Album Notes

Michael Slattery

Juilliard graduate Michael Slattery has been a tenor soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the French National Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke's at Carnegie Hall. Other career highlights include the title role in Bernstein's Candide at Royal Festival Hall in London, and the title role in Monteverdi's Orfeo at the Chatelet Theater in Paris. Recent recordings include Handel's Saul for Harmonia Mundi, as well as Scarlatti's Cecilian Vespers for the Avie label.

The Skye Consort
Alex Kehler, violin; Amanda Keesmaat, cello; Seán Dagher, cittern; Ben Grossman, percussion & hurdy-gurdy.

Skye Consort, with its unique blend of instruments, was formed in 1999 with its name taken from the title of a collection of Scottish melodies compiled in 1887. Skye Consort's first CD Traditional Celtic Melodies received critical acclaim and ample airplay. With the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, Skye Consort then embarked on a research project to compare and contrast the music of Brittany and Wales: two Celtic nations united by a common linguistic ancestor. In its next CD, Skye Consort brings its border-crossing sound to French songs from the medieval era to modern times. Visit them at www.skyeconsort.com.

The Irish Heart was recorded in July 2004 in New York's Thousand Islands at the historic Clayton Opera House. The beautifully constructed 1904 brick building proved to be an ideal setting for this acoustic recording.

The Irish Heart was edited and mastered by Brian C. Peters, a member of the Audio Engineering Society for more than 20 years and a senior engineer/producer for Dorian Records with credits on more than 400 CD recordings.

Musical arrangements: Tracks 1, 5, 7, 8, 12, & 13 by Seán Dagher & Michael Slattery; Tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10 & 11 by Seán Dagher.

"I would like to thank my father, Dr. John Edward Slattery, for singing the melody line on "The Parting Glass", and for taking the photograph of Aunt Babe and Uncle James. To the great Irish tenor Robert White, and to cousin Kathleen Whelan: thank you for sharing your time, enthusiasm and scores. Finally, many thanks to Áine Whelan and Christy Gorman for the tour of the Slattery family homestead in Ireland." -Michael Slattery

Cover Art by Michael Slattery.
Photos: James and Sarah Slattery at home in County Clare.
The Historic Clayton Opera House
Michael Slattery and The Skye Consort