And Did Those Feet,
Forgetting the Shadows of History
(Terra Nova, 2006)


There is a fantastic spiritual feel to the mystical combination of music, lyrics and voices on Forgetting the Shadows of History, the latest from And Did Those Feet. Calling it new age or Celtic or any other label would be to cause great injustice. This is a CD that would engage the mind, ears and hearts of anyone but the tone deaf who gives it a fair hearing.

"Dream of the Mountains" is almost worn out on my copy. The voices, the sound, the music all transport you to another place. In the notes Richard Ellin -- the visionary behind this group -- tells us it was inspired in the middle of "a bad day at the office." Without being mean, I wish him a hundred more such bad days. His less than perfect day could give any of us the antidote to a bad day of our own.

We often forget our Welsh cousins when we speak of Celtic music. Perhaps they are too often connected with rugby or choral music. The haunting lullaby "Mil Harddach Wyt" will be a salutary reminder that we all share the musical heritage. "Who Fills These Eyes?" is a song for anyone who has looked into the eyes of children.

The one fear I always have with an album like this is that people are too cautious in choosing music. They look for familiar performers and failing that, familiar tracks. This group does not compromise.

Apparently their name comes from the William Blake poem "Jerusalem" and the album title, although evocative, is still unlikely to generate impulse purchasing. If you miss it because of unfamiliarity you will be the bigger loser.




Rambles.NET
music review by
Nicky Rossiter


25 March 2006


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