The Heart of Cape Breton

The Heart of Cape Breton

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
In the 19th century, immigrants from Scotland settled on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, which, because of its geographical isolation, allowed the musical traditions of those first settlers to pass to future generations essentially free of outside influences. In the 1970s, people began to realize that many tunes, instrumental techniques, and dance steps that are extinct in Scotland were alive and thriving in Cape Breton. The Heart of Cape Breton, recorded in 2000, gathers some of the finest traditional fiddlers on Cape Breton, including Jerry Holland, Brenda Stubbert, Jackie Dunn MacIsaac, Buddy MacMaster, Wendy MacIsaac, and Kinnon Beaton. All of the tracks were recorded live at dances and concerts, and although you can occasionally hear the shuffle of dancing feet in the background, the sound only acts as a reminder that the masterful fiddling on the jigs, reels, strathspeys, and flings is designed to get you out of your chair and onto the dance floor. --Michael Simmons

Product Description
With a culture deeply influenced by 19th century Scottish emigration, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is widely celebrated for its fiddle music. Profoundly rooted in old Scottish tradition, the music is increasingly moving to center stage in the contemporary Celtic revival, as seen in the popularity of Cape Breton fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac. This CD features some of the best known and most admired Cape Breton fiddlers, with piano and guitar accompaniment in the island's distinct style. The sound of the island is alive in these exciting performances, recorded live at dances and concerts in Cape Breton during the summer of 2000. This is the real thing-- master fiddlers playing in the heart of the tradition, along the Ceilidh Trail.

The Heart of Cape Breton,Various Artists,Smithsonian Folkways,Canada,Celtic Folk,Celtic/Irish,Int'l & World Music,Pop,Scottish,World Music

Average customer rating:

A Song Of Home

A little too slick and a little too much Galway

Very Compelling Classy Classical Appalachian

Is it the music or the musicians?

A National Treasure

Song of Home
James Galway , Jay Ungar , and Molly Mason
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Harvest Home

The Lovers' Waltz

Civil War Classics

Waltzing With You

James Galway ~ Meditations

ASIN: B00006IGQ0
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Tracks:

My Cape Breton Home
Foster's Ladies
Presidential Hornpipes
A Roving On A Winter's Night
The West Texas Waltz
Oh Shenandoah/Shenandoah Falls
The Lovers' Waltz
Bound For California
Heart Of The Heartland
Pretty Saro
The Mountain Ranger
Themes From 'Harvest Home Suite'
Amazing Grace

Customer Reviews:

A Song Of Home.......2005-07-09

You can feel his pride in his heritage in the way he plays on this CD

A little too slick and a little too much Galway.......2004-01-16

Based on the reviews I read about this album, I had high expectations. I am sorry to say that the album leaves me a little cold. The performances are superb, but unspontaneous. Another difficulty is with the orchestrations. In most cases on this album I think the flute just doesn't work. A case in point is Lover's Waltz, which is near perfect in the original Ungar/Mason version. Galway's flute just doesn't exude the same warmth. Another disappointment is Heart of the Heartland, which could have been an interesting conversation between Galway's flute and Ostroushko's mandolin. Instead we get another showcase for Galway with Ostroushko relegated to backup musician--what a shame! The only track I think that works well on this album is The West Texas Waltz, where we get a taste of how a really collaborative album might have sounded. I guess this album makes good easy listening, but it is certainly not the engaging album I would have expected of these folks.

After a year or two of owning this album, I have to say that the performances are even more stale that when I first reviewed it. I wish they'd let me take a star back.

Good for folks who like "easy listening". I like musicians who aren't afraid to challenge each other and themselves. This album had that potential, but falls flat.........

Very Compelling Classy Classical Appalachian.......2003-02-08

I get home from a hard day at the office and put on my headphones and am transported to heaven. If I had only two hours left of life on earth, I would want to listen to this album for one of them and we won't discuss the other hour please! Galway, Ungar, and Mason are superb. My wife and I were already of fan of Galway. Garrison Keillor's recommendation of "Waltzing with You" by Ungar and Mason (Sony) turned me on to Jay and Molly. Then on to "The Lover's Waltz" and "Harvest Home". The subtle blending and play between Galway's Flute, Jay's Fiddle, and Molly's Guitar . . . . God, there is nothing like it. If you buy this CD and don't like, I'll buy it off you and give it to a friend! ... Thanks Sir James, Jay and Molly.

