You may remember my post about my friends' album of Christmas music called Eventide Lullaby. Well, Seasons is back with another just-released CD, this time with an Irish theme. Seasons is a group of three siblings - Mary-Kate Spring, Peter Winter, and Mary-Theresa Summer and no, I don't know if their parents had a band name in mind when they named them. They are joined by many of their fellow musical homeschooled cousins and friends -actually, a number of them are college students now, but once a homeschooler, always a homeschooler, right? Together they play a wonderful and varied happy melange of harp, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, Irish whistles and both a fiddle and a violin. There's also an ever changing array of vocals in collaborative and solo pieces alike.
The music of Which Way to Dublin Town is an eclectic mix as well. There are traditional Irish tunes like Planxty Hewlett and a rousing medley of Johnny Has Gone to France and Drowsy Maggie. There's also King of the Faeries, a couple of jigs, and the spirited Glory in the Meetinghouse on mandolin and bongos to get you up and dancing, or at least your pencil tapping if you're stuck at your desk. Intermingled with the these energetic pieces are some that soften the mood like Speic Seoigheach and Caitlin Trail that really highlight the beauty of the harp and hammered dulcimer.
Some of the songs have vocals as well, such as Farewell to Liverpool and Kateri's favorite (start 'em young on Yeats!) - the lovely Red is the Rose/Down by the Salley Gardens. The harmonies on Paidir Eireann, the traditional Irish blessing set to the tune of Come Thou Fount are particularly beautiful - I like to think it's because the love that this trio of brother, sister and their mother have for each other comes through on every note.
Mixed in with all of this tradition are two sets of original lyrics. Dalriada is a haunting ballad telling the story of St. Patrick and what he may have felt like being kidnapped as a young boy, concluding beautifully with words from the Lorica. And you'll have to forgive Eliza for being a little biased but her favorite seems to be The Helmsman, adapted from a portion of St. Fautina's Diary. She gets me every time she sings along, belting out Sail on, sail on, Sail on along, Fear not the storms or the evil one, For God will guide your hand. Sail on, sail on, Sail on along, Fix your course and remain strong, Sail on with all her heart. It is always a beautiful and efficacious thing to have the words of the saints set to music, making it so easy for their wisdom and encouragement to be continuously wafting through our minds, comforting our spirits and turning out hearts to God.
You can find out more about this very talented group of musicians at their website. You can listen to samples of their music and they have CD's available for purchase as well. If you decide to buy a CD, you can tell them Eliza sent you. :-)