Title : A Song of Home: An American Musical Journey
Author : Galway, James
Release Date : 20020924
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $18.98
Amazon.com Price : $10.99
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Buyer Reviews : 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.
I think anyone with a taste for the roots of American folk music will enjoy this CD. It has deepened my appreciation of the folk music of America and even the rural environment where I live in America. The art and craft are impeccable. 'A Song of Home' is from beginning to end, thoroughly enjoyable, much to think about, a heritage to keep.
