Customer Reviews

The Faerie Isles - Celtic Harp Music

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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.

"The meadows are clothed with flocks And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing." (Psalm 65:13)

In all of my days spent on this journey up until now, I have never heard more beautiful music than that of Carol Thompson's Harp playing. It echoes with the music of the Celtic landscape as well as the hearts of the Celtic people from whom many of these songs descend. It is a wonder.

The Bible speaks of the boy David playing his harp to soothe the wrath of King Saul. If David's playing was anything like Thompson's playing of this music...I can see how something like that might work.

From the opening strains of Bonny Portmore to the last note of O'Carolan's Farewell, Thompson's CD "The Faerie Isles" is filled with the utter joy of beauty. It is no secret that Dorian is my favorite label...I have yet to be disappointed by one of their discs--but this one is exceptional indeed.

I give "The Faerie Isles" my highest recommendation.

"The meadows are clothed with flocks And the valleys are covered with grain; They shout for joy, yes, they sing." (Psalm 65:13)

In all of my days spent on this journey up until now, I have never heard more beautiful music than that of Carol Thompson's Harp playing. It echoes with the music of the Celtic landscape as well as the hearts of the Celtic people from whom many of these songs descend. It is a wonder.

The Bible speaks of the boy David playing his harp to soothe the wrath of King Saul. If David's playing was anything like Thompson's playing of this music...I can see how something like that might work.

From the opening strains of Bonny Portmore to the last note of O'Carolan's Farewell, Thompson's CD "The Faerie Isles" is filled with the utter joy of beauty. It is no secret that Dorian is my favorite label...I have yet to be disappointed by one of their discs--but this one is exceptional indeed.

I give "The Faerie Isles" my highest recommendation.

I really enjoy winding down or just relaxing with this music. I used to have something like this years ago. I would play to help my baby calm down when she was fussy at night. I like to have it in the background when I am writing. I never tire of the intricate beauty of the music of a harp and this harp CD is wonderfully done. I highly recommend it.