What a difference an hour (or so) with Aedan's music makes!
author: Audrey R. Goodman
What a delightful experience it is to hear this for the first time. Poignant, intricate, and well crafted/arranged melodies crept sweetly into my consciousness replacing all of the day's stress. It's been a great way to spend a busy workday's evening; this lovely CD, a glass of my favorite Lembic, and the world is once again a lovely place to be! Aedan captures the ambiance of this musical tradition so very well!
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intriguing Celtic journey
author: Stephanie Bennett
The multi-talented Aedan MacDonnell plays Celtic harp, concertina (small accordion), keyboards and recorder on this multi-faceted CD. Every track is very natural and intimate-sounding, not over-produced with effects or orchestration. The mood is refreshingly varied; from gently melancholy (Heart Tears), to cheerfully philosophical (Time Will Tell), to affectionately romantic (Red is the Rose), to the distraught passion of a broken heart (the Butcher Boy).
The vocal tracks (the Lorry Ride, Time Will Tell, Red is the Rose, the Butcher Boy) make me feel as if I am in a cozy pub in Ireland, where the assembled guests take turns informally entertaining each other with a song.
While the music is rooted in traditional Celtic folk, Aedan offers fresh interpretations of the folk tunes: there are many welcome unexpected touches, such as in She Moved Through the Faire/the Great Selkie, in which Aedan’s non-traditional piano voicings give the music a subtly modern twist.
My very favorite tunes on the disc, however, are Aedan’s original compositions born of her Celtic spirit: Heart Tears (for harp and the sound of rain) is achingly poignant. Ravens\' Flight (harp alone) is like reading a fantasy novel with twists and turns, where you can’t wait to find out what happens next: a gently introspective introduction morphs into an energetic dance, which seamlessly blends into another mysterious and melancholy dénouement. These two compositions recall for me the best moments of timeless harpers such as Alan Stivell and Kim Robertson, and I hope that Aedan’s future recordings will feature more works in this vein!
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