Customer Reviews

Carolan's Welcome: Harp Music of Ireland

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Perhaps some day Dorian Recordings will turn out a poor CD, but among their more recent releases are four sets that feature harpist Carol Thompson. The artist was born in this country of Anglo-Welsh-Irish background (as the copywriter tells us). Part of her technique is to let her ornamentation come out of the melody rather than merely appending it, and to execute her chords with a "downward roll" rather than an upward as in classical harp playing.

So with Amazon.com's permission, I will submit this same write up to each of the four webpages that deal with these albums.

. <The Faerie Isles> (DOR-90013) has Ms. Thompson accompanied by another harpist and a wooden flute; and the extra coloration is welcome. Here we have 18 cuts (64 minutes) of Celtic harp music, the more familiar of which are "Brian Boru's March" and "Gentle Annie." The notes are of a general nature.

The subtitle of <The Enchanted Isles: Harp Music of Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales> (DOR-90120) shows the program (53 minutes) to be much like the other sets, including the familiar "All Through the Night" and "The Ash Grove." I spot even one or two selections among the 19 here that appeared on earlier recordings. But it is all so winningly played that one must not carp. The notes are in several languages and a bit shorter than usual to keep the booklet from being too thick.

<Carolan's Farewell: Harp Music of Ireland> (DOR-90176) has 71 minutes consisting of 21 cuts such as "She Moves Through the Fair" and "Snow on the Hills." This set tends to be more satisfactory than the last one because of the presence of accordion, concertina, wooden flute and second harp; although by now one tune is starting to blur into the other.

The fourth Dorian set in order of recording is <The Peacock's Feather: a Celtic Quest> (DOR-90240) in which our harpist goes it alone with a short program (51 minutes) of 12 cuts, half of which are medleys. Included are "Twisting of the Rope," "Blind Mary" and the title song. This time the notes give information about each song.

Again I must emphasize the excellence of the playing and how beautiful each CD is by itself. But as with so many artists that concentrate on a small part of the music spectrum, each new offering tends to be predictable and one gets a strong feeling of déjà vu. But to be fair, these sets were released with considerable time between them and only people like reviewers now and then get to hear them all at once.

So which to choose? I would go for the two where you get more than the sound of a single harp first. But I really think that enthusiasts of British music will want to have all of these sets sooner or later.

And keep an eye open for the fifth entry in this series: <The Blossom and the Rain> (DOR-90273) that is not yet available at the time of this writing.

Many times in the past I have written of and reviewed the works of my favorite singers (Dougie MacLean and Rich Mullins). Indeed, they are great singers. Yet they have not captured the title of my favorite musician.

If someone were to ask me who I think the best musician for your money is (people might be lining up to do so somewhere, but if they are, I am not aware of it)--I would, without a pause or a doubt, say that it is Carol Thompson.

There is no music out there to compare with Mrs. Thompson's stuff. Nothing comes close to its beauty or its vision. "Carolan's Welcome" is an outstanding example of her skill and power as an artist.

I challenge you to find music this steeped in beauty. You will not. With its haunting title track and songs such as "Black Rosebud" and "She Moves Through the Fair," this disc is almost impossible to top.

I may be biased (I picked up my copy of the disc on my honeymoon), but I would even say there is a case to be made for "Carolan's Welcome" being Thompson's best disc.

"Carolan's Welcome" is one of the great jewels in my music collection. Few others have received as much play time on my stereo. Get this disc. I cannot urge you strongly enough. It is well worth the cost.

I give "Carolan's Welcome" my highest recommendation

I usually don't even care for Celtic music, but this CD is one of my favorites out of all my CDs. I have lots of jazz, classical, and pop music, and almost no desire for folk music, but when I heard this I was transported. This album, and the album Timeless Jewish Songs (Shirim La'ad) by Martha Rock Birnbaum, mezzo soprano and Barbara Dechario, harp, are my two favorites of the whole collection on my shelf. Harp is the most ethereal instrument, and in the hands of a virtuoso, the harp *IS* heaven itself.