[.ca] In My Prime

From Amazon.com:
On In My Prime, Niamh Parsons delivers a gift of a dozen ballads, including old ones such as "Lakes of Coolfin," "Bold Doherty," and "Black Is the Colour" and new ones written in the old style by Andy Stewart, Alan Bell, and Sean McCarthy. Parsons, who was the singer with the traditional Celtic bands Arcady and Loose Connections, has opted for a simple, unadorned backup for these songs, all of which are sung in English. She remembers ballads are sung stories and that too many instruments can get in the way of telling the tale. Parsons's dusky alto sounds particularly fine on "In My Prime," an a cappella duet with her sister Anne Parsons-Dunne, and "Annan Waters," which she performs as a solo without accompaniment. In the past, songs like these were sung without backup, and because there are no instruments to offer support or to cover mistakes, they are the ultimate test of the traditional singer's craft. The singing of Niamh Parsons passes the test with full marks. --Michael Simmons

in her prime, indeed:
Like its predecessor Blackbirds and Thrushes, In My Prime is an appealingly unaffected, straightforward collection of mostly traditional songs from Ireland's vast repertoire, with emphasis on Niamh (pronounced Neeve) Parsons's calm, capable vocals. In other words, no evidence of the Phil Spectorish production which -- I may be being unduly optimistic here -- seems to be falling out of favor among Celtic-music revivalists. It's just guitar, mandolin, piano, accordion, and bass, and often not even these. Parsons can deliver an unaccompanied ballad just fine, and when she's dueting with her sister Anne Parsons-Dunne (as in the title song and the venerable Child ballad "Two Sisters"), you're entering heaven's Anglo-Celtic district. Nobody who does "Lakes of Coolfin" will ever hear a complaint from me about anything. And does anyone know when last in living memory "Black Is the Color" was recorded?

Very Lovely:
In My Prime sung with sister, Anne is very lovely, the harmony is beautiful and blends perfectly with the background drone. I liked Horo Johnny but thought it sounded a bit countryish. Orphan's Wedding is beautiful as is An Paistin Fionn. Two Sisters is sung acapella, but i liked the Clannad version better because they included lively music which is more fitting for this type of song. My favorite is probably Bold Doherty because it is so much fun to sing! Overall, this is a great C.D.

In depth ballad singing.:
These songs are all old ballads, some by well known writers and some are old traditional tunes. Niamh Parsons does very well at reviving these old tunes. She's learned these songs from recordings by famous artists like Clannad and also from meetings with fellow artists like Karan Casey and Frank Harte. She does very well at making the music sound so purely traditional, with no keyboard synthesis, and accompniant on instruments like the guitar, harmonica, accordian, fiddle, and sometimes piano. She also sings a cappella, where her strong alto takes a meaning of it's own. She also sings with her sister and together they bring very deep meaning to these old ballad songs. These songs come from throughout the British Isles, Ireland, Scottland, Wales, and England. Many deal with such themes as love, true love, lost love, and false love. It's for that reason that "When I Was In My Prime" is the perfect title track. This is a traditional English melody in which the flowers symblize virtues. The pink symbolizes curtesy, the violet is modesty, the red rose is true love, and the willow tree is sorrow. Niamh sings with a very beutiful drone. A similar version of this songs is known as "Seeds of Love", and one notable version is Loreena McKennitt's version. I shuold confess that my favorite song is the very sad, "Orphan's Wedding", where I so loved her voice and the moving harmonica. It does go to show that she can sing well both with instruments and without instruments. I could go on for a long time describing how wonderful she is at performing each and every one of these songs. It's music that can bring tears to the eyes. Lovers of old traditional music will feel right at home here, with the way the Niamh Parsons preserves the old ballads, sounding so pure in tradition.

Great cd!:
This is a much better cd than Niamh's previous one. Good selection of songs and excellent instrumental backing that does not overpower Niamh's wonderful rich voice. Not one "clunker" on the whole cd. Highly recommended to anyone who appreciates traditional music.

Good Stuff:
I really was enjoying this cd for awhile. Then I found me some Capercaillie. Now there is some awesome music!

• Bonny Woodhall
• Green Grass It Grows Bonny
• In My Prime
• Horo Johnny
• Annan Waters
• Orphan's Wedding
• Páistín Fionn
• Black Is the Color
• Two Sisters
• Lakes of Coolfin
• Bold Doherty
• So Here's to You