Enjoyable Celtic Music from Wales for the Whole Family
shoutgrace | Charleston, WV United States | 02/23/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"ffynnon, pronounced 'FUN-ON' in Welsh means 'well spring', is the debut Green Linnet album that makes up the voice and instrumental talents of Lynne Denman, Stacey Blythe and David Reid. Lynne Denman's jazzy ethereal vocals provides a traditional sound for modern Wales. She also lends her instrumental talent on the bodhrán. Stacey Blythe plays keyboard, accordion, cello, piano and voice. David Reid plays six-string bass guitar, keyboard and vocals. Reid is active in the London jazz scene.
The group performs songs that are rooted in ancient tradition, new modern rhythms and soundscapes of the Celts.
The Discography includes:
Y Gwydd (The Loom), reflects on the nature of life and death at the edge of night (end of the living cycle).
Brothen, a calling song to the Brothen to the farmyard. Each creature has a name.
Y Rhaeadr (The Waterfall), is an instrumental. If you close your eyes and listen. You can see the waterfall flowing.
Felton Lonnin (Felton Lane), a mother looking out for the child she expects to return home with the cattle.
Ty Crwn (Roundhouse), a jig.
The Goshawk, a Scottish ballad song.
Pais Dinogad (Dinogad's Smock), a 6th c. nursery rhyme written in the British heroic poem 'Y Gododdin' the forerunner of 'Bye Baby Bunting'. The set of numbers in the lyrics is Cumbrian sheep counting. This would be a nice way to teach the little ones to learn counting.
Cwcw Fach (Little Cuckoo), the cuckoo the foolish of all birds is persuaded to come and nest in the lush green bushes of Dolgellau parish. It's a spring planting song.
Beth yw'r haf i mi? (What is the summer to me?) A sad love song (lament) of the forsaken lover.
Dacw 'nghariad (There is my love), a courting love song.
Chwaer Mari (Sister Mary), a stable-loft song tradtionally sung by farmhands.
Le petit cardonier (The little shoemaker), a traditional Breton dancing song.
Llys Ifor Hael (The Court of Ifor Hael), laments of generous times long ago now in ruins. From a poem by 17th c. poet Ievan Brydydd Hir.
Chwarae (Playing), tribute to 20th c. poet Waldo Williams. It describes children playing 'house' in the fields and 'going to town' in the storehouse.
Aros Mae (Staying), by 19th c. bard poet Ceiriog. Tells how things come and go like the wind and the flowers each year. But some remain the same like the language and the old songs.
Galw (Calling), a macaroni song sung part Welsh, part English. Modern song about traveling and longing for home again.
The combination of the trio's talents with traditional songs add new mixes to create an alluring modern appeal. All songs are Welsh unless stated otherwise. Visit their website ...and find out more about them. This album would be nice for the whole family to learn about the Welsh language, it's culture and some history thrown in the liner notes."
Mixture of old tunes a child might enjoy...
Dianne Foster | USA | 12/06/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you've ever tried to pronounce Welsh names or read road signs in Wales, you've probably wondered about this curious language. One great feature of this CD is that it is exactly what it purports to be Celtic Music from Wales with vocalizations mostly in Welsh although a few of the songs are sung in a French dialect from Brittany (English translations are provided in the insert). These pleasant tunes are sometimes lively, mostly soothing, and always clearly articulated. Some of the words and tunes are very old. In `Dinogad's Smock' from the Y Gododdin, the singer counts chickens in 6th Century Welsh....'Un, dau, tri pedwar, pump, chwech, saith, wyth; and 12th Century Cumbria Welsh.. "Yan, tan, tether, pedder, pimp, hither, sether, hother..." Some pieces such as `Cwew Fach' where the singers try to persuade a cockoo to nest, or `Mae gen i chwaer Mari (I have a sister Mary) are undated. Some songs are more recent and incorporate the words of 20th century voices such as Waldo Williams the Pembrokeshire poet..."Pan fydd yr haul yn twynni A'r gwynt heb chwythun'n gry" or "When the sun shines And the wind utters not a cry..." Lynne Denman, Stacey Blythe and Dave Reid provide vocals and instrumentation which includes bodhran, accordion, and 6-string bass guitar. Light hearted music that children might be able to learn, especially the chicken counting song."
Another branch of Celtic beauty
Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 07/17/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A fine album by this three-piece Welsh folk group... For a trio, they make a large, lush, expansive sound, not the least of which comes from the sweet singing of Lynne Denman and Stacey Blythe, whose vocals fall well into the "pretty Celtic female voices" category, ala early Enya and the like, but with a fair amount of traditionalist grit. This is pretty-sounding stuff, with most of the songs from older, traditional sources, and a few songs that are more modern. Amazing how all those extra Welsh consonants and vowels just melt away when the language is spoke out loud, or -- in this case -- sung in a lovely voice."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1