. Divine health. What a gift to be brought to us by one man. This album is so aptly named as it proves that the harp truly is "the ladder between earth and heaven," connecting us to the divine safely and lovingly.
Thank you, Mr. Baker, for sharing yourself in such a way that allows all of us to unfold in ourselves and in the world with true happiness and peace.
Not sure I agree with the across the board 5 stars.......2004-05-12
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Further Down the Old Plank Road
The Chieftains Manufacturer: RCA Victor ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000ABGD3 Release Date: 2003-09-09 |
Tracks:
- The Raggle Taggle Gypsy
- Jordan Is A Hard Road To Travel
- Hick's Farewell
- Shady Grove
- The Girl I Left Behind
- Rosc Catha Na Nuimhain/Arkansas Traveller/The Wild Irishman
- Lambs In The Greenfield
- The Moonshiner/I'm A Gambler I'm a Rambler
- Wild Mountain Thyme
- Chief O'Neill's Hornpipe
- Bandit Of Love/The Cheatin' Waltz
- The Squid Jiggin' Ground/Larry O'Gaff
- Three Little Babies
- Fisherman's Hornpipe/The Devil's Dream
- Talk About Suffering/Man Of The House
- The Lily Of The West
Amazon.com
As on Another Country (1992) and The Old Plank Road (2002), the venerable Irish acoustic band celebrates the shared sources of Celtic music and America's Appalachian folk/old-timey/bluegrass canon. That several of the guest players are veterans of all three sets lends a note of continuity to the palpable joy of discovery that fairly leaps from every track. Highlights are non-stop, but Allison Moorer's doom-laden vocal on "Hick's Farewell" raises goose-flesh, as does Emmylou Harris' "Lambs In The Greenfield," while Don Williams' treatment of an old Scottish ballad, "Wild Mountain Thyme," reveals a sturdy, unsentimental masculinity. The Chieftains are generous hosts throughout, often taking a back seat so their collaborators may shine. A poignant note: harpist and multi-instrumentalist Derek Bell, a longtime Chieftains member, died just after the Plank Road sessions were completed. That these were destined to be among his final recordings makes them all the more worthy of treasuring. --Christina RodenCustomer Reviews:
Great second set of roots music from "The Plank Road Sessions".......2006-04-17
Chieftains Merge Irish & Bluegrass Influences.......2005-03-22
Highlights include Tim O'Brien's foot-stomping rendition of "Shady Grove, John Prine's plaintive "The Girl I Left Behind," Ricky Skaggs' "Talk About Suffering/Man of the House" and Nickel Creek's performance of the centuries' old "Raggle Taggle Gypsy."
Several of these songs were not originally recorded for this album. "Fishmerman's Hornpipe/The Devil's Dream," which features the lightning fingers of Doc Watson, was recorded in 1980-81. Four other tracks (9-12) were recorded in 1992, presumably during the sessions for the 1992 release ANOTHER COUNTRY.
Overall, this is a thoroughly satisfying album from Ireland's best ambassadors of Irish music. [Running time 55:06] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Way Down The Old Plank Road.......2003-12-09
Highlights on this one, for me, include John Hiatt's version of the Uncle Dave Macon song Jordan is a Hard Road, and Doc Watson with the Chieftains.
The Nickle Creek version of Raggle Tagle Gypsy doesn't do it for me -- I've been spoiled by listening to the Planxty version for years.
All in all a great listen, with an interesting historical connection.
further is better.......2003-10-01
I was surprised that there was no mention of the passing of Derek Bell in the liner notes of the cd. Perhaps a tribute to him will be made in an upcoming cd.
The Chieftains turn out another winner.......2003-09-21
This album has a wide variety of both Irish and American pieces on it, opening with the old standard "The Raggle Taggle Gypsy", performed with Nickel Creek to stunning results. Next comes the American folk song "Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel" with John Hiatt, and if it weren't for Hiatt's superbly raspy old-time voice this would pass as a traditional dance from back over on the Emerald Isle. Following this upbeat tune comes a mournful Southern song with Allison Moorer, the solemn "Hick's Farewell", her voice backed quietly by Paddy and his boys and attended to by the sorrowful wailing of Matt Molloy's flute. "Shady Grove" with Tim O'Brien has lyrics that are very American in nature but a tune that, like much of the material on this album, could have come right out of Ireland itself.
