by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Renaissance Festival Podcast and Modern Bard
Album: "The Circle ~ A Renaissance Festival compilation CD benefiting Hurricane Katrina Relief"
Year produced: 2006

Hurricane Katrina devastated this country, and Bob Brinkman (Modern Bard) and Marc Gunn (Renaissance Festival Podcast/Celtic MP3s Music Magazine) joined forces with a variety of top Renaissance festival musicians to raise money for the Red Cross for those affected by the storm. The result is a terrific CD with variety that is uplifting and packed with songs-22 to be exact.

The list of bands is astounding: Seelie Court, Fugli, The Muses, Marooned, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Empty Hats, E Muzeki, Howl-o, Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats, The Bilge Pumps, Queen's Gambit, Vash, Dogs in Doublets, Bedlam Bards, The Cheshire Singers, Cantiga, 3 Pints Gone, The Rogues, Djilia Phralengo, Three Quarter Ale, Rillian and the Doxie Chicks, and of course, the Brobdingnagian Bards themselves.

The CD is breathtaking, with some tracks that are so intense (The Rogues-Pressed For Time) that it honestly brings a tear to your eye. Others will bring a laugh (Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats-Furagone's Wake) or make you want to get up and dance wildly (E Muzeki-Unknown Gypsy Dance), but every one of these songs is spectacular-those are just some highlights. Compilation discs are usually good, but if you are a fan of this style of music, you just can't miss this one-and the fact that it is all for a good cause makes it that much better.

You can't really pick a favorite, since there are so many bands and styles, it is really like getting a goodie bag. The best thing is that no matter what type of Celtic music you like, it is here. I liked them all . . .

If you are interested - go to RenaissanceFestivalMusic.com to check it out. If you like what you hear, you can order it right there.

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer specializing in the arts. She has written for Dance Teacher Magazine, Classical Singer and Dance Spirit among others, and reviews music for Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her at www.freelance-zone.com.

Labels: cd_review_2006

Posted by Marc Gunn, Wednesday, February 01, 2006.
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