In the early 1990s, my Celtic horizons were expanding exponentially. It was a heady time for me, when I was first beginning to explore some of the great music from Ireland and other Celtic climes beyond the usual American experience that was limited to the likes of the Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers and the Dubliners. Part of my technique in those days was to find Irish music catalogues and order CDs blindly to see what I might find; in those days, remember, we lacked the handy Internet resources that let you sample before buying. I ended up with quite a few duds back then, but some of the music I discovered then still stands shoulder to shoulder with anything that's come out since.

One of the big winners from back then was Deanta's self-titled debut album from 1993. Deanta (pronounced "jaunt-a") hailed from Co. Antrim in Northern Ireland. It was the first of three albums released before the band, sadly, parted ways in 1998. The lineup on Deanta was All-Ireland champion singer Mary Dillon, who also played synthesizer, guitar and harp, plus Katie O'Brien on fiddle, viola and guitar, Eoghan O'Brien on harp, guitar and bells, Paul Mullan on flute and whistles, and Clodagh Warnock on bouzouki, fiddle, bodhran and percussion. Steven Cooney joined in with a bit of didgeridoo, bass and classical and slide guitars.

The band's sound is pure Ireland. Except for a bit of Cooney's didge, it's hard to pinpoint anything here that varies far from the traditional. The instrumental sets, heavily favoring the harp, tend toward the gentler side of Irish music. There's no faulting the tightness of the band's performance.

Where Deanta truly shone in its heyday was in songs led by Dillon's crystal-clear vocals. Full of the wild, heart-breaking passion for which Irish songs are renowned, Dillon wrings every iota of emotion from the words with strength and sweetness. I could listen to her sing all the live-long day. "Cold Grey Fairyland," a band original, and the English traditional song "Willie Taylor" are particular favorites.

Deanta didn't survive long in the world, but their music is still around to enjoy. Do so, or you'll be missing one of the great treasures of Irish song.