Album Notes

Robin Rich is a long-standing (since mid 1960's) professional musician/performer with a strong background in theater. His main field of expertise includes, but is not limited to: British Isles folk (Irish, Scottish, and English), American folk, and the instruments used in their performance (tin whistles, Irish drum [boudhran], harmonica, concertina, and guitars [6 and 12 string]). In the past 40 years he has performed at night clubs, colleges, festivals, public schools, private schools, radio, and television all over the eastern half of the United States.

Some of the cities that he has appeared in are: Dallas, Boston, Cleveland, Columbus, St. Louis, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Washington D.C., Charlotte, NC, and many minor cities and small towns along the way. Since he chose Virginia as his home base in 1987, he has switched his main emphasis to Celtic Festivals and Scottish Games but is not adverse to the occasional smokey pub or two.

His performance style, likened to The Clancy Brothers of old, combines his knowledge of the music and it's history with a knack for involving the audience. He entertains as well as educates his listeners with his unique perspective that he has gained from the last forty years of live performances. This is not to say that his style is old or staid. His energy and theatrical experience brings each song to immediate life for the interested listener, seducing them into making their own further explorations into this genre. This CD is his tenth and latest, bringing all his diverse talents and instrumentation to bear, presenting his own perspective on each of the songs offered. While the main emphasis of this album is ballads, there is a lighter side hinted at for those who know him best for his drinking songs and bawdy(risque)ballad repertoire. The title says it all; these are the themes that unite us(and divide us)all.