The incomparable John Prine accompanies The Chieftains on "The Girl I Left Behind", employing his once-twangy but now warmer and deeper voice to a song that sounds like a lot of his other work - not a bad thing, mind you. The following set with Jerry Douglas contains the Irish tunes "Rosc Catha Na Mumhain" and "The Wild Irishman", both played superbly, as well as an unexpected treat - "The Arkansas Traveler", undoubtedly one of the best-known old-time folk songs that transforms the track from a set of Celtic tunes to a sort of Irish hoedown, as the liner notes put it. After that comes a superbly sad/sweet Irish song, "Lambs in the Greenfield", played with a past Chieftains collaborator Emmylou Harris, to lovely results. In the space of Band 8 Joe Ely shows up with his roguishly rambling voice, singing two tunes that suit his demeanor well - "The Moonshiner" and "I'm a Rambler".
Country legend Don Williams turns up on this album to sing that beautiful old Irish ballad, "Wild Mountain Thyme" with his virtually-trademark deep country voice that gives the classic air a new dimension. Chet Atkins plays on "Chief O'Neill's Hornpipe", which if memory serves was actually recorded back on The Chieftains' first bluegrass/country endeavor, "Another Country", and could be considered the single cheap shot on the album, even though the collaboration is still very high quality. Band 11 contains Carlene Carter's "Bandit of Love" from 1980, sung by the composer and The Chieftains' own "The Cheatin' Waltz", the former taking up a much longer time slot than the latter. The famous Nitty Gritty Dirt Band gives a spirited performance of "The Squid-Jiggin' Ground", a lively little song rather peculiar in subject but catchy in tune, its words having been set to the Irish Larry O'Gaff's Jig by immigrants to Newfoundland, Canada.
Patty Loveless delivers a wailing rendition of "Three Little Babes", an anguish-filled variant of an old English air sung in the Appalachian Mountains. On track 14 Doc Watson plays a sprightly hornpipe popular on both sides of the Atlantic, "The Fisherman's Hornpipe", followed by another famous tune, "Devil's Dream." Long-time friend of The Chieftains Ricky Skaggs lays down another soulful Southern song, "Talk About Sufferin'", written in the gospel singing tradition of the American southeast. The final tune, "The Lily of the West", has been sung by The Chieftains on a past album, "The Long Black Veil", in collaboration with Mark Knopfler. But sung here to a different tune with somewhat altered lyrics by Rosanne Cash, Johnny "The Man in Black" Cash's daughter, the song takes on an entirely different feel, to my ears less appealing than Knopfler's rendition but still enjoyable.
All in all, "Further Down the Old Plank Road" is anything but an attempt to administer one last whack to a long-dead horse, to paraphrase the liner notes of "Water from the Well" (also a great album). Even though American music is the predominate style on the album, it's still a real treat for Chieftains fans and a great listen for any fan of traditional Irish, bluegrass, or country music, or any of the performers above for that matter. Highly recommended!
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The Ladder of the Soul - Improvisations for Relaxation, Meditation, & Integration
Paul Baker Manufacturer: Vocal Integration Concepts ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005MCVL Release Date: 2001-06-15 |
Tracks:
- Awakening
- Acceptance
- Understanding
- Compassion
- Forgiveness
- Loving
- Grace
- Transcendence
Album Description
Peaceful relaxation and meditation music performed on the Celtic harp by master harpist Paul Baker. Following in the tradition of The Tranquil Harp, The Ladder of the Soul presents eight improvisations in keys corresponding to the energy centers of the body. The improvisations are designed to ground your body, open and tune your mind, balance your emotions and soothe your spirit. The pure and ancient sound of the harp, sometimes called the ladder between earth and heaven, is ideal for relaxation, meditation and integration. Each track is provided with a suggested meditation.Customer Reviews:
Centering and healing.......2007-02-22
Time for Ladder of the Soul #2.......2006-04-11
beautiful music, beautifully played.......2005-03-30
My Heartfelt Review for "The Ladder of the Soul".......2004-05-23
Mr. Baker is such a talented person. He could have chosen to record albums using his vast knowledge and technique on the large and impressive concert harp, piano, or organ. However, for posterity, he chose to record improvisations for healing on the smaller and more personal celtic harp.
