Customer Reviews
Can't beat the price when its free
These are very traditional songs and are generally well done. Individual tracks for me ranged from good to excellent. It was a nice bit of nostalgia for me.
Slow & sweet - 101 Strings style
Audio quality is very good, with a wide ambiance like a symphony feel.
The tracks have a 101 Strings quality and might be all from that group, though the tracks give credit to the singers in preference to the musicians. Or they may have been selected for the similar stylings. The lyrics are clear, easy to understand, and well sung. The general tone is lyrical and sweet, with long-held notes. Several tracks also have a harp - a nice touch. While I don't, personally, care that much for the 'saccharine' quality of 101 Strings, or the rather slow tempo of all these tracks, others may prefer this sound to the 'bouncier' tunes with a more intimate and 'bluegrassy' feel that I like more, such as those of the Celtic Sampler Summer 2009 (which the insert a link doesn't find, more's the pity).
Track by track:
1. Full instrumental, aka Danny Boy, full string orchestra, slow tempo.
2. Some Celtic and then English. "with lightsome heart, I pulled a rose full sweet upon the thorny tree" (in case you know those lyrics).
3. I plan to keep this track a while as it is the "I'll take the high road, and you'll take the low road" song, and I've always wanted to learn more than just those lines.
4. I think everyone knows this song by this title.
5. I learned this one from Joan Baez many years ago, and I like her rendition far better - but that's my taste, not a reflection on the quality of this track.
6. "Cockles and mussels, alive alive-O" with backing chorus as well. Waltz almost fast enough to dance to.
7. Flute, violin, harp, strings. Slow & dreamy with 'surprise' percussive moments.
8. Almost 'bouncy' acapella (nearly - a touch of backing guitar/banjo) - may not be 101 Strings - has a more 'intimate' feeling. "I wooed her in the wintertime, part of the summer too, and the only only thing that I did that was wrong was to keep her from the foggy, foggy dew."
9. Piano accompaniment, mainly. "I can see a soft moon shining on the water by the mill, and the silver ribbon winding by the house upon the hill."
10. Full strings plus harp & chimes. Wistful ballad. "smiling, beguiling... together oft over the mountains we strayed. With each other delighted..."
7,8,9&10 are more 'intimate' and, to me, more enjoyable than 1-6. Hope this helps you decide what to try.
Sampler is in fact, FREE.
Contrary to a previous review, this sampler is in fact FREE (at least at the time of this posting). Just click on the "Get mp3 Album" button. I do not usually rate samplers, especially when they are free. I welcome the opportunity to check out any type of music, especially when there is no cost involved. For that reason alone, this sampler gets five stars. If you like Celtic music, try it. There may be something here worth exploring further...what have you got to lose.
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