Midnight On The Water

In the wrong hands, the autoharp can be dangerously prone to tuneless monotony. Happily, Cork man Chris Twomey has the light touch and musical sensitivity needed to bring out the best in this oft-abused instrument; he’s also a dab hand on dulcimer, harmonica, concertina and guitar. A co-founder of the original Lee Valley String Band, he’s been touring for upwards of four decades, but Midnight On The Water is his first solo album. While the material ranges from nifty versions of Carolan tunes ‘Fanny Power’ and ‘Planxty Irwin’ to the ‘Barcarolle’ from Offenbach’s Tales Of Hoffman, the overall emphasis is very much on Twomey’s beloved American old-time music. Listening to his plaintive singing on Bill Monroe’s ‘You’ll Find Her Name Written There’ or the haunting ‘O Molly Dear’ (beautifully played on dulcimer), you’d be forgiven for thinking you were listening to some obscure recording from the 1940s. Lovely stuff, and about time.