Search - De Dannan, De Danann :: Ballroom

De Dannan has always had a penchant for pop. What other traditional Irish band would recast "Bohemian Rhapsody" as an instrumental suite for tin whistle, fiddle, and accordion as they did on their CD Hibernian Rhapsody? But on Ballroom De Dannan put aside their inclination toward the contemporary in favor of a nostalgic, melancholy mood. A combination of dance tunes and songs, the CD is conceived as an elegy for the dance halls that were once the center of music making and socializing in small Irish towns. The jigs and reels are played with the verve that has come to characterize De Dannan, while the waltzes have a sweet, wistful feel. The songs of emigration and loss, beautifully sung by Dolores Keane, are poignant reminders of the hard choices the Irish have made to survive. --Michael Simmons