Search - Alison Kinnaird :: The Silver String: Music and Imagery of the Scottish Harp (CD + DVD)

Great set

Pink Noodle | Duncanville, TX USA | 02/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Featuring Alison on the gut and wire string Scottish harps and on the cello, and her guests:



Christine Primrose (vocals); Alasdair White (fiddle, whistle); Mike Katz (whistle); Robin Morton (concertina); Ann Heymann, Charlie Heymann.



Also includes a bonus DVD featuring Alison's visual artwork, as well as musical performances.



Dirty Linen (p.52) - "Rarely have such ancient themes been so successfully meshed with modern images, techniques, and technology. This is truly a groundbreaking project, fully realized with great artistry."



All Music Guide review:

The Silver String shows that there's more to Alison Kinnaird than music. Along with the CD there's also a DVD detailing her exquisite work with glass (there's also footage of her playing both harp and cello). The CD illustrates the breadth of her musical abilities. Featuring her on three different kinds of harp -- the gut-string, the clarsach, and the most remarkable bray harp -- on a mix of traditional and original material. She's helped out by a couple of members of the Battlefield Band, along with Ann Heyman, who often plays harp with her, and vocalist Christine Primrose. Certainly the most interesting piece is her own "Psalmsong," a recent composition for an art installation where Kinnaird plays the glass to unusual effect. It all adds to the album's diversity and beauty. The focus is very much on the traditional, however, and Kinnaird brings a full quarter-century of experience as a Scots harpist to bear on the material, giving each tune a jewel-like, thoughtful setting. A wonderful disc indeed. Chris Nickson



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