Customer Reviews

Carolan's Receipt

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I can't believe no one has reviewed this. I can still remember moments, whole days, almost twenty years on now only because this fine, fine music was playing at the time. This is a glorious album of tunes by a lost and forgotten genius. Carolan was a (fairly famous in his day) composer of the 17th century who was like no other. No other at all. I tried to explain it to a friend of mine recently by saying that he is the only human I can even imagine having written the Londonderry Air. This is beautiful, spectral, awesome music. Listen to the tragically short excerpt from Maire Dhall above... the piece entire is magic, pure and good.

I search/browsed my way to this page because something (unspecific, I don't know) about John Fahey's America reminded me of this album. I'm so glad it's been released on CD. Check it out.

Derek Bell recreates the authentic sound of Carolan, the blind 17th century Irish harper who transformed this traditional musical genre. (Actually Bell is almost certainly a far better harp player than Carolan, whose genius was composition, not performance.) Bell mainly uses a wire-strung harp, which gives his arrangements the haunting air of a music box. Listen closely for Bell's magical musical embellishments. Bell includes some of Carolan's best-known pieces (Blind Mary, George Barabazon, and Carolan's Farewell to Music) but also treats us to some lesser-known masterpieces, including Lady Athenry, Caralon's Nightcap, and Lady Gethin. Thank you, Derek, and keep up the tradition!

Gentle and poetic, haunting at times, this is a wonderful interpretation of the refined, evocative sounds of the Irish harp playing Carolan's ancient tunes. I love it.

I owned the LP version and now the CD. Derek Bell's playing of Carolan is ethereal and sublime.
While you would not think this likely, me being Chinese-American, there are certain tunes on this album that brings tears to my eyes. My perception is that while Irish music is happy and cheerful on the surface, there is a melancholic, grand sweep deep beneath. The photo of Derek with his hair in the wind, and the bright blue sky behind his sincere look seem to capture this very well.