Search - Various Artists :: Celtic Treasure II: The Living Legacy Of Turlough O'Carolan

Marcy B. from ERIE, PA
Reviewed on 10/5/2008...

The Second of a beautiful collection of Turlough O' Carolan's works. Wonderfully done!

These tunes are truly the sounds of Ireland

Brianna Neal | 10/12/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have listened to these fine tunes of Ireland and must say that I have become a fan of this band. I enjoy the sounds of Celtic Music and appreciate these fine artists. Continue to amaze me wherever you are."

More O'Carolan tunes from Narada, sparkling and elegant

Brianna Neal | USA | 09/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Celtic Treasure II" picks up where "Celtic Treasure" left off two years earlier, offering more renditions of Turlough O'Carolan's classic compositions by a variety of artists, including Kim Robertson, Pat Kilbride, Shelley Phillips, Dordan, John Whelan and Sue Richards. The overall tone of this album seems a little brighter and livelier than its mellow predecessor, but there are no driving drum beats and the polished elegance of Narada releases still prevails throughout. Except for Kim Robertson's whispery, wordless vocals, the selections are once again all instrumentals, featuring harp, whistle, flute, acoustic guitar, fiddle, piano and accordion. "Celtic Treasure II" continues Narada's engaging tribute to the work of Turlough O'Carolan, the blind, itinerant harper from 17th/18th century Ireland who was a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach. Embraced by wealthy patrons but never a true virtuoso on the harp, O'Carolan was encouraged to begin composing instead of merely performing, and thus he discovered his true calling. He's considered to be Ireland's first national composer, blending folk music and Baroque-era art songs\ into a style all his own, and leaving a legacy of over 200 surviving tunes that remain as popular today as in his own time. Earl Hitchner, Celtic music expert, sums up the impact of O'Carolan's legacy in his liner notes: "[O'Carolan was] someone who never set foot outside his homeland, yet produced music of transporting grace and radiance destined to touch every corner of the earth." Couldn't say it any better! For more Celtic music, try Narada's other Celtic releases, such as the gutsy "Brave Hearts" and the more laid back "Celtic Odyssey," and anything from the Green Linnett label. I'm sure all the artists on this compilation have fine offerings of their own as well. Ones I'm familiar with include the wonderfully innovative Celtic/New Age fusion of harper Kim Robertson, and the classical/Celtic fusion of harper Sue Richards with Ensemble Galilei.

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