Is it the music or the musicians?.......2002-12-07

During the many times I have listened to this album, I have posed myself the same question: is it the music I like best or the musicians that perform it? The music is compellingly rich for sure, music that makes the home a resonant place to live in the same way that a dancing wood fire speaks to the eyes of the soul. But the music sings with a penetrating warmth because of the seasoned artistry of the musicians who perform it. I have to give the tilt to the musicians who will forever haunt me with the flickering flames of their performance.

A National Treasure.......2002-10-20

This meeting of musical minds was a stroke of creative matchmaking by RCA. James Galway, the renowned flutist blends but does not blur with two of American folk music's more deeply rooted musical thinkers -- Jay Ungar & Molly Mason. Right from the start, "My Cape Breton Home," the art and craftsmanship, the painstaking selection and arrangement is evident. And this CD continues to delight the mind with an hour of the most beautiful music. All tunes, whether old favorites, like Stephen Foster's "Gentle Annie," or new and original, like "West Texas Waltz" by Jay Ungar, come together as naturally as the confluence of many streams. It seems as if you know these songs so well, which in my case is surprising, but perhaps not so surprising from a CD with Jay Ungar on it, composer of the evocative song for all time, "Ashokan Farewell." This piece has become a de facto theme for millions of people who heard it played again and again in the Ken Burns documentary on The Civil War.

The instrumentation, as you might expect, is the main feature of the CD. Flute, fiddle, piano, mandolin, guitar. But at what seems to be exactly the right time, Molly Mason and Ruth Ungar (Jay's daughter) voices sing out in harmony. And there is a deep understanding of the music here too, and therefore, much beauty in the sound. The rendering of "Pretty Saro" could stand alone as a classic, but when you hear it in order and against the background meticulously prepared by these musicians, it has a presence that is truly haunting.

Tracks:

Ceilidh Trail School concert: reels
Port Hood Arena Dance: strathspeys and reels
Mabou Hall dance: reels
Scottish Concert: lament, strathspeys & reels
Glencoe Mills dance: jigs
Port Hood Arena dance: march, strathspeys & reels
Mabout Hall dance; jigs
Mabou ceilidh: strathspeys & reels
Brook Village dance: strathspey & reels
Port Hood Arena dance: jigs
Brook Village dance: reels
Ceilidh Trail School concert: strathspeys & reels

Amazon.com

In the 19th century, immigrants from Scotland settled on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, which, because of its geographical isolation, allowed the musical traditions of those first settlers to pass to future generations essentially free of outside influences. In the 1970s, people began to realize that many tunes, instrumental techniques, and dance steps that are extinct in Scotland were alive and thriving in Cape Breton. The Heart of Cape Breton, recorded in 2000, gathers some of the finest traditional fiddlers on Cape Breton, including Jerry Holland, Brenda Stubbert, Jackie Dunn MacIsaac, Buddy MacMaster, Wendy MacIsaac, and Kinnon Beaton. All of the tracks were recorded live at dances and concerts, and although you can occasionally hear the shuffle of dancing feet in the background, the sound only acts as a reminder that the masterful fiddling on the jigs, reels, strathspeys, and flings is designed to get you out of your chair and onto the dance floor. --Michael Simmons

Album Description

With a culture deeply influenced by 19th century Scottish emigration, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, is widely celebrated for its fiddle music. Profoundly rooted in old Scottish tradition, the music is increasingly moving to center stage in the contemporary Celtic revival, as seen in the popularity of Cape Breton fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac. This CD features some of the best known and most admired Cape Breton fiddlers, with piano and guitar accompaniment in the island's distinct style. The sound of the island is alive in these exciting performances, recorded live at dances and concerts in Cape Breton during the summer of 2000. This is the real thing-- master fiddlers playing in the heart of the tradition, along the Ceilidh Trail.

Customer Reviews:

Feels like you're in Cape Breton!.......2002-03-03

Being a fan of Cape Breton Fiddle Music, I always enjoy hearing performers in concert. The energy of a live show just can't be matched as a fiddler's performance is greatly influenced by the audience, the venue, the atmosphere, etc. There are numerous fiddle CD's on the market, yet it's difficult to capture that live sound in studio when recording. Well, there's now a CD available that was recorded live in Cape Breton, known around the world as one of the best places to hear fiddle music. This recording is "The Heart of Cape Breton: Fiddle Music Recorded Live Along The Ceilidh Trail."

The "Ceilidh Trail" is what Route 19, along the west coast of Cape Breton in Inverness County, is referred to as. There are probably more musicians in this area's population than anywhere else in the world. Natalie MacMaster, The Rankins and Ashley MacIsaac were all born and raised in this area.

