It is remarkable that an anthology can be as homogeneous as this. The nine acts represented hereon seem to see eye-to-eye on the foundational aspects of their chosen musical form. This is a tribute to the strength of the Celtic tradition.
Like the songlines used as musical maps by Australian aborigines, these pieces contain detailed, graphic descriptions and stories in the music itself, with no words required. The deeper drums, for example, serve not only to keep time, but to indicate its passing.
One is reminded of the legend of how a new tywysog was chosen in the ancient Welsh kingdom of Powgwynllyywnioc. First, the old tywysog died. And then a certain drum beat. Then the five most beautiful women and the five most well-endowed men in all of Powgwynllyywnioc, which was not actually large enough to have suburbs or anything like that, but was of respectable size for a Welsh kingdom of the legendary period, were positioned facing each other in two rows at the gate to the kingdom’s capital city. And then the drum beat again.
The men and women stripped, the women dipped their hands in ornately etched bronze pots of honey and advanced lasciviously to the sound of more minor drums and flutes toward the men. The bass drum beat again. The women delicately, slowly and teasingly painted the men’s lower abdomens with the honey while humming a magical, fertility-related tune, then lowered themselves to their knees.
The drum beat, and the women pulled the tywysog candidates’ bowsprits down as far as they could. The drum beat again, the women let go, and the man who killed the most flies that had been attracted to the honey became the new tywysog of Powgwynllyywnioc.
This is probably why the capital city was named “Ryoutkkryckllfyngiod Powys,” a phrase difficult to translate precisely in our more sedate and blushing times. It is also an example of the use of the sonorous bass drum in traditional Celtic music.
Songs that do not utilize a deep drum are typically not about the passage of time, but about one memory or impression; a snapshot, as it were. The eighteen songs are all creative within the structure of Celtic music, a form mutually understood by all the artists on the release.
The artists featured include Catherine Duc, Medwyn Goodall, Saor Patrol, Margie Butler, Jean-Yves Le Pape, Midori, Turlough, Florie Brown, and Lynn Saoirse.
“Celtic Voyage” is a musical voyage with clear charts and beautiful destinations. Highly recommended. You will be glad to have taken this voyage.
Author: Arthur Shuey
Arthur has been reviewing music for publications since 1976 and began focusing almost exclusively on world music in 2012.
His musical background includes past presidencies of the Cape Fear Musicians Association and Blues Society of the Lower Cape Fear, founding membership in nine other blues societies, service on 17 music festival planning committees, two decades of teaching harmonica to individuals and groups, operating a small recording studio and performing solo and in combos for 30 years.
Arthur has written professionally since 1975, pieces ranging from short fiction to travel articles, humor to poetry, mainly for local and regional entertainment media. His blog,” Shuey’s World,” is featured at www.accesswilmington.com.
