SEAMUS HEANEY & LIAM O'FLYNN: THE POET & THE PIPER
Seamus Heaney: poetry reading
Liam O'Flynn: uilleann pipes, tinwhistle
Stephen Cooney: guitar
Rod McVey: harmonium
A fascinating album where the eloquent words of the poet (Heaney) are combined with the majestic music of the piper (O'Flynn). On the opening track, Heaney's recitation of "The Given Note" literally weaves in and out of O'Flynn's rendition of the spooky air "Port na bPucai." On the rest of the album, the voices of the poet and the piper alternate on separate track, yet continue to complement each other in a very natural way--most obviously when Heaney's reading of "The Yellow Bittern" is followed by O'Flynn's playing of the air. O'Flynn's gorgeous tone and formidable control of the instrument and the idiom are well in evidence on the mostly unaccompanied tracks, yet most moving perhaps on "Aisling Gheal," with harmonium accompaniment by Rod McVey. A most beautiful marriage of words and music.
Rating: ****
Price: $21.99
Contents:
1. The Given Note / Port na bPúcaí
2. Digging
3. Bogland
4. Árdaí Chuain
5. At the Wellhead
6. The Otter
7. The Rolling Wave / The Hag's Money
8. The Yellow Bittern (An Bonnán Buí)
9. The Yellow Bittern / The Broken Pledge
10. The Glamoured (Gile na Gile)
11. Aisling Gheal
12. The Tollund Man
13. Midterm Break
14. Sliabh Gallon's Brae
15. Clearances 3
16. Clearances 5
17. Cronán na Máthar
18. Two Lorries
19. The Humours of Castlebernard / The Bank of Turf
20. A Call
21. Seeing Things - Section 3
22. Fáinne Geal an Lae
23. St. Kevin and the Blackbird
24. Open the Door for Three
25. The Annals Say
26. Postscript
27. Garret Barry's Reel / Seán Reid's Favourite
