Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'

Subject: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Peace
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 11:09 AM

'Silverwheel is the long awaited first offering that answers the question, "You got a CD?"

It is Darren's interpretation of the work of the ancient Celtic bard: one man and one harp only. In ancient Celtic thought the Silverwheel was a metaphor for the place where the soul rests between lives.

In Silverwheel Darren sings selections from the emotional range of a human lifetime: an innocent youth hopes to win the love of his "Cavan Girl," and an old man recalls his lost home in "The Rare Oul' Times." A poor farm labourer recalls how his life changed at the "Hiring Fair," and a man recalls the simple joy that was "The Summer Before the War."

His Celtic harp solos range from the simple lightness of "Carolan's Quarrel with the Landlady," to the sentimentality of "When My False Love Was True," and from the spooky "Song of the Water Kelpie" to the wrenching "Carolan's Farewell to Music."

A California native, Darren has lived largely by his wits, having been at various times an Shakespearean actor, a secretary for Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and an explosives technician. He's traveled as a street harper, supported by the magic hat.

Having been trained in music as a child, he returned to it after being introduced to the music of Stan Rogers and of Patrick Ball – at almost the same time. Faced with the choice of a guitar or a Celtic harp, he took the road less-traveled-by, and has never looked back.

Adding his theatre training to his harp experience, he is a professional storyteller also, and has told stories and played the harp at the Philosophical Research Society and the Western Gateway Medicine Gathering in California and at the Two Rivers Storytelling Festival in Iowa.'

http://cdbaby.com/cd/darrenraleigh

Well, folks, this is a new CD that will reach any heart that wants to get in touch with itself.

I 'met' Darren on Mudcat when he was searching for a song, and he mentioned in passing that he had a CD coming out soon. And what a CD it is! It would be terrible understatement to say that "he's a little bit good." He is lots good. It is evident he understands the Celtic tradition and the music tradition that derives from it. He's a modest, polite, intelligent guy whose musical interpretations are thoughtful and masterful (and with any luck at all I hope to get him to back a few folk-rock songs).

The site linked above is to CD Baby where the CD is available at the modest price of $13.00. There are sound samples you can listen to. His work is beautiful. The CD title list is as follows.

1 Cavan Girl
2 Carolan's Quarrel with the Landlady
3 When My False Love was True
4 Hiring Fair
5 The Song of the Water Kelpie
6 The Rare Oul' Times
7 Planxty Irwin
8 The Summer Before the War
9 Carolan's Receipt for Drinking
10 Carolan's Farewell to Music

Up front, a buck and change per song to hear a master at work is the best deal you're gonna get in these times. His singing and harp playing complement each other with taste and class. This is a CD that collectors will want to have on their shelves. The man is an actor, but he's not acting on the CD, neither in his singing nor in his playing.

Darren, I sincerely wish you success after success with this beautiful work of art. In long-winded vernacular, "Ya done good." In short-winded slang, WOW!

Bruce Murdoch

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Peace
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 11:34 AM

http://cdbaby.com/cd/darrenraleigh

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Emma B
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 11:46 AM

Thanks Bruce, beautiful harp playing.

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Amos
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 11:51 AM

Darren:

You must have some power to make ole Bruce jump and holler like that!! Well done!!


A

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Peace
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 12:55 PM

Please note that the top half of the 'review' is from the CD Baby site.

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Azizi
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 08:52 PM

The Celtic harp has a beautiful, soothing sound. Darren also has a nice, soothing quality to his voice. I like all the instrumental samples on that website, but I particularly like #7 "Planxty Irwin".

I wish you much success with this CD, Darren!

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 02:23 PM

Yes Darren has made a great synthesis of folksong and a complex music style. I think his very polished skillful approach will enable people to appreciate material, which often gets obscured by attempts at ethnicity.

The recordings are of a high quality, and capture the fact he has a wonderful touch as a musician. Such a relationship of singer and instrument is only born of great talent and much hard work.

I join with other mudcatters in wishing him a great success.

all the best

al

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Peace
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 04:41 PM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Nerd
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 01:36 PM

I particularly like the harp playing on the Carolan tunes; and I've always loved that Manx tune about the water kelpie! Good going, Darren...

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Darren Raleigh
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 01:36 PM

Thank you all so much! I am really going to love being a folkie - you folks are just the best! By the way, I just got this from Bob Dorr, who runs a show on Iowa Public Radio called, "Down on the Corner":

"Your piece Planxty Irwin will air on Down On The Corner, 11/23 at 10pm and a
recap of your note will happen a little after 10:10pm. You're the first HARP
player that I can recall ever playing on that show! Altho' it's not the
normal sound of the program, expect a few more spins in the weeks to follow.
I'll also make Karen Impola, the folk show host, aware of your disc. BTW,
that song is rebroadcast 11/24 at 3am and 11/28 at 1am...Bob Dorr-KUNI"

Is that cool or what? I also sent a copy of the CD to Gerry Goodfriend who runs Folk Directions in Montreal. That was on the advice of Bruce Murdoch. We'll see what happens. It's all good!

Subject: RE: Review: Darren Raleigh: 'Silverwheel'
From: Peace
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 02:12 PM

Best of luck with it, Darren.