Customer Reviews

Horse With a Heart

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This is truly a wonderful compilation of reels, jigs, airs and highlands. There are so many cd's out there which are marketed as "celtic music", carrying promises of relaxation while you listen. Happily, Altan's music, and this cd, belong in a very different category. There are some beautifully relaxing songs, however most of the tunes make you feel much better than just relaxed. The reels and jigs make me want to get up and dance, everytime I listen to them. In my opinion, the fiddling quality and lovely Gaelic vocals make this cd a real stand out. I would have liked to have seen a lyrics sheet included, but otherwise I have no complaints. It is extremely rare for me to appreciate every track on a cd, but I do like everyone of these very much.

Purchasing a CD released on the Green Linnet label isn't a guarantee that you're buying traditional Irish music, but you can be assured that you're not getting Irish rock `n' roll (U-2). Husband and wife team Frankie Kennedy (fiddle, flute) and Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh (fiddle, vocals) lead us through elaborate fiddle medleys, majestic ballads and charming airs. I've had the good fortune of seeing them in concert before Frankie's death in 1994. They perform exuberant "dueling fiddle" jams (The Curlew, Welcome Home Grainne) that are nothing short of breathtaking. I think they're referred to as "reels." Mhaonaigh's voice is elegant (The Lass of Glenshee, Tuirse Mo Chroi), and Frankie's solitary flute transports me to a far distant time and land (An Feochan). Horse With A Heart is compelling and authentic: tradition has not been toned-down or modified for mass appeal. The CD is also a bit of a history and music lesson. What does "Green Linnet" mean? Despite the confusing CD booklet material, it's also challenging (for Non-Irish music fans) to figure out which compositions are reels and which are jigs ("airs" are a dead giveaway), and distinguish between the Gaelic and Irish vocals. Enchanting compositions and a lesson in Irish music literature.