Harping On

The harp gets a bit of a bad rap in Irish circles, owing to its association in the national psyche with comely fair-haired maidens trilling their way through saccharine ditties. In Kathleen Loughnane’s hands, though, it’s a precision instrument, swift and sparkling. Alec Finn of De Danann fame co-produced this album with Loughnane, and throughout most of it his bouzouki chimes in with complex countermelodies, its thin, metallic tones contrasting with the fuller sound of the harp. The effect is interesting, but becomes ever so slightly intrusive after a while. The inimitable Seamus Begley contributes a plaintive version of the classic love song ‘Bean Dubh an Ghleanna’, and other guests include such illustrious names as Sharon Shannon, keyboard player Brian McGrath and whistle players Mary Bergin and Sean Ryan. All the same, I found myself longing to hear Loughnane’s deft fingerwork left to hold its own for longer than the few introductory solo notes it’s allotted on the tunes presented here.