However, the mixture of techniques, tunes and harps on the various tracks offer interesting contrasts and great means for comparision between the different harpers. So here we go. . .
Track 1: The Geese in the Bog - Gráinne Hambly
I actually own the original album that this was taken off I think. . . I really like her style of performing. Her arrangement of this tune is nice and simple. The bass on her harp is fab! I like the tempo, it's pretty steady which is unusual for trad. harpers who normally play at crazy speeds just because they can. The moderate tempo allows her to articulate every note properly and for the listener to hear each one.
Track 2: Anna Mhic Dhiarmada Rua (Carolan) - Aibhlin McCrann
Lovely haunting tune. I love O'Carolan pieces anyway! The arrangement stays very faithful to the Baroque style which greatly influenced O'Carolan as a composer. The addition of the harpsichord (I think!) is nice, it brings a richer texture to the piece which is always interesting :).
Track 3: Lon Dubh/ Maidrín Rua (Trad/ Goodman) - Laoise Kelly
Okay Laoise Kelly is my absolute favourite harper and I have seen her perform this set live in Matt Malloy's so I guess I'm a bit biased. I also have the album this was taken from; "Ceis". Great album if you like trad. Irish harp music! I love her use of damping techniques, it adds rhythmic value to the tune and it is characteristic of her playing style. Check her out: http://laoisekelly.ie/web/
Track 4: An Leannán (Ní Uallacháin) - Helen Davies
This tune would be good without all the "Celtic Mist" which completely destroys it for me! I guess this is an example of New Age Celtic Music. The weird synth in the background sounds kind of sci-fi at times. Disappointingly the harp is not to the fore all the time, sometimes it just accompanies a wind instrument I can't name. At one stage there is nice use of harmonics but the backing sounds take away from it. I will be skipping this track when I listen to the album!
Track 5: Port An Deoraí/ An Phis Fliuch - Paul Dooley
This track is played on a medieval style, wire-strung harp. The resonance is substantial from the strings and I think more damping might have improved the sound. Otherwise this is a good track, the sound from the wire strings is bell like.
Track 6: Prelude From Lute Suite BW 1006a - Anne-Marie O'Farrell
This was transposed into E flat major to get the best resonances on the harp. Interesting to hear Bach played on the Irish Harp, it is a technically very difficult piece. The bass sounds a bit buzzy at times but the playing of accidentals is seamless and fluid despite the fact that there are many! Love the use of harmonics throughout! Really easy to listen to, quite beautiful. More dynamic variation would have made it perfect.
Track 7: Da Mihi Manum - Siobhán Armstrong
Played on a copy of the medieval Trinity College Harp. I thought the bass was very tinny but the treble notes are uniquely resounding. A very pretty tune :)
Track 8: The Green Mountain/ The Hearty Bucks Of Oranmore - Michelle Mulcahy
Cool, lively tunes. Her style is quite similiar to Laoise Kelly's but slightly heavier on the strings. I love her extensive use of damping in the left hand which gives great rhythm to the set. There is a musical delicacy in the way she plays the melody and at times the accompaniment verges on domination.
Track 9: Reel For A Water Diviner - Máire Ní Chathasaigh
I adore this tune! It's really light-hearted and fresh. The addition of percussion and guitar enhances the mood without taking too much attention away from the harp. The plucked guitar and harp are interwoven in places which creates a feeling of infinity, you can't tell where the harp leaves off and the guitar picks up.
Track 10: The Queen Of The West/ Eleanor Plunkett - Kathleen Loughnan
I don't particularly like the sound of the harp on this recording. It sounds very thin or something. . . The bodhrán (I'm guessing!) is nice and light in the background. It really grounds the tune. This version of Eleanor Plunkett disappointed me a bit. The arrangement just wasn't my cup of tea and in my opinion there was far too much ornamentation. Much too flowery for such a beautiful air! The synth in the background is just about bearable, not really necessary but anyway. . .
Track 11: Arrane Ghelbhee - Áine Ní Dhubhghaill
I am enamoured with this tune! Great dynamic variation which sets her apart from a lot of the harpers on this compilation. Beautiful, ghostly melody with a perfect broken chord accompaniment.
Track 12: The Monaghan Jig - Cormac De Barra
This track is pretty hypnotic, with lots of repeated noted in the first part of the melody and extended chords. The second part features larger intervals but I think the drum beat keeps it on the same plane. It changes up when the guitar switched its rhythm leading to the end. Nice!
Track 13: Rakish Paddy/ The Bucks Of Oranmore/ The Mortgage Burn - Tríona Marshall
The defiant block chords in the first tune and repeated notes in the left hand really set the stage for the surprising melody. The rolls in this set (an ornamentation technique) are wonderfully articulated. Good bass sound. Syncopated arrangement is fresh and easy.
Track 14: Suantraí - Janet Harbisson
Suantraí means lullaby and that is exactly what this sounds like. This piece was composed by the harpist to help her friends grieve over the death of their child. This melody is flowing and gentle with an accompaniment that melts into it. The emotional significance of this tune for the musician is audible.
Track 15: Bridget Cruise/ The Deer's March - Dearbhail Finnegan
Another tinny sounding harp! AAAgh! No offence to the harpist who is clearly wonderful but the tone is kind of annoying. Otherwise these tunes are well chosen. I especially admire her arrangement of the second tune, the first part in particular. Her ripples are well placed to highlight the crests of the melody.
Track 16: Farewell To Music (Carolan) - Gráinne Yeats
Another O'Carolan piece :)! Unfortunately this is my least favourite of his compositions which I have heard. The melody is not very memorable. The wire-strung harp is instantly recognisable here. Again, I don't like the buzzy bass, however, I love the magical sound of the higher notes on this harp.
Looong post I know but because each track was by a different harper I couldn't just generalise on the sound of the album and the style. This is a nice LP to have just because it features such a variety of harps on it and many different styles of playing from some amazing musicians.
If I was to cut out any tracks it would be 4 and 10 just because of the stupid synthesiser used >:(.
Overall I give this compilation an 8/10. It is exactly what it is supposed to be but for me those 2 dud tracks bring it down. It is worth the money!
Maeve x
