Carolan's Harp

Andrew Lawrence King & the Harp Consort did real justice to the great Irish bard of the 17th century Turlough O'Carolan. Atmospheric and thrilling stuff. The boisterous drinking songs, the mournful laments, even a terrific sea shanty. All great tracks, like a 17th century Wall of Sound!

This is a novelty for me. I like it.Music unknown in Poland.I learned about it from my son. He was right.

I am most deeply moved by traditional music of the British isles and find myself always in greater sympathy with pre-1800 music than the (decadent?) stuff that came later.For this reason I was very enthusiastic to find this album, and expected the standard of all O'Carolan ensemble albums to follow. Unfortunately I cannot give more than two stars because of a fundamental sound problem: the harp is barely discernable above the ensemble or even alone. One is constantly changing the volume when the harp is played solo, and when it alternates with the ensemble the effect is sheer disaster.I do not know what the sound engineer &c. was thinking! Despite all the promise and a lovely concept, this album is a Flat Pancake!!Might someone try again?

Good quality cd, as described, Swiftly delivered.

The music of Turlogh O'Carolan was recommended by Lunaea Weatherstone in her book "Tending Brigid's Flame". I chose this disc from all those listed at Amazon and I was not disappointed. I totally fell in love with O'Carolan's compositions. I was sitting in line waiting to pick the boys up after school listening to the disc. I could envision the green hills of Eire - maybe I walked there in a previous life. Then this one tune came on and I could see King Brian dancing in a cave - that was the Sean Connery movie from 1959 "Darby O'Gill and the Little People". No, it's probably not the same tune at all but it transported me there in memory. That is one of my all-time favorite movies and this CD "Carolan's Harp" is being added to my list of favorite music CD's. If you've "Irish in your blood" as I have and love the old music you will be as enchanted as I am.The following was taken complete from a webpage about O'Carolan. I am including it here because not a whole lot of 18th century composers made it to the 21st:"Turlough O'Carolan, also called Terence Carolan (born 1670, near Nobber, County Meath, Ireland, died March 25th, 1738,Alderford, County Roscommon), one of the last Irish harpist-composers and the only one whose songs survive in both wordsand music in significant number (about 220 of provable provenance are extant with an uncounted number apocryphallyattributed). The son of an iron founder, O'Carolan became blind from smallpox at the age of 18. He was befriended by a Mrs. MacDermott-Roe, the wife of his father's employer, who apprenticed him to a harper and supported him for the three years of his training,then gave him money, a guide, and a horse. As an itinerant harper, he traveled widely in Ireland. Although never considered a master performer, he was highly regarded as acomposer of songs and improvised verse. His tunes appeared widely in 18th-century collections." (From "The Complete Music of Turlough O'Carolan")

Afer hearing bits'n'pieces of Carolan's music for years, to find a whole disc filled with a cross-section of his work is a delight. And very well performed.

This is an extraordinary recording. I have owned this recording for years and I bought this for a friend who lives in Ireland near where Turlough O'Carolan was born.

Disc arrived intact, but the jewel case was badly damaged, almost shattered.