CD Review: Julie Murphy & Dylan Fowler – Ffawd

Julie Murphy & Dylan Fowler – Ffawd
Label: Fflach Tradd – CD248H 

2001

Just for a change here’s a quick recommendation for you. It’s a recording of Welsh traditional songs and has been a favorite of mine for some time now 

Julie Murphy is a Welsh singer best known for her work with the band Fernhill and Dylan Fowler is a guitarist/arranger of the first order. 

This collaboration (the title means fate or fortune) is a gem of its kind. All the songs are sung in Welsh and though I am sadly totally ignorant of the language this whole recording is beguiling and endlessly listenable. Those who have listened to traditional song from this part of the world will recognize the the harmonic minor scale so often used and emotional ambiguity of the sound. 

Murphy’s voice is a thing of crystalline beauty — strong and clear — and Fowler’s guitar is a fine example of how to accommodate a traditional song with imagination and respect. 

You can hear some tracks on YouTube and the album is available on iTunes and Amazon. 

Highly recommended.

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