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Silver Apples of the Moon Sue Richards Maggie's Music. PO Box 4144. Annapolis, MD 21403 For a real treat and a rousing Gaelic get-together, it would be hard to find a better album than Silver Apples. Harpist Sue Richards, with Karen Ashbrook on hammered dulcimer and Connie McKenna, vocalist, have produced a rich, perfectly performed album of traditional, modern, and new music. Along with such guest artists as Myron Bretholz, bhodran, and Carolyn Surrick, viola da gamba, the album sounds fully orchestrated. The viola da gamba, or leg viol, is another instrument making a comeback in the performance of early music. It differs from the viola in that it is a larger instrument, with six strings, traditionally played resting vertically on its leg. The viol is noted for its clear and resonant tone, and adds a strong string sound to this album. The music is a mix of Irish and Scottish Gaelic tunes with an occasional original tune. "The Song of the Wandering Angus," for example, is a W. B. Yeats poem set to an old Scottish/Northumbrian tune. Also included is a medley of "Flowing Tide/New Claret," an Irish hornpipe and a Scottish jig. Other highlights include "Oro `Se Do Bheatha `Bhaile," sung in Gaelic to honor Grainne Mhaol, a female pirate; a rollicking Scandinavian Polska set; and several original works by Richards. Although no lyrics (or translation of the Gaelic) are provided, McKenna's unpolished clearly enunciated singing voice, lends itself well to this type of music. Richards' harp and Ashbrook's dulcimer are a perfect balance to the songs.

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