Alchemy of a Rose

Review by Tom Nelligan

Originally published in Dirty Linen April/May 2004

The Reel World
Small–label English and Celtic Music

If you’ve been listening to a million fiddlers lately and are ready for a very different sound from Celtic tradition, and a much older one, too, you might start with Alchemy of a Rose [Highland Circle Music HCM 51886 (2002)] by Marylander Cynthia Cathcart, a United States national champion on the ancient wire–strung Scottish harp called the clarsach.

The clear, pure sound of that instrument — glistening, bell–like, and resonating with rich layers of harmonics — is nothing short of stunning in this uplifting, meticulously crafted recording of traditional tunes from Scotland and Ireland.

While many of the tunes in this collection are played solo, Cathcart also employs some unconventional but very effective pairings like touches of flute and percussion here and there, an ominous–sounding didjuridu that introduces and closes a meditative arrangement of Brian Boru inspired by the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and the bells of Washington National Cathedral, which appear as a chorus of hope to close out The Banks o’Clyde. This is music that’s thoughtful, inspirational, and great therapy for stress.