Celtic Airs – Barry Douglas

   in Piano International (Mar, 2017)
Evocative and beautifully realised, this is a terrifically life-enhancing collection of folk arrangements by the pianist Barry Douglas,. Eimear McGeown is a superb Irish flautist, and her own medley that kicks off the collection is absolutely beautiful.

Wistful melodies are inevitable in compilations such as this: Brendan’s Air is a soulful thing of beauty, while Douglas’ solo piano take on The Foggy Dew rises to a Rachmaninov-like, granitic climax. Some arrangements allow Douglas’ virtuosity to fly (The Fields of Athenry). But it is the sounds of Chris Stout’s fiddle and Catriona McKay’s Scottish harp that give the collection its flavour of authenticity.

A companion to the Chandos disc Celtic Reflections, …