Patrick Ball - Celtic Harp 4: O'Carolan's Dream (1989)

Patrick Ball - Celtic Harp 4: O'Carolan's Dream (1989)
EAC Rip | APE, image+cue, log / 232 mb | MP3 CBR 320Kbps / 114 mb | 13 tracks | Covers
Celtic / Irish Folk | Fortuna Records 17061-2 | RAR 3% Rec. | Time: 45:43 | FileSonic, FileServe

O'Carolan's Dream is Patrick Ball's fourth collection of tunes composed by the 18th-century Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan. As on the previous volumes, Ball plays these lovely melodies on the wire strung, an instrument that fell into disuse in the late 18th century and was revived in the middle of the 20th century. The wire-strung harp is louder and has longer sustain than modern gut-strung harps. But because he believed that O'Carolan's music should be played on the same sort of instrument on which it was composed, Ball became one of the first musicians to master it in almost 200 years...




O'Carolan's Dream is Patrick Ball's fourth collection of tunes composed by the 18th-century Irish harper Turlough O'Carolan. As on the previous volumes, Ball plays these lovely melodies on the wire strung, an instrument that fell into disuse in the late 18th century and was revived in the middle of the 20th century. The wire-strung harp is louder and has longer sustain than modern gut-strung harps. But because he believed that O'Carolan's music should be played on the same sort of instrument on which it was composed, Ball became one of the first musicians to master it in almost 200 years. This is not just an exercise in early-music correctness. The bell-like tone of the brass strings gives the slower tunes a haunting resonance and the quicker tunes an invigorating clangor that modern harps just can't match. Bands such as the Chieftains may have been among the first to revive the melodies of Turlough O'Carolan, but Patrick Ball has shown us how the music would have sounded when it was originally composed. Michael Simmons, Amazon


The lilting, crystalline tone of the Celtic harp must be one of the most joyful sounds in mankind's history. The harp originated a thousand years ago in ancient Ireland; it shone through the age of the bards and brought hope during long years of occupation and oppression. As it is a challenging instrument to play well, nearly two centuries ago the wire-strung Celtic harp was abandoned in favor of the easier to play, more subdued gut-strung neo-Irish harp. Patrick Ball would not let that sweet voice fall silent. He brings to audiences world-wide the ancient Celtic harp that "has always been loved and celebrated by the Irish people for its mystical power to enchant them, to draw them into realms beyond thought, and to refresh their spirit." That is exactly what Patrick Ball accomplishes in these five sparkling recordings. Listeners are enchanted by his performances. They are drawn to the emotional portrait that Patrick paints with each piece, romantic, melancholy or jubilant. Although Patrick is a delightful storyteller with words, these instrumental works tell their own stories, requiring nothing more than Patrick's fingernails deftly plucking the brass strings of his beautifully crafted harp. The harp he plays is a re-creation of the ancient Celtic instrument, lovingly crafted by master harp builder Jay Witcher of Houlton, Maine, who has made it his life's work to allow the sound of the great instrument to live again. Patrick Ball pays his greatest tribute to the legendary Turlough O'Carolan, a blind, itinerant harper who wandered the Irish countryside at the turn of the eighteenth century, playing for wealthy landowners. O'Carolan was witty, a prolific composer and a genius on the Celtic harp. It is little wonder that Patrick Ball has included O'Carolan's brilliant tunes in each of his first four volumes. Amazon




The melodic sounds of the wire-strung Irish harp have been revived by San Francisco-born harper Patrick Ball. Performing on a harp based on an ancient Celtic instrument and built by master harp builder Jay Wircher of Houlton, Maine, Ball has become one of the leading interpreters of the music of Turlough O'Carolan, an 18th-century Irish harpist and composer. Although Irish music is the heart of Ball's repertoire, his albums and performances have also included traditional songs from Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Brittany, Belgium and England.

The son of an attorney, Ball was encouraged to follow in his father's footsteps. Although he studied piano and guitar as a youngster, he continued to study law at college. His attention, however, became increasingly distracted by a growing interest in the work of Irish poets, songwriters and novelists. When his father died, Ball was freed from his obligation to become a lawyer. Leaving school, he traveled to Ireland to experience the country's oral tradition. While there, he became fascinated with the Irish harp.

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