by Catherine L. Tully

Artist: Darren Raleigh
Album: "Silverwheel"
Year produced: 2007

This is the simplest of CDs in one way--just a man and his harp--no frills. Yet Darren Raleigh manages to keep things interesting enough to hold your attention well for the entire 10 tracks on his album, "Silverwheel". This is squarely in the Celtic genre, and those who enjoy a good harp will feel satisfied after giving this a listen.

Raleigh takes his music very seriously, and considers himself a story teller as well as a musician. He has led a very interesting life, which undoubtedly has contributed to his music, and has done things such as travel as a street harper and participate in Renaissance Fairs around the country. Raleigh studied music as a child, returning to it later in life and finding his passionate spirit best reflected in the tones of the harp.

The tracks here vary from sprightly to sentimental, and the musicianship is quite good. Vocals are less frequent than the sound of the strings, which isa nice emphasis in that you just get to listen to the man play. What couldbe too much harp for some will be a welcome amount for those who love this instrument's sound--it is the centerpiece of the album and is pure as can be.

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Catherine L. Tully is a freelance writer and photographer who specializes in the arts. She has written for American Style and Classical Singer, among other magazines, and reviews music for Marc Gunn's Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. You can reach her through her website at www.catherineltully.com.

Labels: cd_review_2008

Posted by Marc Gunn, Thursday, January 31, 2008.
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