Celtic Moods

A rather ambient set of Celtic music is presented on Celtic Moods, culled from the previous releases on ARC, a few new pieces from ARC stable musicians with talents in the Celtic realm, and a few licensed works from Glasgow's Klub label. The album opens up with a member of the Golden Bough group playing the fiddle, then moves into a more relaxed "musical greeting" from Aryeh Frankfurter's harp (the harp will become probably the most important instrument to the mood as the album progresses). Pipers make up the third main variable of the album, as evidenced by Barbara Gray, Ann Gray, Fred Morrison, and others. The sounds here are -- almost to the last -- slower, more relaxed, and certainly more reflective. Celtic music has multiple moods that listeners take to: the slow, pensive sounds of harp and pipe, such as this album; the quick reels and jigs on fiddle and accordion; the eclectic modern sounds incorporating both. This album will really only please those looking specifically for the first grouping of Celtic styles. The music is well performed all around, but not terribly pulse-raising. The purpose here, fulfilled, is to provide a quiet piece of ambient instrumental music as accompaniment for the day. ~ Adam Greenberg|