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Celtic Cantigas Gerald Trimble TRB Troubadour Company, LLC (TRB 1001)   The Cantigas de Santa Maria, a 13th-century collection of over 400 hymns dedicated to the Virgin Mary and initiated by King Alfonso X of Castle, Leon, and Seville, are given a new interpretation by the "21st century minstrel" Gerald Trimble. In his fourth and latest album, Celtic Cantigas, Trimble, who is best known for playing the cittern (a small, plucked, metal-wire strung renaissance instrument), explores the connections between Eastern and Western styles of music. This time, Trimble's chief instrument is not the cittern but the viol da gamba (a bowed, fretted renaissance bass viol held in between the legs like a cello). Trimble chose the viol da gamba because he believes that when the instrument is modified to produce Asian scales, this western instrument can historically link the ancient Eastern to the modern western use of the viol, signifying the fusion and unification of these two different cultures within the one instrument. This interchange of cultures between East and West-Christianity and Islam-is symbolically reflected in the music from the Cantigas. Trimble and his fellow musicians explore these connections by tracing the music's Moorish influences on the medieval troubadours of Provence, on Celtic folk music and, finally, on the progression of all western music. The result is an album filled with mixed ancient instruments, unusual patterns of rhythms, and uncharacteristic singing. The one fault with this CD, however, is the singing. For the most part, Trimble sings with a distinctive, rich sonority to his voice. Unfortunately, Maria Wolfe, the other vocalist, is often too pitchy and unexpressive. Her vocalizations result in a mishmash of sound modulation which, when mixed with Trimble's intonation, creates an unpleasant, shrill sound. More importantly, though, Trimble's research into the history of this music-and subsequently use of that information-constitutes an endeavor that is both new and compelling. The result is an original and unique-sounding album. The unconventional use of rhythms, the varied group of instruments, and Trimble's extraordinary playing skills make for an interesting CD. — Ian Rotondi

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