Music On The Wind: Selected Pieces 1983-2003 (Celtic Harp)

Patrick Ball has a reputation as a new age player, but he's so much more as this career retrospective covering 20 years shows. He's an outstanding interpreter of the work of the great Irish harpist and composer O'Carolan, playing the work with a deftness and sensitivity that brings out both the lyricism and the rhythm in the music. But he's equally at home with traditional music, such as his version of Burns' "Auld Lang Syne" (which by now must be considered traditional), or "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair." While there's a preponderance of Irish pieces here (and specifically O'Carolan), that's understandable, given Ball's love of the Emerald Isle. And, frankly, he's as good and incisive as any Irish harper, with a gorgeous tone and wonderful feel. When he's reflective, there's a breathtaking solemnity in the music, and his technique is assured throughout, with wonderful, clear fingering. It may be that you don't need all of Ball's work, unless you're a harp junkie. But this is definitely essential — not just for Ball, but for Irish music.