Of Fire, Wind and Silver Stream - Faith Hill

.../> Nick Hennessey is posessed of a fantastic mellow and expressive singing voice. In addition to this, he plays the harp, gets a really good sound out of the tin whistle and has been known to weild a squeeze box. Live he really is impressive, and adds story telling into the mix. Inevitably the recording lacks some of the sparkle you get with a live event, but its rather good none the less.

Tracks:

A Call - short musical ...
...Lord Lovet - another tale of unrequited love, a simple tale told through song.

Garden of daisies/Harvest home - fast and furious tunes on the tin whistle.

Reynardine - this is an eerie tale of shape shifting and seduction.

The Northern Lass - more tune, this a gentle one played on the harp.

The Baron of Brackley - a ballad about a group of blokes from Inverey going round to the abode of ... more

It's not easy getting a new musician onto the ciao list, and once again it hasn't quite worked. The album 'of fire, wind and silver stream' is indeed a folk album, but the artist is Nick Hennessey, not Faith Hill as stated above. I'm hoping this will get resolved, in the meantime, here's the op.

Nick Hennessey is posessed of a fantastic mellow and expressive singing voice. In addition to this, he plays the harp, gets a really good sound out of the tin whistle and has been known to weild a squeeze box. Live he really is impressive, and adds story telling into the mix. Inevitably the recording lacks some of the sparkle you get with a live event, but its rather good none the less.

Tracks:

A Call - short musical introduction.

The Generous Lover - traditional song, unaccompanied, about a girl being messed about by her bloke.

Carolan's Receipt - some excellent harp playing here.

Lord Lovet - another tale of unrequited love, a simple tale told through song.

Garden of daisies/Harvest home - fast and furious tunes on the tin whistle.

Reynardine - this is an eerie tale of shape shifting and seduction.

The Northern Lass - more tune, this a gentle one played on the harp.

The Baron of Brackley - a ballad about a group of blokes from Inverey going round to the abode of the Baron of Brackley and killing him!

Are you sleeping Maggie? - this haunting song is one of my favourites on the cd, there's something about it gives me shivers down the spine.

Sheep under the snow - air from the Isle of Man. Harp and whistle.

Tam Lin - there are two well known song versions of this Scottish faerie tale, and this isn't either of them! A truly amazing version of a superb song, its worth buyingh the CD just for a chance to hear this track (and the other tracks are great too so you're getting a good deal). A tale of seduction, love, dramatic rescue, faerie folk and magic.

Lass of Glenshee - rather a romantic song with a tune that I particularly like.

Poor old Weaver - many folk songs record the poverty and suffering of the working classes. This is one of them. It's hard to imagine living this way, and depressing that so many people in the world still do.

Gaoth Barra no d'Tonn - Irish Gaelic song played on tin whistle. A brief final note to round things off.

This is a very traditionally orrientated cd. The playing and singing are first rate, but its not going to appeal to everyone. By no stretch of the imagination is this 'finger in ear' 'beard and guitar' or anything else of that ilk. But, if you are deeply prejudiced against all things traditional, then you aren't going to like it.

For folk devotees, this is an excellent album if you can get hold of a copy. Welll produced, a good clear sound, interesting interpretations and good sleeve notes. If you get a chance to see the man in the flesh, its well worth doing because he really is very good indeed. 

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