Mother: Songs Celebrating Mothers & Motherhood

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
As mothers we would kill or die for our children. As daughters we learn from our mothers to love with ferocity, navigate long division and city streets, to apply lipstick and plow gardens, and build lives that are beautiful and strong. And as we together grow gray, mature into our aging bodies, and weather the various storms of life, we depend on one another, often reversing the role of caretaker, holding fast when one precedes the other in death. This tender cyclical relationship is chronicled on Mother: Songs Celebrating Mothers and Motherhood by singers Susan McKeown and Cathie Ryan and contemporary New Age pianist Robin Speilberg, each of whom draws on her own evolving experiences. Mother is a lovely record of Celtic traditionals, lullabies, and original compositions: Spielberg's keys are as clear and bright as a full moon, Ryan's sweetly expressive soprano bounces and reverberates like a dance, and McKeown's warm throaty tones are an aural embrace. --Paige La Grone

Mother: Songs Celebrating Mothers & Motherhood,Susan McKeown,Cathie Ryan,Robin Spielberg,North Star,Alternative Pop/Rock,Celtic Folk,Contemporary Celtic,Irish,New Age / Meditation,Pop

Tracks:

Mother Of Mine
Rock Me To Sleep, Mother
Walk With Me
Peata Beag Do Mhathar
Ancient Mother
Jennie's Song
Circle Of Life
Grandma's Song
Mother's Celebration
Real Pretty Mama
Seothin Seo-H-O
Thanks
A Song For Jennie
Baby's Lullaby

Amazon.com

As mothers we would kill or die for our children. As daughters we learn from our mothers to love with ferocity, navigate long division and city streets, to apply lipstick and plow gardens, and build lives that are beautiful and strong. And as we together grow gray, mature into our aging bodies, and weather the various storms of life, we depend on one another, often reversing the role of caretaker, holding fast when one precedes the other in death. This tender cyclical relationship is chronicled on Mother: Songs Celebrating Mothers and Motherhood by singers Susan McKeown and Cathie Ryan and contemporary New Age pianist Robin Speilberg, each of whom draws on her own evolving experiences. Mother is a lovely record of Celtic traditionals, lullabies, and original compositions: Spielberg's keys are as clear and bright as a full moon, Ryan's sweetly expressive soprano bounces and reverberates like a dance, and McKeown's warm throaty tones are an aural embrace. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

Great background music for my classroom.......2004-05-17

I recently purchased two of Robin's cds at a conference at my Alumni. There I had the privledge of hearing her play live, and I just fell in love with the feeling. I use the "Mother" cd as naptime music, and the toddlers in my class just love it. I had actually taken it home and when I didn't have it to play for them several of the children asked for the "Mommy songs." I find myself humming along during my tasks as the children nap, and I always look forward to putting the music on. This is a great purchase!!

Mother; A Celebration of Motherhood.......2000-10-09

I received this CD as a gift when I adopted my son, and feel that it touches me each time I hear it. Having Celtic ties, it is even more special. I have now found a great Christmas gift for anyone who is a mother or will be a mother. I highly recommend it for anyone (especially women) who enjoy lullabies and comforting melodious celtic tunes. MKThomas, Jupiter, Fl

a real treat!.......2000-02-16

this cd just takes me away every time! in it i can feel the celtic blood of my ancestors beating through my heart, and now i know that i am closer to my great grandparents singing in the streets of Ireland. thank you to the artists who made this all come alive!

from Wind and Wire, Issue 11.......2000-01-27

This collaboration between Irish singer/songwriters Susan McKeown and Cathie Ryan, and pianist/composer Robin Spielberg is a celebration of motherhood "for anyone who has ever had a mother, is a mother, or is likely to become a mother!" I'm not sure "Mother"'s appeal will be quite that universal, but since most of the songs have a Celtic feel to them, it should fit into the broad popularity of that genre. All but five of the fourteen tracks are vocals - some of the lyrics are in English, some in Irish; one is a haunting Native American poem translated into Gaelic, "Ancient Mother". All of the vocals have a traditional, "folkie" feel to them, and although this is a celebratory CD, some of the lyrics are tragic or sad - especially "Jennie's Song" and "Rock Me to Sleep, Mother". I know, life is like that!

Robin Spielberg is one of my favorite composers, and, for me, her instrumental contributions are the strongest tracks on the CD. "Walk With Me", "Circle of Life", and "Mother's Celebration" are new, and all are beautiful. Robin also included her tribute to her grandmother, "A Song For Jennie", and wrote a new arrangement of "Amy's Lullaby" with lyrics and a new title, "Baby's Lullaby" (sung by Cathie Ryan) - a very tender and gentle lullaby. "Real Pretty Mama", which is a cute tribute to her own mother, marks Robin's debut as a singer/songwriter!

This is a very interesting project that covers a lot of musical territory as well as many of the various aspects of motherhood and family relationships. The liner notes are full of photos from the three women's childhoods (with their mothers), and the lyrics as well as the backgrounds of the pieces are included. It makes a very nice package.

One Song Worth the Price.......1999-09-25

Just to be able to hear "Rock Me to Sleep, Mother" is reason enough to purchase the CD. It's exquisite in every sense.

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