Riverdance: Music From The Show
Based on Irish folk dancing styles,Riverdancewas originally devised as a 20-minute intermission entertainment for the Eurovision Song Contest. There, its phenomenal reception inspired composerBill Whelanto expand the piece into a full-length stage show, still centered around Irish music, but now telling a loose story of many different peoples who in the 20th century have found themselves émigrés. The paradoxically formal yet expressive, sensual, and exhilarating energy of traditional Irish dance and Irish folk music is only the beginning. A work full of strong melodies, excitement, romantic dreams, and nostalgic longing, the fullRiverdanceshow is a spellbinding spectacle. Complete with orchestra, Whelan brings influences from Irish classical music, incorporates the haunting sound of vocal groupAnuna, and adds the diverse folk sounds of Nova Scotia, Macedonia, Russia, and Andalucia to his rich cultural melting pot. Playing on the album are some of the finest folk musicians around, including piperDavy SpillaneandEileen Iverson fiddle. The result is not just a tuneful souvenir of a great stage show, but a most enjoyable release in its own right. Whelan also has worked on theRob Roysoundtrackand composedThe Seville SuiteandThe Spirit of Mayo.--Gary S. Dalkin