by Phil Hall

Artist: The Chieftains
Album: Celtic Wedding: Music of Brittany
Year Produced: 1998

With "Celtic Wedding," The Chieftains left the music traditions of Eire and celebrated the Breton Celtic heritage. The result is one of the Chieftains' finest recordings, bringing Brittany's rarely-heard Celtic sounds to full glory.

From the opening number, the hypnotic "Dans Mod Koh A Voad" (with its brilliantly asymmetrical rhythms) through the epic 20-minute "Celtic Wedding" closing number, this extraordinary production captures the flavor and spirit of Brittany's Celtic heritage. The Breton language spices two of the finest selections here: "A Breton Carol" ("What Noise on Earth") is an ancient Christmas meditation performed with haunting grace by Nolween Monjarret (the Chieftains would include this number later in their holiday recording "The Bells of Dublin"). The band's own Kevin Conneff wraps himself around the Breton language with "Ev Ev Chistr 'Ta, Laou!", a drinking song aimed to give praise to the glory of cider, which is described in the liner notes as the Breton national drink.

The instrumental numbers here are mostly dances, which the Chieftains perform with uncommon vigor and enthusiasm. The opening "Dans Mod Koh A Vod" is a ring dance from a small town called Baud and (according to the liner notes) it has not been practiced since 1950. "Dans-tro Fisel" is described as the "most difficult and tiring of all Breton dances." Whatever difficulties the dancers might be experiencing, the Chieftains sail through these numbers as if Breton blood was always flowing in their veins.

The climactic "Celtic Wedding" describes the marriage ritual from the bride receiving her bouquet as she leaves her parents' home to the newlyweds' bidding farewell to their wedding guests at their nuptial chamber. It is a fascinating mix of dances, marches, prayers and toasts which brilliantly capture the distinctive Celtic traditions of marriage Breton-style. If it was not classified as Celtic folk music, it could easily be considered classical in its rich depth and vast scope of holding a musical mirror to this most beautiful of ceremonies.

Sadly, the Chieftains never followed up with another Breton-flavored album. But even as a standalone, "Celtic Wedding" is a classic in the band's magnificent canon.


Find Celtic Harp Wedding Music here, or click here for Celtic Weddings and resources.

---

Celtic MP3s Music Magazine writer, Phil Hall is contributing editor for Film Threat, book editor for the New York Resident, author of "The Encyclopedia of Underground Movies" (MWP Books) and a proud child of Wales.

Labels: cd_review_2005

Posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, February 09, 2005.
New to Celtic MP3s Music Magazine? Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or sign up to get email updates. Find free Celtic music downloads from Marc Gunn!