Cornish duo Corncrow raise goosebumps with their haunting music.
Goodness! Just a few seconds off the track Mariasek, I was already taken into an otherworldly heart hurting beauty of this Cornish duo. It is one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard and if you take a listen you will know what I mean.
Sophisticated, primal and spiritual, Corncrow will win fans who appreciate the music of Clannad, Anne Briggs and Connie Dover. This duo are composed of Kim Guy -acoustic guitar, recorders and vocals. Steve Hunt – acoustic and electric guitars, bouzouki and vocals.
Tri Yann released the new album Rummadoù (Générations) late last year. You can listen to sample tracks here:http://edoll.free.fr/tyrummadou.wav . I like them a lot. They like to wear outrageous costumes in their concerts and they are very influential in their native Brittany. A new DVD Le concert des 40 ans(Live CD & DVD) is out which also mark the highlights in their career.There are English tracks in the album along with French and Breton. Here are the tracks in CD:
Cynthia Cathcart takes us on a journey through the mystical sound of the Clàrsach.
The Clàrsach is different from the regular Classical harp in a sense that it has smaller size and creates a unique sound. It has that distinctive perky and almost sharp edge when played by the fingernails. It is a tone color that resembles the harpsichord yet has the nuance of the piano. It creates a visual imagery that calls to mind tiny silver coins being tossed inside an empty well. Resonant but light..always brilliant and ancient.
Cynthia Cathcart mastered this instrument by herself. It was accident that brought this into her hands. She taught herself how to play and passion made her do research on the techniques as well as the musical repertoire for this instrument. Her classical training in the field of piano and organ made her apply the discipline to the Clàrsach yet never losing that folk honesty that is always present in Celtic music.
She teaches and has released two recordings. Learn more about her, the instrument and samples from her website : http://www.cynthiacathcart.net
The brilliant revival of this ancient instrument is in part due to the uniquely bell-like resonance of brass, silver and gold harp strings, producing a sound unlike any other harp.
Cynthia strives to bring the joy of making music on these precious strings to anyone who is drawn to their sound. She offers private lessons in her studio near Washington DC, and also attends various events throughout the year to give workshops, presentations and concerts.
As well as helping students, Cynthia’s books, articles and recordings will delight lovers of this strange, special music.
Just saw this video post that my friend Jimmy posted today. I think this video took home a message of hope. Brian’s Bodhran Beater’s is getting a lot of attention from the media. His passion for creating this Irish instrument turned his life around. And he has never been to Ireland yet. Well maybe this time he will. It looks like his bodhran business is doing well.
Wonderful things happen where the heart is. I am sure someone out there is thinking the same thing. We are all connected in ways we can’t imagine. And nothing is as powerful as the bridges created by music. Our Celtic music.
Passion is such a beautiful thing isn’t it? It takes you to places. It can be a bitter-sweet thing. It can take high or it can drop you down. But most of all it makes you feel. More about this man here : https://www.youtube.com/user/BriansBeaters
Whispering Grass is taken from the album Like an Old-Fashioned Waltz which I don’t ever get tired listening.
She was the voice describe by Judy Collins as ‘like golden silver’. I ‘discovered’ her music late. I think it was Mary Fahl the former singer of October Project who cite her as a primary vocal influence. Beautiful voices are hard to find these days unless you are into Celtic music. Most of the time, those who get mainstream recognition are singers that have either ugly voices but with good looks or just those that can’t carry a tune but have to rely on auto tune. Bring the beautiful voices back!
Celtic Music Fan 