How does one capture the essence of such music in words? His two albums, "The Tranquil Harp" and "The Ladder of the Soul" are groundbreaking in their simplicity and breadth. And each one has its own unique place in my life.
"The Tranquil Harp" helped me most in my physical healing. Its music is very basic, simple, and gentle. It has brought, and continues to bring, growth and strength to every part of my physical being. To play it is to bathe in regeneration and light.
"The Ladder of the Soul" continues this healing on the emotional and spiritual planes. It connects our essence to the divine in such a way that we emerge purer and more aware of our true being and purpose in this life. This is real health. Divine health. What a gift to be brought to us by one man. This album is so aptly named as it proves that the harp truly is "the ladder between earth and heaven," connecting us to the divine safely and lovingly.
Thank you, Mr. Baker, for sharing yourself in such a way that allows all of us to unfold in ourselves and in the world with true happiness and peace.
The Most Beautiful Music.......2002-03-19
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Live in Belfast
Irish Traditional , James L. Molloy , Philip Martin , Lynette Johnson , Thomas Moore , Frank Lambert , Raymond Loughborough , Percy French , Richard Farrelly , William Wallace , Tempest Sanderson , and Francis McPeake Manufacturer: Music Matters ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004RDSK Release Date: 2007-01-08 |
Tracks:
- Dublin Medley: Dublin in the Rare Old Times; Molly Malone
- Carrickfergus
- Bantry Bay
- Scorn Not His Simplicity
- The Fields of Athenry
- Star of the County Down
- The Last Rose of Summer
- Red is the Rose
- Lift the Wings
- She is Far from the Land
- Ireland, Mother Ireland
- Green Isle of Erin
- Percy French Medley: Phil the Fluther's Ball/Come Back Paddy Reilly/The Lay of the West Clare Railway (Are Ye Right There Michael?)
- Mary from Dungloe
- Isle of Inisfree
- There is a Flower that Bloometh
- As I Sit Here
- The Kerry Dance
- Will Ye Go Lassie Go?
Product Description
1. Dublin Medley
2. Carrickfergus
3. Bantry Bay
4. Scorn Not His Simplicity
5. Fields Of Athenry
6. Star Of The County Down
7. The Last Rose Of Summer
8. Red Is The Rose
9. Lift The Wings
10. Ireland Mother Ireland
11. She Is Far From The Land
12. Green Isle Of Erin
13. Percy French Medley:
-Phil The Fluther s Ball
-Come Back Paddy Reilly
-The Lay Of The West Clare Railway
14. Mary From Dungloe
15. Isle Of Inisfree
16. There Is A Flower
17. As I Sit Here
18. The Kerry Dance
19. Go Lassie Go
Format: CD
Amazon.com
Just a year after their smash breakthrough debut album--itself still riding high in the charts--the Irish Tenors have added another delightfully varied collection to their discography. Live in Belfast again showcases the group's obvious concert charisma from a performance given in February 2000. It's a generous smorgasbord of medleys, traditional numbers, and songs from popular sources (including "Scorn Not His Simplicity," which Sinead O'Connor has interpreted)--mixing nostalgic sentimentality with selections of bittersweet melancholy. Binding the whole together is the unmistakable stylish charm of the Irish Tenors, whether singing in solos or in ensembles. But the biggest surprise for fans already hooked on the Tenors is the introduction of Finbar Wright as replacement for original member John McDermott. Wright's bright, romantic voice easily wins over a potentially skeptical crowd--especially in the dreamy "Isle of Innisfree"--and blends nicely with his colleagues. (McDermott, who had to bow out of the performance due to the death of his mother, makes a surprise appearance to solo in a memorable and touching "The Last Rose of Summer"--given as a tribute to his parents--and to rejoin the Tenors for "Red Is the Rose.") The arrangements by Tenors producer Frank McNamara are played with zest by the Orchestra Warsaw Sinfonia. --Tom MayCustomer Reviews:
Great Music and Outstanding Voices.......2007-03-28
Time for a new one.......2001-10-19
It's been a lomg time since I wrote my last review of this CD, but I hope I have helped to encourage others to enjoy the thrill of the most magnificent voices of their lives.
