Peat & Barley
On the Brink
© 2002 Peat & Barley (783707630328)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
This hammered dulcimer and fiddle duo's intimate arrangements of Celtic tunes range from darkly mysterious to playfully lighthearted and highlight the interplay between the two instruments.
tracks
- 1 Prince Charles
- 2 Miss Spence's Reel/Sleep Soond ida Moarnin/Willafjord
- 3 Harper's Waltz
- 4 Rakes of Mallow
- 5 Haste to the Wedding / Swallowtail Jig / Blackthorn Stick
- 6 Wantoness Forever / Tae Dauton Me / The Auld Man's Mare's Dead/
- 7 Covewood
- 8 Holborn March / Mairi's Wedding
- 9 Wedding in Ennis
- 10 Tam Lin
- 11 Poached Pork Chops / Spootiskerry / The Easy Club Reel
- 12 Bonnie at Morn
- 13 Flowers of Edinburgh / Jackie Tar / Off to Livermore
try this
albums you will love
genres you will love
galleries you will love
By Location
links
notes
Peat & Barley is Bill Mitchell on hammered dulcimer and Becky Ross on fiddle and occasionally on hammered dulcimer. They are a Celtic duo based in the Washington D.C. area whose performances have delighted audiences throughout Maryland, Virginia and D.C.
Their new CD, "On the Brink," features Celtic and original tunes ranging in mood from darkly mysterious to playfully lighthearted and includes toe-tapping jigs and reels as well as lyrical airs and waltzes. Peat & Barley's intimate arrangements highlight the interplay between the hammered dulcimer and fiddle - each contributing structure and melody in turn.
Bill has played the hammered dulcimer since 1992 and was inspired to play from his first experience of hearing a hammered dulcimer. He is a self-taught player and is particularly noted for his strong accompaniment skills. Bill's playing incorporates the full range of his hammered dulcimer from the shimmering sparkle of the highest treble notes to the depth and power of the lowest bass notes. Bill plays a D600 Dusty Strings hammered dulcimer; this model's 4-octave range includes an extra range of bass strings that he uses in his accompaniments to add power and drama to our Peat & Barley arrangements.
Becky was classically trained on violin during her schooldays but was drawn to begin playing again in 1991 after discovering Celtic fiddle music. Her playing is known for her rich tone and sensitive emotional connection to the music, whether that is a sorrowful Scottish lament, a majestic march or a driving reel. Becky plays a violin made by John Schmidt of Columbia, Maryland. This is a new instrument, first strung in Autumn of 2001 and adds a warm resonance to her playing.
Bill and Becky have been playing together as Peat & Barley since 1996 and recorded their first album, "Reflections on Big Moose Lake," in 1998 (out of print). In addition to their performances as Peat & Barley, they also perform as members of the Celtic group The Homespun Ceilidh Band, whose first CD, "Spinning Reels" was released in March, 2002 (also available on CD Baby), and the Scottish group Circle of Friends. They are longtime active members of the Potomac Valley Scottish Fiddle Club, a non-profit group promoting Scottish fiddle music. Becky also plays regularly for Scottish and English Country Dances in the D.C. area.
reviews
Please log in to review this album.
Loved it!
author: Shela FlahertyMagical music, rambunctious rhythms, heavenly harmonies, titillating tones!
Fantastic! Best Celtic CD I've ever heard!
author: J. C. RowlandThis is a wonderful CD. I definitely recommend it. Each song is beautiful in its own way. I can't stop listening to it. My two-year-old daughter and I can't resist dancing to it. This one is even better than their first CD. I'd like to give this CD to everyone I know.