I've never been much taken with the Gothard Sisters, the talented Celtic trio from the American Pacific Northwest. They started their musical careers very young indeed and now, as they have released their 17th (!!!) full length album, they are still young. Amazing. But there was always been something about their music that kept me … Continue reading A happy surprise: “Moment in Time” by The Gothard Sisters
Tag: folk music
Nigel Eaton’s “Lymington Fair”: the magic of the hurdy-gurdy
I'm absolutely fascinated by Old Music, have been ever since I was maybe 15-16 years old. Go figure…One Xmas in the early 1980's, I asked my mother for "something medieval" for a present, and she went to the biggest record store in Helsinki and got me, of all things, David Munrow's "Music of the Gothic … Continue reading Nigel Eaton’s “Lymington Fair”: the magic of the hurdy-gurdy
Pettit & Gira’s “Here to Stay”: winning fiddle/cello mastery with excellent tunes
It's always super nice to discover by chance artists you have never heard of and find out they're great! That's what's happened to me this week when I came across the North American fiddle/cello combo of Jocelyn Pettit and Ellen Gira. They are 2024 Canadian Folk Music Award Winners so it's high time I became … Continue reading Pettit & Gira’s “Here to Stay”: winning fiddle/cello mastery with excellent tunes
Salt House hits another 10/10 with “Scarrow”
Scarrow - faint light, reflection, the shadow of a crow or hill, the faint light from a wall. Something gleaming intermittently or indistinctly.ˈska(ˌ)rō. plural -s. Scots. Salt House's previous album, Riverwoods, was one of my absolute favorites of 2023, an utterly entracing, beautiful work that radiated nature in music. A couple of years have passed … Continue reading Salt House hits another 10/10 with “Scarrow”
Woodlands Bäckafall’s “Traditional Colours”: joyful and borderless northern folk
I feel almost silly, having to write another "oh this album makes me so happy!" review only a few days after I went joyfully bananas over Ampouailh's latest release. But here we go... Let's begin by noting that Woodlands and Bäckafall are two separate entities that created this album as a unit. Woodlands Duo: Kristina … Continue reading Woodlands Bäckafall’s “Traditional Colours”: joyful and borderless northern folk
Westlin Winds by The Wilderness Yet: a folk a cappella treasure
A couple of years ago I wrote a few lines on the previous The Wilderness Yet album, What Holds The World Together. It seems I appreciated it but said it's not my exact cup of tea stylewise. I wonder now why I said that because on later listening, I have loved it! Only goes to … Continue reading Westlin Winds by The Wilderness Yet: a folk a cappella treasure
Gwilym Bowen Rhys: Aden – impressive music from Wales, in Welsh
I how zero idea how Aden got on my list of albums to check out but there it was. Someone may have pointed it out to me. Or maybe I had read a positive review. Doesn't really matter, since this, my first encounter with Gwilym Bowen Rhys, was very positive. I now know that Aden … Continue reading Gwilym Bowen Rhys: Aden – impressive music from Wales, in Welsh
“Allt vol. 2: Cuimhne” – beauty upon beauty
I admit it: early this year I firmly intended to listen to and write about the then newly released sequel to the first Allt album. I did not, because it had been a working day and I fell soundly asleep during the second track and only woke to the sound of silence telling me the … Continue reading “Allt vol. 2: Cuimhne” – beauty upon beauty
Apples, history, local pride and a deep musical heritage: Jim Causley’s “The Georgic”
I have never been to Devonshire and I did not know what a Georgic is. I have no immediate plans to visit Devonshire in the near future, but I did look up the meaning of Georgic: A poem or book dealing with agriculture or rural topics, which commonly glorifies outdoor labor and simple country life. … Continue reading Apples, history, local pride and a deep musical heritage: Jim Causley’s “The Georgic”
Looking for unfiltered English folk? Go to Granny’s Attic!
Over the past decade or so, Granny's Attic have risen to the very top of English folk music, and deservedly so. The trio of Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, George Sansome and Lewis Wood are masters in their craft and they are among the finest musicians keeping the tradition fresh and vital. What I particularly appreciate about their … Continue reading Looking for unfiltered English folk? Go to Granny’s Attic!
FolkNotes 