The Tenor's #1 Fan,,,, Joan Way
Wonderful music, wonderful voices.......2001-05-31
Professional on professionals.......2001-05-05
Tenners for Tenors.......2001-02-16
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The Mystic Harp
Derek Bell Manufacturer: Clarity Snd & Light ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003LVR Release Date: 1996-01-01 |
Tracks:
- Celtic Moonrise
- New Dawn-featuring Alasdair Fraser on violin
- The Hill that Was Tara
- Dublin Town
- Playboy of the Western World
- Irish Lullaby
- Desdemona's Song
- Maurya's Lament
- Mukunda
- Parade
- Memories of That Isle
- Ancient Memories
- Deirdre's Sorrows
- Mist
- Daughter of Aran
- Homeward Bound
- Lift Your Heart in Strength
- Woodland Devas
- Emerald Isle
Album Description
Derek Bell, of the Chieftains,, captures the haunting, mystical quality of traditional Celtic music on this solo album of original melodies by Donald Walters.Derek has played harp for 23 years with five-time Grammy Award-winning group, The Chieftains--Ireland's best-known interpreters of traditional Celtic music. Classically trained, Bell joined the group in 1972, after a distinguished career as a harpist with the Northern Ireland BBC Orchestra, and as a professor of harp and Irish harps at the Belfast Academy of Music.
For thirty-one years, The Chieftains have been the most influential of the Irish folk musicians, credited with doing more to spread the appreciation of traditional Irish music than any other group in Ireland's history. Bell, a resident of Northern Ireland, has several solo albums to his credit. He has composed three piano sonatas and Symphony in E-flat for orchestra, and is the recipient of the Manns Prize from the Royal College of Music
Customer Reviews:
Most soothing music ever.......2003-12-07
I so wanted to hear Derek Bell when he was alive. The sorrow of the Chieftains is very evident. He was a good and great person in life as well as music. I found harp music too late, but we can all still enjoy Derek Bell's music.
"The silence must be heard".......2002-07-23
Excellent vocals........2000-06-18
Superb!.......1999-04-06
soothing music that delights your soul........1999-01-12
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Fairy Heart Magic
Gary Stadler , and Stephannie Manufacturer: Sequoia Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004Y6OZ Release Date: 2000-11-14 |
Tracks:
- Fairy Nightsongs
- Petals
- Mystery
- Otherworld
- Heartmagic
- Sa'Brooke
- Deanash
- Edge Of Dawn
- DonaCreiTun
- Ehsellyei
- Garden Of Dreams
- Veil Of Elphame
Amazon.com
The follow-up to Fairy of the Woods, Fairy NightSongs, and Fairy HeartMagic finds Gary Stadler back at the piano spinning out lush emotive songs that conjure moonbeams, star-blanketed nights, and enchanted forests. Layers of light synthesizer, Lisa Lynne's dreamy Celtic harp, and the fantasy language lyrics of fine new vocalist Stephannie dance with Stadler's soft-pedaled playing. Fairy HeartMagic, rather than featuring starkly individual pieces, plays more like slightly varied movements of one unified piece, just right for pre-slumber, soft-focus Saturday mornings, or unwinding after a long afternoon. While not written specifically for children, little ones will find this frolicsome but gentle music pleasant to the ears and soothing to the psyche. Stadler, whose songs often begin as bedtime songs for his wife, has composed and arranged a dilly of a lullaby for the magical landscape of vision and reverie. --Paige La GroneAlbum Description
Acclaimed composer Gary Stadler (Fairy of the Woods, Fairy NightSongs) takes you further into the world of ancient Celtic lore, featuring extraordinary " Enya-esque" vocalist Stephannie and Celtic Harpist Lisa Lynne. Together they take you on a soul-healing journey into a place where innocence and wisdom are one. Listen, and your heart will be renewed with a mystical beauty.Customer Reviews:
Actually 14 tracks.......2007-03-20
A lovely album altogether.
About the extra tracks, you can get them only on the computer. For windows I'm not sure, but the 'presentation' doesn't work on my Mac. However, you can access the folder called 'gary media' and drag the tracks to iTunes (or your desktop). Along with the two complete songs, you also get a lot of sample songs for other albums.
The booklet that comes along with the CD explains how to get the tracks, and has the lyrics for the 12 tracks on the CD. Pretty artwork!
