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HYN or `This' is composed of traditional, lively, mostly love songs. Linda Owen Jones, Rhian Evan Jones, James Rourke, Antwn Owne Hicks, and Simon O'Shea provide the vocalizations in Welsh as well as instrumentation on fiddles, flutes, whistles, violas, cellos, hornpipes, bagpipes, brodhran, drums, guitars, and mandola. One lass refuses to see her true love because he is a sailor who constantly breaks her heart by sailing away.
Sometimes a women bewitches a man, sometimes the grass bewitches cattle (like a woman who bewitches men). `Afon Yr Haf' or `The Summer River' is a blissful instrumental evoking visions of green valleys and pastures in the Welsh countryside. Each song is a short tale and many of them are told with a poignant twist.
Yet another song is sung by a soldier departing his beloved town in Wales.The `Mari Lwyd' or Grey Mare, a tale of a singing competition involving a horse's skull decorated with a sheet of ribbons and a pub on New Year's Eve, is sung choral style reflecting the ancient oral tradition of Wales. In one song, the woman is a spinster who won't get a husband until she attends the Bala fair. In another `Dau Rosyn Coch' or `Two Red Roses', a poor lass has no dowry.
`Lief Harlech' or `Harlech's Cry' is a rousing instrumental with echoes of Brittany. This is a beautiful and melodic collection of old tunes, and as pretty a set of voices as I've ever heard.
The guitar, whistle and fiddle work are simply incredible. This is by far the best work of Carreg Lafar. Finally, the groups harmony in "Mari Lwyd" will send chills down your spine. Ysbryd y Werin released around 1995 was a great first effort, but Hyn is by far the best of the best. The music seems to flow effortlessly from the first song to the last.Linda Owens Jones sounds absolutely fantastic in track 10 "Dau Rosyn Coch/Mynd Am Dro" I'd buy this CD just to hear this song along with the beautifully arranged instrumental "Afon Yr Haf (The Summer River). I just wish this song was longer than 1:47. I also enjoyed listening to the whistle and guitar work along with Linda's amazing vocals on track 2"Os Daw FY Nghariad"I could go on and on but let me end by saying this CD is a must for any Celtic Collection
This album is a powerful and well-balanced representation of the group's work. I heard the group in person, when they appeared in Seattle, and then listened to the album, and the album does represent them fairly. The group presents traditional Welsh music with a few modern twists that are innovative, but not intrusive. I strongly recommend this album to anyone who is interested in Welsh music.
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