“It's a reviewer's job to find something to criticize in every album. Sorry, I could find nothing out of sync in Phil and Pam Boulding's well done collection of harp and hammered dulcimer tributes to major indigenous musics of the world. This was no quick-get-it-done production. Whether a Boulding interpretation of a traditional tune or style, or one of Phil's originals, each track was thoughtfully constructed and perfectly executed.

The album features the Magical Strings duo--Philip Boulding playing several kinds of Celtic and folk harps and wife Pam with hammered dulcimer. Together, and with additional guest artists, they present original interpretations of traditional musical forms from Madagascar, Hawaii, Ireland, the Caribbean islands, Gambia's kora music, as well as several original compositions that are pure Boulding and, as in their other eight albums, genuine delights. It is difficult to make a comparison between this album and any famous music done before, because the Boulding music is like no other. Magical Strings centers around the Celtic harp and hammered dulcimer which, in this album, are augmented by violin, cello, pennywhistle, percussion and various instruments from around the world….

Phil Boulding's accurate sense of the essentials and aesthetics of each genre of music included on this album is no better demonstrated that in track 3, "Warm Island," a perceptive interpretation of the sound and soul of the very best Hawaiian slack-key music--those fingerpicked open guitar tunings that island musicians took for granted until 1960s off-island scholars and musicians came to study, to learn, and to imitate (usually pretty badly). That Keola Beamer, the foremost Hawaiian slack-key authority, would agree to record this track with Phil is a privilege that few off-island musicians are ever accorded. The Gambian kora composition, the Madagascar dance music, and the Caribbean numbers show the same respect to their inspirational roots. The world music numbers are matched in quality by Phil's original compositions.”

A review written for the Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
by Marji Hazen