Customer Reviews

The True Lover's Farewell - Appalachian Folk Ballads

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I have long admired the vocal talents of Custer LaRue. She is a truly impressive singer and an even greater performer. If I had a hall of fame for Musicians, she would be one of the first inductees.

I had great expectations for "The True Lover's Farewell" when I received it for Christmas. It has not disappointed me. It is a disc of stunning beauty, captivating drama, and wonderful music. It has become a mainstay of my musical diet--earning lots of playtime on my stereo.

Some of the more remarkable pieces here are: "Turtledove," "Soldier Boy for Me," "Berayna," and "The Nightingale." LaRue's voice is indeed beautiful, but what continues to win me over is her expressiveness. In the hands of Mrs. LaRue, each song becomes a story, a drama. This is perhaps seen most clearly on "The Nightingale." Yet choosing for favorites here is a matter of choosing the best of consistently great stuff.

The musicians (Mary Anne Ballard, Mark Cudek and the mighty Ronn McFarlane) are all co-members with Mrs. LaRue in the amazing Baltimore Consort.

This disc is the total package. Once again, Dorian Recordings continues to blow me away with their consistent excellence. I give "The True Lover's Farewell" my highest recommendation.

I first heard Custer Larue live with the Baltimore Consort. "The True Lover's Farewell" contains what I consider the best selection from that live performance. This is great music listen to when reading, studying, working, but most especially when spending a romantic evening with your true love.

This is one of the most marvelous records of Appalachian ballads. The songs are almost entirely from the Cecil Sharp publication. The Baltimore Consort does a tremendous job of accompanying. I've been playing this CD over and over and I never seem to tire of it. I highly recommend this CD.