Perhaps because of the simplicity of its design, the harp is one of the few instruments that shows up in the musical history of just about every culture around the world (the same is understandably true of the drum, and, perhaps less understandably, the bagpipes). This delightful collection brings together tunes and players from a wide variety of traditions and regions: Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, even Estonia. The selections are taken from 11 previously released Dorian titles by such artists as Carol Thompson,
Kim Robertson, the Ensemble Alcatraz, and
Chatham Baroque, and they range in style and period from 13th century Galician love songs ("Rosa das Rosas") to Nordic folk tunes ("Miks ei Mulle Tulnud") and traditional Welsh melodies played on the bray harp, an instrument that buzzes like a sitar ("Kaingk Dafydd Broffwyd"). All of the albums from which this collection is drawn are worth seeking out on their own, but The Eternal Harp also gives a worthy overview on its own. ~ Rick Anderson