Customer Reviews

Wishing Well

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This wonderful collection of songs is sung by the little known, but angelically beautiful voice of Connie Dover - possibly the finest singer of this kind of material in the world. Connie is a Missouri-based singer who combines a love of ancient Scottish and Irish ballads and other traditional songs, with an interest in her 'cowgirl' roots as an American who has spent time as a trail cook on the cattle ranches of the west listening to the folk sounds of America's past. The musical fruit of these varied tastes, is the diverse range of the songs recorded on this CD. There's Celtic folk, there's cowboy songs, there's even the spiritual 'Ubi Caritas' - a 20th century melody penned to the words of a 9th century Gregorian chant. What is remarkable is how well these pieces all gel together - but then these are great songs, and great songs sound good whatever the context in which they are heard.

Every single one of the tracks on 'The Wishing Well' is worthy of mention, so it's difficult to select favourites. Perhaps Connie's voice is best suited to those gentle Scottish ballads, the pretty 'LADDIE, LIE NEAR ME' and the very beautiful 'WILLIE OF WINSBURY' (I'm glad it's very beautiful because it's also very long!) Another really nice song is 'HUGH THE GRAEME'. However, if Celtic ballads are a forte of Connie's, the two cowboy pieces on this CD, 'WHERE SHALL I GO?' and the lovely 'THE COLORADO TRAIL' are equally good, and splendidly compliment the old world pieces. 'SUMMER BEFORE THE WAR' is another song from a very different era written around a very different theme, and yet again it is first rate material. So is the aforementioned 'UBI CARITAS'. Ironically one of the very best tracks on this CD of vocal delights is the sole instrumental piece 'WESTON' - but that is no reflection at all on the quality of Connie Dover's voice. Rather it is a testament to her skills as a composer, for Connie wrote this melody about the Missouri river town herself. If I must choose a favourite piece however, then it has to be the title track. 'THE WISHING WELL' is the song in which Connie's voice achieves it's greatest expression. This superb song is well worth the price of the CD by itself.

I cannot nitpick over this CD as there is nothing to nitpick about. It's beautiful, and Connie Dover's voice was a revelation to me when I first heard it. This was the first CD I ever purchased which moved me sufficiently to inspire me to write a review; I wouldn't lightly award five stars to anybody, but this unison of singer and songs in perfect harmony certainly deserves five (or six if I could!) and if I can persuade just one person to enrich their musical life by purchasing this CD, then it will have been well worthwhile. Buy it!!!

This album gets more beautiful with every listen. It contains a lot of what Connie Dover does best - textured, moving ballads with a hint of the Irish and sung with Connie's admirably trained, richly textured voice. It also contains some uplifting jigs and an acapella that will bring tears to your eyes.

No Connie Dover fan should be without this gem. And those who are hunting around for another mature, creative, somewhat Celtic artist to try - this is the lady and this is the album.

What more can one say about Connie Dover other than she is simply amazing. When I bought Somebody I listened to it over and over, never tiring of any songs. Then I picked up The Wishing Well and thought I died and went to Heaven. "Ubi Caritas" is my favorite track, with "Hugh the Grameme", "Where Shall I Go" and "Summer Before the War", close seconds. I can't wait to listen to If I Ever Return and her upcoming release The Border of Heaven. This lady has truly been blessed with the voice of an angel.

I first heard of Connie Dover when I purchased the CD compilation, "Celtic Voices." I immediately loved her rendition of "Siul a Ruin." I decided to purchase "The Wishing Well," and I was not disappointed! Connie's voice is amazing and sweet all at once. My favorites on this CD are "Laddie, Lie Near Me," "Hugh the Graeme," "Siul a Ruin," and "Willie of Winsbury." I think the two country-esque songs, "Where Shall I Go?" and "The Colorado Trail," seem a little out of place among the others, but it won't be long until you find yourself liking them too. I highly recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys listening to beautiful soprano voices and ballads that weave heart-touching tales of ages past.

I discovered Connie Dover's beautifully soothing and comforting voice on Narada's "Celtic Spirit" CD, which led me to go to the trouble to find her single albums. "Wishing Well" is a terrific CD, one of the few I own for which I can say that I like every song on it. I play it often, and recommend it to everyone.

It's a mystery to me why Connie Dover is not yet more widely known. Ms. Dover has two remarkable gifts which are amply displayed on this album: she knows how to pick great, overlooked songs, and she has the vocal and emotional range to make every moment sound spontaneous and inevitable. If this sounds too lofty, give this album a listen. Whether singing celtic tracks, early American songs (like the heartbreakingly spare "Where Shall I Go?") or gems like the achingly beautiful "Summer Before the War", Ms. Dover invests each note and word with honest, immediate, passionate meaning. She also surrounds herself with impeccable musicians and fresh, vital arrangements. My goal in buying music is to find CDs I will listen to over and over. This album passed that test a long time ago and still makes regular visits to my CD player. Discover her for yourself, before the rest of the world does.

Until a chance discovery on "Thistle & Shamrock" some years ago, I had never heard of Connie Dover before. Thanks to Fiona Ritchie and her selection of Ms. Dover's 'In Aimsir An Fheir', my socks were promptly knocked off, and I rushed out to buy the CD. The afore-mentioned song, the first on the CD, somehow carries an incredible amount of emotional content and weight ... considering it's sung in Gaelic, and hence unintelligible to me. Even after many years, every time I listen I get goose-bumps and moved to tears. I'm not alone in that, either, as the first time I played it for my wife (saying "you have to hear this"), she was crying within 15 seconds. It is difficult to imagine the level of artistry that some folks possess ...
Each song on the CD is a gem, and as others have related, the songs span a considerable range of genres and topics. Whether it's the noble-but-betrayed 'Hugh the Graeme', the winsome 'Summer Before The War', or the end-of-the-trail heartbreak of 'Where Shall I Go (A Cowboy's Hard Times)', they're all little masterpieces.
If you're a fan of Celtic music, folk music, old fashioned western music, or the territories between, snag a copy of this CD: you'll enjoy every minute.

is how I would describe this CD. My piano teacher is from Ireland, so I recently became interested in listening to Celtic Music. I started checking out everything I could find in the public library system in November '05, and the first CD I fell in love with was Narada's "Celtic Spirit" and, in particular, the "Ubi Caritas," however, the booklet was missing from the library copy, and there was only one copy in the system, so I purchased the CD so that I might discover the artist's name, and, in turn, purchased this CD for which I have no regrets.

I just opened the CD this evening and am now on my 5th listening. Ms. Dover has a crystal clear voice, great diction, love her turns, for those of you who are trained singers will understand what I mean when I say her voice is connected - no breathiness here - good intonation - excellent harmonies and instrumentation. Every song on this CD is a treat, with many heart wrenching moments. This CD makes you want to own all of Ms. Dover's recordings. If you are a Celtic music lover, this is a must-have in your collection!

Much of this music is beautiful. The best song for me, however, is "The Summer before the War." It caused me to remember the time shortly before I went to Viet Nam. The happy idealism I had. As I listened to this song I slowly cried as I recalled the death and pain of that war and the happy life I had before it. How, in such a short time, I aged so much. How I wish I could go back to that "Summer before the War." There are so many things I would have done differently.

I first heard this album in a store in Scotland and had to have it -- even though the only copy left was the demo. From the heart rending 'Laddie Lie Near Me' to the soaring Latin of 'Ubi Caritas', the voice of Connie Dover, and the songs she sings, will take you on a journey of the soul. It is a recording to be treasured from beginning to end and will create a place in your heart you will want to visit many times.