Above the Tower, by Magical Strings

Above the Tower

by Magical Strings

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1.	Above the Tower 03:46	buy track
2.	Balloon Odyssey 08:48	buy track
3.	The Unicorn Suite 09:16	buy track
4.	The Maiden Medley 04:38	buy track
5.	Swan's Lament 03:07	buy track
6.	Lady Dillon - Mrs. Edwards 03:26	buy track
7.	The Rye Medley 03:47	buy track
8.	Song of the Albatross 05:14	buy track

about

Inspired in part by Ireland's magnificent Cliffs of Moher, a theme of elevation permeates this largely original album with a meditative mood. "...a masterpiece!"
- The Knoxville Journal

“...strong, brilliant and full of life.”
- Option Magazine

“Using wire- and nylon-strung Celtic harps of their own construction, they make some of the most beguiling music around.”
- Audio Magazine

“ ... a sweet thing it is. ...ethereal.... majestic .... robustly rendered .... irresistibly danceable... Above the Tower should help further the already blossoming Magical Strings career .... and promises more for the future.”
- The Seattle Times

credits

released January 1, 1985

℗ © 1985, Flying Fish Records, Inc.
Produced by Micheal O Domhnaill
Engineered by Tom Hall
Recorded January, 1985, at Triad Studios
Photography by Dale Blindheim
All arrangements and original compositions by Philip and Pam Boulding

The wire- and nylon-strung Celtic harps and the hammered dulcimers used for this album were designed and crafted by Philip and Pam Boulding. Pam plays the hammered dulcimer and field organ. Philip plays the harps and whistles, and the second hammered dulcimer on “Mrs. Edwards” and “Nora Crionna.”

“The Maiden Medley” contains three tunes found in The Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards, edited by Edward Jones, 1784: “Dewis Meiwen” (The Maiden’s Choice), “Syr Harri Ddu” (Black Sir Harry) and “Dilyn Serch” (On the Path of Love).

The “Rye Medley” begins with “Reaping the Rye,” goes into the Carolan tune “Mary O’Neill” and finishes with “Nora Crionna,” a lively jig.

Our thanks to Randal Bays for his fiddle work on “Mary O’Neill” and to Seth Blair for his cello playing and Paul Smith for his arranging ideas on the “Balloon Odyssey.” Many thanks to all those friends who have so generously supported our music and our children. Special thanks to O Domhnaill and Dale Blindheim.

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about

Magical Strings Seattle, Washington

Philip and Pam Boulding form the core of Magical Strings, creating their singular sound with Celtic harps and hammered dulcimers of their own design and construction since 1978. Their lush mix of traditional Celtic and original music infused with classical/world music influences is supplemented by virtuosic multi-instrumentality on whistles, accordion, concertina, guitar, piano, valiha and more. ... more