author: Frank Mills, "brigit's Feast", Journal Of Celtic Spirituality
"Delightfully enchanted, exquisitely performed" are the only words that can possibly describe this CD compilation from award-winning harper and storyteller Joanna Mell. This is my first experience in listening to Joanna Mell who has previously released three highly acclaimed albums. Songs and Stories, Ms. Mell notes, is an organic whole, "representing an evening with a Celtic bard, utilizing all the bardic arts." As I listened to Joanna Mell's refreshing, rapturous vocals - really tales - fitted to the lilting strains of the harp, it transported my heart and mind to ancient Ireland. I was so taken up with the music that I almost didn't even realize when the CD stopped playing; the music keeps playing over and over again in my head. That's the effect that Joanna Mell has on her listeners. There is no question about it; Ms. Mell has gone beyond the representation of an evening with a Celtic bard, she is the ancient filidh, the ancient poet and storyteller, in modern garb. It was the bard of old, whose music achieved the culture and lore of ancient Celtic society, and Songs and Stories is indeed "bardic". Ms. Mell, however, unlike the bard, but much to our delight, performs on both the Celtic and neo-Celtic harps while singing in English and Gaelic. To get the most out of the music, I would suggest that before you listen to Songs and Stories, you read the well-researched capsules of the Celtic lore behind each piece found in the jacket. And be sure to read the inside cover of the jacket first. Our readers who reside in or near Bucks County, Pennsylvania, can enjoy the pleasures of Joanna Mell's bard gift at Granny McCarthy's Tea Room in Bethlehem every Wednesday afternoon while sipping High Tea.
Frank Mills - "Brigit's Feast"