Michal Hromek : The Best of Celtic Guitar : CD

O’CAROLAN : First Two Pieces After Turlough O’Carolan – Shebeg and Shemor; Irish Suite After O’Carolan –1)  Hewlett 2) George Brabazon;  Carolan’s Farewell to Music ;A Jig : HROMEK :  Suite  1) Prelude; 2) Pilgrimage; 3) March ; Double Obstinacy (At The Five Bells) ; Dances From Old Narnia – Part Two – Rondo #2; Pieces of Eight ; The Fall of a Chieftain : TRADITIONAL : Two Irish Ballads – Fanaid Grove; To Scotland , England ( Westward Bound , Suita); Three English Ballads – The Crystal Spring; The Wild Mountain Thyme #1; The Broom of the Cowdenknowes.

Michal Hromek  with Michael Verner( Bombarde and Bassoon),Veronika Pudlakova (Flute ,  vocals ) , Vaclav Sykora ( Flute), Barbara Pazourova ( Harp) , Daniel Mikolasek (Percussion) , Petr Chlouba (Percussion),Jakub Klar ( Recorder, Flute and Whistle) , Rene Vacha (Viola and Violin), Ivban Vohma, (Vocals) , Veronika   Hanna Mullerova ( Harp), Jiri Zelba ( Oboe)Sona Lhotkova (Cello)  Jan Jouza ( (Violin),Radek Krizanovsky (Violin) , Viktor Kodes ( Guitar) Daniel Mikolasek (Vocals ) and Katerina Dolezalova ( Vocals and Harp )

Supraphon / SU 5818-2 311

Michal Hromek has done a number of albums that are Celtic in origin, and he takes tunes with English, Scottish and Irish roots, arrangements of folk songs, Homages to Turlough O'Carolan, and Hromek's own compositions, and sometimes arranges them not only for solo guitar but also several other instruments too. He plays along with guest artists and members of his current band, the Michal Hromek Consort throughout this lovely album.  In this compilation album, he collects tracks from the albums Celtic Guitar, Beyond the Lion and Unicorn, Folk-Baroque and the Other Rags for Guitar(s), The Wild Mountain Thyme, and Five Bells. The only extra track here has been recorded specially for this album, and that is the final track The Broom of the Cowdenknowes, more of which later!  All the music is stunningly good, and the recording very clear and quite close.

The opening arrangement of Turlough O’Carolan’s Shebeg and Shemor is a wonderfully melodic piece that has one of those melodies that sticks with you, and this arrangement has a number of guitars working their way around each other and providing a lovely accompaniment to this superb piece of writing. Of course Turlough O’Carolan’s music is superb and very involving and all his tracks here are beautifully done.

The traditional tracks are everything you might be expecting- the melodies are often well – known to the listener, and as you can see from the player line up, Hromek takes every chance to make the arrangements beautiful and full of detail whilst the melodies are great.

The original works by Hromek are lovely too, slightly more modern in certain moments but still fitting really nicely with this well grafted album. The three- movement Suite brings in several other instruments to the recording all sounding excellent and adding a fine backing to the guitar. His The Fall of a Chieftain has a stunning introduction from the Harp, and has a lovely feel to it too. The final track is the only new one here The Broom of the Cowdenknowes, and has a beautiful lead  vocal from Katerina Dolezalova .

So all together this is one of my favourite albums in a very long time. Every track is gorgeously played, sung, and recorded, and it deserves to be on the top of your want list

Chris Dumigan