Customer Reviews

Beltane: Songs for the Green Time

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
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Beltane is definitely a winner. I am a bit of a music snob, and this one passes my litmus test. Fine playing on this album, folks - Brown's harp is stellar, and Darwin's accordion stylings are deft and assured. Percussion, guitar and penny whistle interweave gracefully and are never overbearing. The vocals are luxurious and beautifully blended, with complex harmonies and textures.

The themes of Jaiya's songs get you where it counts. "Speak to Me" made the hairs on my neck stand out. "Stillness" sent shivers down my spine. A very intriguing tune, The Bear, pushes the boundaries of musical experience in an exciting way, taking you on a musical journey into the heart of spring reawakening.
This is an album to listen to again and again. There is so much here to pay attention to, you get more each time you listen...

I am call myself a "pagan" for lack of a better word, because I believe that the earth is sacred and that we are all part of the great wheel of being. I have been searching for years for music that honors the earth and yet isn't overly "new age". I found it! Beltane is exquisite. The vocal harmonies send chills down my spine, and the instrumental arrangements are really rich and multi-layered. I love the lyrics to the original songs. So poetic and moving. I am going to treasure this album. Can't wait for the next one these talented Canadians make!

The Canadian group Jaiya self describe their style as Celtic, classical, jazz and folk combined. The group is composed of Miranda Brown, Kim Darwin and Lael Whitehead, providing two female vocalists who play guitar, harp, bodhran, penny whistle and various drums backed by Kim Darwin on accordion.

The vocals are delightful, the harmonies well worked out. The compositions are simple yet elegant. And the songs and lyrics focus on the Beltane time of year. The lyrics, by the way, are all included in the liner notes.

There are ten compositions on this CD, for a total time of 62 minutes. I would describe most of this music as medieval in feel, very folksy, with a Celtic flair. The vocals are strong with the instrumentation filling in behind these. I would also say this music is very pagan in flavor, highlighting those things that are associated with the pagan path... Beltane, The Green Man, Spiral Dance and more.

There is mostly "listening" music here, with a "get up and dance" piece called "Going Away Jig" and a classical piece called "Stillness". I believe this would fill in nicely at a gathering or as softer music while you are working in your office.

I find the groups efforts to be a lovely addition to the pagan music catalogue, and offers a very well produced and mixed CD for those who love pagan music. Beautiful voices accompanied by professionally played instruments with lyrics that speak to the pagan soul.

This is a good introduction to this group and a lovely collection of their music. boudica

Both this album and Firedance (their first one) are superb! Jaiya touches all the nerves, from sweet and soulful to rollicking and lively. There is really high quality musicanship here, and the recording and mastering is excellent (I am a sound engineer!) I really appreciate the earth-honoring themes in these songs - it's just what we need right now, when we have to stop devastating our earthly environment before it's too late. Thank you, Jaiya, for your inspiring and heart-warming music!

Great songs for Beltane. Loaded the downloadable version and was really happy with it. Thank ou

So I cannot really rate the entire album. I also feel as if I may be out of my musical element here as I don't normally listen to this type of music.

I was browsing internet radio states and found a self-proclaimed "pagan" station from California and curiously gave it a listen. This song came on and I loved it when I heard it and finally traced the lyrics to the actual song title.

I sampled some of the other songs in this album, but they didn't resonate with me. But this song does, and it's beautiful and inspiring.