Song of Home

James Galway (Artist), Jay Ungar (Artist), Molly Mason (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00006IGQ0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,708 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A National Treasure, October 20, 2002

By 

WaryConsumer (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of Home (Audio CD)

This meeting of musical minds was a stroke of creative matchmaking by RCA. James Galway, the renowned flutist blends but does not blur with two of American folk music's more deeply rooted musical thinkers -- Jay Ungar & Molly Mason. Right from the start, "My Cape Breton Home," the art and craftsmanship, the painstaking selection and arrangement is evident. And this CD continues to delight the mind with an hour of the most beautiful music. All tunes, whether old favorites, like Stephen Foster's "Gentle Annie," or new and original, like "West Texas Waltz" by Jay Ungar, come together as naturally as the confluence of many streams. It seems as if you know these songs so well, which in my case is surprising, but perhaps not so surprising from a CD with Jay Ungar on it, composer of the evocative song for all time, "Ashokan Farewell." This piece has become a de facto theme for millions of people who heard it played again and again in the Ken Burns documentary on The Civil War.

The instrumentation, as you might expect, is the main feature of the CD. Flute, fiddle, piano, mandolin, guitar. But at what seems to be exactly the right time, Molly Mason and Ruth Ungar (Jay's daughter) voices sing out in harmony. And there is a deep understanding of the music here too, and therefore, much beauty in the sound. The rendering of "Pretty Saro" could stand alone as a classic, but when you hear it in order and against the background meticulously prepared by these musicians, it has a presence that is truly haunting.

I think anyone with a taste for the roots of American folk music will enjoy this CD. It has deepened my appreciation of the folk music of America and even the rural environment where I live in America. The art and craft are impeccable. "A Song of Home" is from beginning to end, thoroughly enjoyable, much to think about, a heritage to keep.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Compelling Classy Classical Appalachian, February 7, 2003

By 

tom peachey (Front Royal, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of Home (Audio CD)

I get home from a hard day at the office and put on my headphones and am transported to heaven. If I had only two hours left of life on earth, I would want to listen to this album for one of them and we won't discuss the other hour please! Galway, Ungar, and Mason are superb. My wife and I were already of fan of Galway. Garrison Keillor's recommendation of "Waltzing with You" by Ungar and Mason (Sony) turned me on to Jay and Molly. Then on to "The Lover's Waltz" and "Harvest Home". The subtle blending and play between Galway's Flute, Jay's Fiddle, and Molly's Guitar . . . . God, there is nothing like it. If you buy this CD and don't like, I'll buy it off you and give it to a friend! ... Thanks Sir James, Jay and Molly.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is it the music or the musicians?, December 6, 2002

By 

Stephen Trechter (Watkins Glen, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Song of Home (Audio CD)

During the many times I have listened to this album, I have posed myself the same question: is it the music I like best or the musicians that perform it? The music is compellingly rich for sure, music that makes the home a resonant place to live in the same way that a dancing wood fire speaks to the eyes of the soul. But the music sings with a penetrating warmth because of the seasoned artistry of the musicians who perform it. I have to give the tilt to the musicians who will forever haunt me with the flickering flames of their performance.