Twisting Of The Rope, The

Talented local multi-instrumentalist and arranger Aryeh Frankfurter uses the Swedish nyckelharpa to play haunting traditional melodies – mostly Celtic. The nyckelharpa is a keyed bowed instrument with sympathetic strings dating from the 1400's; very mellow music with interesting flourishes and feeling

All instrumental – NO FCC's – Favorite tracks: 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13

1- 4:33 – old Irish air – sweetly played on nyckelharpas, bass, and guitar

*2-4:26 – evocative Scottish air used by Robert Burns on nyckelharpa, guitars, cittern; modulates key partway through, giving it a modern air

3 – 6:08 – another Burns tune – more mysterious; Celtic harp adds treble to the mix. Slower

4—4:19 –Martine Wynne's air – from Sligo, a little livelier than previous

*5—4:57 – blind Irish harper and composer (from the 1600's) Turlough O'Carolan's “Eleanor Plunkett” – very tender rendition by Lisa Lynne

*6—2:46 – Long Dance from Sweden with nyckelharpa and bandura, oddly mournful and light at the same time

7- 5:22-- old Scottish melody – waltz time –romantic and sweet

*8-4:41 –another Scots tune – rocking 4/4 beat – nice harpwork –very pretty

9-4:51-- melody of a popular Irish ballad –an Irish harper woos his lady love

*10—4:02 – excerpt from Faure's Pavane inspired by Kim Robertson's idiosyncratic version

11-4:29 – melody from Irish song “Bridget O'Malley”-- sweet and a little melancholy

12 –3:33 – “Lo How the Rose E're Blooming”-- unusual version, very harpistic

**13-3:48 – “She Moved Through the Fair – old modal Irish song – slow, slow, with a drone – multi-layered