Very different from the first Gary Stadler CD I got, Deep Within a Faerie Forest (the tracks in addition to being beautiful are also cool), which I recommend, but Stephannie has a sweet voice and the songs are pleasing to the ear with a few treasures.
Very Soothing.......2007-03-02
Enchanting~.......2006-03-09
Its my fav of all the Gary Stadler Fairy cd's..Stepahine's voice takes you to another time..another place.. I love it! Wish I could find more of her but so far have been unable to..
This Cd is definalty worth your money!
Definitely off the beaten path.......2005-11-09
For me, the treasure in this CD is the song "Sa'Brooke", which features Stephannie singing softly over gentle, evocative music in a gaelic-sounding language which, according to the insert, she essentially came up with herself. Her voice is sweet, passionate and inspiring in a simple melody which perfectly compliments the gentle arrangement.
"Deanash", though nice, is basically "Garden of Dreams" without the vocals or orchestral arrangement. The same could be said for "Heartmagic", a piano solo which is really "Sa'Brooke" without the vocals or orchestral arrangement. To my ear, these two variations represent a failure on the part of the producer to avoid repetitiveness.
It is a good CD for background ambiance while reading or writing.
Fairy This, Fairy That........2005-05-02
For the most part, this never materializes, although my slight deafness reduces the impact of lyrics that are a bit lightheaded. Musically the album is sometimes hackneyed (angelic choirs, etc.), but always pleasant to hear. Little moments, like Deanash make up for the less successful parts and overall I rate this album as good background for contemplative or creative moments.
This album was originally intended for performance with Singh Kaur. Unfortunately, the singer died before the recording and Stephannie took Singh Kaur's place. Unfortunately, I say, because Stephannie's voice has a 'little girl' edge and breathiness that was totally absent from Singh Kaur's. This gives the singing a trivial sound when it deserves better. On the bright side, though, is Lisa Lynne's appearance on harp. Essentially, this is a break-even for the listener.
Frankly, I would go with Fairy Night Songs and only buy this album if it is exactly your cup of tea. New age vocals are difficult on a good day and you are likely to be a bit disappointed. Listen to Fairy Night Songs and Sa'Brooke - you will see what I mean. But the instrumental work is good. You will have to decide for yourself.
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Celtic Harp 1: Music of Turlough O'Carolan
Patrick Ball Manufacturer: Fortuna Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000007SD Release Date: 1991-10-16 |
Tracks:
- Carolan's Quarrel With The Landlady
- Maurice O'Connor
- Blind Mary
- Carolan's Receipt For Drinking
- Carolan's Ramble To Cashel
- Carolan's Welcome
- Young William Plunkett
- George Brabazon
- Lady Athenry/ Fanny Poer
- Give Me Your Hand
- Lady Maxwell
- Dermott O'Dowd/ The Queen's Dream
- Mrs. Judge
- Carolan's Farewell To Music
- Sheebag Sheemore
Album Description
The lilting, crystalline tone of the Celtic harp must be one of the most joyful sounds in mankind's history. The harp originated a thousand years ago in ancient Ireland; it shone through the age of the bards and brought hope during long years of occupation and oppression. As it is a challenging instrument to play well, nearly two centuries ago the wire-strung Celtic harp was abandoned in favor of the easier to play, more subdued gut-strung neo-Irish harp. Patrick Ball would not let that sweet voice fall silent. He brings to audiences world-wide the ancient Celtic harp that "has always been loved and celebrated by the Irish people for its mystical power to enchant them, to draw them into realms beyond thought, and to refresh their spirit." That is exactly what Patrick Ball accomplishes in these five sparkling recordings. Listeners are enchanted by his performances. They are drawn to the emotional portrait that Patrick paints with each piece, romantic, melancholy or jubilant. Although Patrick is a delightful storyteller with words, these instrumental works tell their own stories, requiring nothing more than Patrick's fingernails deftly plucking the brass strings of his beautifully crafted harp. The harp he plays is a re-creation of the ancient Celtic instrument, lovingly crafted by master harp builder Jay Witcher of Houlton, Maine, who has made it his life's work to allow the sound of the great instrument to live again.Patrick Ball pays his greatest tribute to the legendary Turlough O'Carolan, a blind, itinerant harper who wandered the Irish countryside at the turn of the eighteenth century, playing for wealthy landowners. O'Carolan was witty, a prolific composer and a genius on the Celtic harp. It is little wonder that Patrick Ball has included O'Carolan's brilliant tunes in each of his first four volumes.
