Review
The 30 artists profiled range from such veterans as Dolores Keane and Grainne Yeats to such high-visibility current performers as Loreena McKennitt, Eileen Ivers and Sheila Chandra. Some of the most insightful entries are those in which Sullivan's interest are most in sync with interviewees: a fascinating conversation with singer Noirin Ni Riain touching on everything from gender issues in Celtic music and the Catholic Church to comparative thoughts on the pain and pleasure of performance; a historically informative interview with singer-harpist Maire Ni Chathasaigh; and an entirely different perspective on Celtic music from American-born singer Connie Dover. The book is an easy and fascinating read, with Sullivan's gentle but persistent questioning allowing her subjects to illuminate themselves in a fashion that inevitably provokes a desire to hear their music. -- Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times, Nov 5, 1999