In the summer of 2000, Burt Feintuch & Pete Reiniger, spent a week in Cape Breton recording several musicians at dances, arenas, and concerts in Inverness County for a Smithsonian Folkways Recording.

The venues recorded at include the Ceilidh Trail School, the Port Hood Arena, the Mabou Hall, the Broad Cove Scottish Concert, the Glencoe Mills Hall and the Brook Village Hall. The recordings include the sound of audiences dancing at the Glencoe Mills Hall and the sound of a caller at the Mabou Hall.

We hear some of the best known and admired Cape Breton fiddlers as well as the Cape Breton style of piano and guitar accompaniment. The performers include Brenda Stubbert, Brian Doyle, Richard Wood, Jackie Dunn-MacIsaac, Wendy MacIsaac, Kinnon & Betty Lou Beaton, Jerry Holland, Allan Dewar, Buddy MacMaster and Joey Beaton.

The rhythm, drive and energy of these musicians comes across in this wonderfully put together recording. For those unfamiliar with the island and its history, there are extensive notes in the CD booklet, which is quite rare to find these days. As well as the history of the island, the musicians background is included as well as a list of the tunes played in each set.

Reels, strathspeys, jigs - this is dance music at its best. You can even hear the dancers feet in the background. In the summer you can find a dance every night of the week in the communities around the island - some people even pack in more than one dance a night!

One of the venues recorded at was the Ceilidh Trail School. This school is located in Inverness and every summer offers instruction in the Cape Breton style of fiddle, piano and guitar. In this particular week, Brenda Stubbert, Richard Wood and Brian Doyle were the teachers.

The Port Hood Arena is a relatively new venue for dancers and Wendy MacIsaac & Jackie Dunn-MacIsaac were the performers on this evening. We hear them first in a set that was played while visitors were coming into the venue and then later on we hear them performing for the dancers.

It used to be in Cape Breton that there would be callers for the dancers but nowadays it's usually just the musicians on the stage and the dancers on the floor doing the sets that are engrained in their feet. However, on this particular evening we hear Own D. Gillis prompting a dance at the Mabou Hall with Kinnon & Betty Lou Beaton performing.

Besides the summer dances, there are also annual concerts. One of these is the Broad Cove Scottish Concert, just outside of Inverness. Jerry Holland & Allan Dewar were captured live in this setting. Starting off with a lament, composed by Jerry, the energy then picks up with some strathspeys and reels.

If you're a fan of the music, you will recognize many of the tunes, as they can be heard being played on the world stage by performers such as Natalie MacMaster. But they can also have the same energy on the small stages back home.

One of the most popular dance venues in Cape Breton is the Glencoe Mills Hall, which for people from away, seems like it's in the middle of nowhere. If you saw Natalie MacMaster's recent CBC TV special, she describes how to get to this hall and they show her performing here. On this CD, her uncle Buddy MacMaster is featured on fiddle along with Joey Beaton on piano.

Over 70 minutes of live music, this CD is a brief, accurate look at what you'd hear if you spent a summer on the west coast of Cape Breton. This CD is the real thing - the real music in its real setting.

My Heart Soars: A Canadian Celebration of Life, Laughter, Love and Praise
Average customer rating:
My Heart Soars: A Canadian Celebration of Life, Laughter, Love and Praise

Manufacturer: Marquis Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Electronic | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music | Computer
General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003WHS
Release Date: 2007-01-08

Tracks:

I'se the B'y
The Blooming Bright Star Of Belle Isle
Song for the Mira
Cape Breton Lullaby
Away from the Roll of the Sea
Four Songs of Early Canada: Ah! Si Mon Moine Voulait Danser
Four Songs of Early Canada: The Wreck Of The Steamship Ethie
Four Songs of Early Canada: Morning Star
Four Songs of Early Canada: Savory, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Moments In Time: Laughter
Moments In Time: Clouds
Moments In Time: Orders
Moments In Time: A Spider Danced A Cosy Jig
Moments In Time: Moments In Time
Keewaydin
The Blue Eye of God
Pie Jesu
My Heart Soars
Cantate Domino

Amazon.com

Some children's choirs achieve a professional level of performance, and among these the Toronto Children's Chorus is at the top of the list. This disc's subtitle says it all--after listening to this celebration your heart will truly soar. This is a virtuoso program of modern works that demands--and delivers--exceptional intonation, keen rhythmic sense, and well-developed vocal technique and musicianship. --David Vernier

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