Customer Reviews:
O'Carolan himself could not do better........2007-01-24
Beautiful, peaceful, and precise.......2004-12-20
Awesomely Beautiful.......2002-02-19
Very good.......1998-07-30
An eye-opener.......1998-05-22
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The Celtic Harp: A Tribute to Edward Bunting with the Belfast Harp Orchestra
The Chieftains Manufacturer: RCA Victor ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B000003FE5 Release Date: 1993-02-09 |
Tracks:
- Mac Allistrum's March
- Tribute To Bunting
- The Parting Of Friends/Kerry Fling
- Planxty Bunting
- Madame Cole
- The Blackbird
- Taimse Im Chhodladh
- Sonny Brogan's Mazurleas
- The Wild Geese
- The Green Fields of America
- Cavolan's Concerto
- The Lament for Limarick
Customer Reviews:
In the Irish tradition.......2007-05-07
Excellent, Excellent.......2006-12-30
The Green Fields Of America.......2006-08-30
An Irish Classic.......2006-07-28
A Superior Celtic Album. Not the best Chieftains or Harp CD.......2005-08-16
And yet, this album seems to be a bit less successful than other recent Chieftain diversions such as their `Santiago' album with Basque music, `Irish Heartbeat' with Van Morrison, and `The Long Gray Veil' starring Sting and Mick and Van and a cast of thousands.
The album is subtitled `A Tribute to Edward Bunting' with contributions from the Belfast Harp Orchestra. But, checking the back of the album shows that the Harp Orchestra appears on only four of the twelve cuts, and, to my non-Irish ears, I do not hear the harp as the featured instrument on some of the tracks.
While I am not an expert on Celtic music, I am very fond of Robin Williamson's songs and music, and I find his Irish Harp work as good or better, or at least more interesting than what I find on this album. This may have a lot to do with Williamson's more interesting lyrics and stories, but the end result is the same. This may not be the best Irish harp album on the block.
The significance of Edward Bunting is that he was an Irish composer born in 1792, so this album is done on the bicentennary of his birth.
If you are a Chieftains fan, you must have this album. If you are a harp fan, this just may not be the best exemplar of Irish harp music, in spite of the fact that it is an enjoyable `Irish' album with excellent vocals on `The Green Hills of America' by Kevin Conneff.
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Rite the First Time
Three Weird Sisters Manufacturer: Bedlam House ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Similar Items:
ASIN: B00005O3W4 Release Date: 2001-08-01 |
Tracks:
- Dumb Dumb Dorothy (Sutton)
- Rite of Passage (Knighton)
- What'll I Do With the Baby-O? (Traditional)
- On We Go (McCallion)
- Pity Party (Sutton)
- Little Boy Blue (Knighton)
- Boys Want Sex in the Morning (Ratshin)
- Six Days (Knighton)
- The Bird Rock (Bok)
- Absolutely Bonkers (Sutton)
- Song of Fey Cross (Knighton)
- When Fall Comes to New England (Wheeler)
- Spring Strathspey (Pendderwen)
- Iowa (Williams)
- In a Gown Too Blue (Sutton)
Album Description
Folk with a Celtic and even Bluegrass flavor, Rite the First Time swings from the sublime to the silly and from the material to the spiritual in eclectic mixes of harmonic vocals and acoustic instruments (harp, guitar, bodhran, and upright bass).Customer Reviews:
I cannot say enough about this CD!.......2007-05-01
Great Lyrics~!.......2007-02-04
Rite the first time is very RITE!!.......2006-08-18
Just wonderful.......2005-12-09
Sisters in Witchcraft.......2005-09-23
International Music:
- Ciranda Do Povo [Import]
- Clube Do Samba/Boca Do Povo/Wilson, Geraldo, Noel/O Homen Dos Quarenta [Box set] [Import]
- Coleccion De Musica Antigua Espanola - Cabanilles
- Coleccion De Musica Antigua Espanola - De Arauxo
- Con Amor
- Cryin' Time [Import]
- Danzas Delrenacimiento [Import]
- Das Baste Von Heinz Er [Import]
- Debussy E Faure Encontram Milt [Import]
- Divina Comedia Humana [Import]